More participants are here at Kelly's
This time I show you something very special, which I even ignored I had ! It all started with the fact that I need a new passport. You get it for 10 years but then you need a new one.
While looking for our family book, I found the one of my parents, I even ignored I had, and that was quite something !
My parents had married in 1942 in the middle of the war in Frankfurt/Germany, and the whole book was written in gothic. I can't read the handwriting, because I had never learned it at school, and the responsibles now in Berlin, they probably can't read it either because they were all born long after the war.
That's the book. It was like that under Hitlers 3rd Reich
my birth certificaten, followed by 10 pages of empty birth certificates, instead of having 10 children my parents dared to have only one !
A page to be filled in for racial purposes, beeing jew or half jew etc. As there was no jew in my family the page is void. I remember my parents telling that they had to prove until the 3rd generation that no jews "spoiled" the good german blood ! Unbelievable !!
Here should be the family tree start, but it's also empty
and then pages and pages of recommendations and laws which would let us climb up the walls today ! First there was a "Blood protection law" forbidding the marriage between a German and a Jew, or a person who had jewish blood in his veins.
The marriage's most important signification was to make a lot of (healthy) babies, to increase the German race ! The man is the chief of the family he only decides. He chooses the place were to live. The woman is not allowed to work outside the house without the permission of her husband. He also administrates her money. etc etc.
I didn't read the whole book it affected me badly all these racial laws ! I had read and heard about this but it seemed history and concerning other people. Now I found this book amongst the things my father left when he died, and it is the proof that they had lived all this !
Ouf! I imagine how this can affect you. My mother family was from Alsace and had the chance to come in South to escape all that! Even a cousin went to Tunisia and came back in Strasbourg after the war.
ReplyDeleteThe testimonies are a chance and we haven't to forget. My father wrote his memories when he was young and visited the last countries in France when the German had to go away after le débarquement des alliés. He arrived in Germany and was based by german farmers. It's terrible when I read my father story! After he went for several years in Vietnam! And it was more terrible for him! He came back home, the only survivor of his section.
This is really interesting, although I can understand why it's also upsetting for you. Thanks for sharing with us :-)
ReplyDeleteDoes this mean you're German? Or your parents were? How come you don't live in Germany? Just curious!
What an interesting find. Real history even though it must be upsetting for you. Isn't it great how following generations have changed their attitude.
ReplyDeleteNot so long ago, is it? Unfortunately there are still races/areas where laws are very restrictive even today.
ReplyDeleteWe so often take our freedom for granted now.
What a moving post. It makes us greatful for God and all that he gives us to make us who we are today!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for sharing!
Please stop by The Old Parsonage, I love company!
Enjoy!
Leann
Thank you for posting this.
ReplyDeleteI have been searching for something that explains why I will always consider myself Jewish, even if I am not a religious Jew.
Your post explains so much. :)
It is an important piece of history, that we should never forget. Freedom is something we should never take for granted. I can certainly understand why it is upsetting for you. This was a really interesting post. Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteIris
I imagine this book is very valuable for its historic content but also valuable to you because it is from your own history. Recently, my grandson's class studied much from this time. His teacher was of German heritage. I was so proud that he included this in his cirriculum because we need not forget what happened.
ReplyDeleteMama Bear
How exciting to have this record. I can understand the frustration at reading these laws!
ReplyDeleteCindy
I saw the answer you left in my blog (thank you), so now I have another question for you: does Belgium feel like home?
ReplyDeleteFeel free to tell me to shut up if you've had enough of my questions :-)
I would be upset also by reading all the laws and regulations. It took a war to end these restrictions!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteThank you for posting this. You see if we remember, history, if we honor all we learned by the brutality of it, then it will not happen again. You see, too often people forget the terrible history, and before we know it, it happens again!
ReplyDeleteHistory, has much to teach us.
Thank you for sharing.
What an interesting book, even though it was difficult to read. It was a very sad period of history, that hopefully will never be reapeated again. Thank you so much for sharing it.
ReplyDeleteThat was a terrible time in man's history, Gattina and I hope it never happens again. However, I fear it is happening in other parts of the world maybe not on as large a scale but just as barbaric nevertheless.
ReplyDeleteI can understand all those laws having an adverse affect on you...it was just terrible the strictures people had to live under. Still, it's an important part of history and maybe you could donate it to a museum or something.
Wow that is unbelievable....what a different time that was. Thanks so much for sharing about your family
ReplyDeleteBlessings Heather ;-)