15 Sept 2011

THE VASE

Jenny Matlock
more participants at Jenny Matlock's Alphabet Thursday


letter V

Looking in my cupboard for a vase, I found a very old one which I had almost forgotten and which I never use because of its history. I was born in Frankfurt Germany in the middle of WW II in 1943. My mother could move to her parents in the country, because she had a baby. Mothers with children were allowed to leave the severely bombed city, the others had to stay and work.

My father was still working in Frankfurt and lived alone in their appartment. One evening when he came home the street didn't exist anymore the whole district had been bombed and was in ruins. He went there where their flat was supposed to be and amongst all the rubble found only one thing which had survived the bombing without any damage :



this vase

All other things were distroyed and nothing left. He took out the vase and left Frankfurt too. The allied airforces had dropped 12.197 tons of explosives on the city and about 5.500 residents were killed.

I am not a person to keep old things as souvenir, I rather throw them away too quickly sometimes, but this vase I couldn't throw away when my parents had both died it's part of history and it is so amazing that it still looks like new !

28 comments:

  1. That is an amazing story and you must keep it forever and pass it down to your son and grandchild/ren with the story attached like a little scroll inside.

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  2. this is indeed a treasure keep sake and the story should be kept alive.

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  3. That is certainly worth keeping Gattina. Great V word

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  4. Oh thank goodness you didn't throw it out.It is beautiful and holds such a great bank of memories!

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  5. That is incredible and a big part of your family history.

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  6. The vase is telling a story, glad you didn't throw it away, maybe you can pass it to your son one day?

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  7. Lovely story, how many others might still have so precious witnesses of those dark days?
    Thanks for your comment on my blog.
    We live in the Eastern part of Belgium on the edge of the 'pays de Herve', Belgium's Toscana as some call it.

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  8. This vase is wonderful and more impressive is its story.
    Thanks for sharing,
    Léia

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  9. Wow, what a story. And what a cherished family heirloom!

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  10. What an amazing story, thanks so much for sharing, it is a beautiful vase.

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  11. What a wonderful heirlom to pass down!

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  12. Amazing story about your treasured vase. I like Diane B's suggestion of writing the story on a little scroll and passing it down to your heirs.

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  13. I can see why that lovely vase is so precious to you.

    =)

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  14. Great V post. The vase is definitely something to hold onto always!

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  15. It's a beautiful vase. I am glad you did keep it. I have my old German Grandfather's family bible. It's written in old German script, which even Jack cannot read. But to me seeing my Papa's name written in it, means so much to me.

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  16. Amazing story, Gattina, and of course you've just got to keep the vase and leave it to your son. You should also start telling Toby the story about the vase as soon as he is old enough to understand even a little bit about it. Show him the vase, let him touch it gently but not hold it, and tell him how it survived a war without getting damaged. This story should be part of his heritage, all of his life. Children love to hear stories about things they can see and touch.
    — K

    Kay, Alberta, Canada
    An Unfittie's Guide to Adventurous Travel

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  17. It is a beautiful piece of family history and I am so glad that it survived and that you still have it.

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  18. Wow! What a history this vase has. How amazing that is survived unscathed! You must definitely cherish it (and how good that your Father was not in the street when it was destroyed!!).

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  19. Gattina, the vase is sooo beautiful! A wonderful treasure to pass down to your son.

    I am like you--I show no mercy when I am weeding out stuff. At our age, it is much better to live a streamlined existance!!

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  20. amazing story Gattina. I'm glad you have this vase to keep with the memories to document...

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  21. what an amazing story! I'm glad you still have your vase and the three of you made it through the war unharmed (I should say, I hope...) {:-Deb

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  22. Wow. My dad was a young boy in Holland during WWII. He has many memories of the air raids and soldiers. Thank you for sharing this piece of your history.
    Dana

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  23. What an amazing story. And what a treasured keepsake. Love this post. Thanks, Gattina.

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  24. A vase with a profound history. I would not part with it either, except to pass it on as an heirloom.

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  25. Oh Gattina, what a bittersweet story you shared...I love that you've kept it and hope it will survive a few more generations. Make sure you write it's history somewhere. Maybe on a paper stuck inside of it....

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  26. The vase that defied the bombs. I love it!

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  27. Oh Gattina, what a wonderful post!

    I hope your can print out this story and put it inside of the vase. What an astonishing provenance!

    Thank you for sharing this treasure with us.

    A+

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