• About
  • Books
  • Films

Postwar Germany

~ 1945-1949

Postwar Germany

Tag Archives: essen

Lost Tunnels

20 Monday Oct 2014

Posted by Anika in Everyday life, postwar

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

air, bombs, bunker, essen, Krupp Steel Works, tunnels, war

The true tragedy of the bombing war in World War II was measured in human lives. The numbers can vary, but here’s an idea of the devastation bombardments brought to the Axis Powers. (I think 70 years after the war, we can admit the bombs were awful for common people without getting into an argument about who deserved what).

The end of the war meant the end of bombs, but it would be years before reconstruction in Germany made a dent in the damage. In Essen, the city I live in,  the Allies targeted anything within range of the Krupp Steel Works. Ninety percent of the city center was destroyed or severely damaged.

90%. I can imagine my hometown in Michigan, the main drag where all the shops and restaurants are clustered — in ruins.

bunker feiheit mapBut back to Essen. Hard to believe, but thousands of people lived under those ruins. For years. Not just in cellars of collapsed or shaky buildings. Many lived in a tunnel system near the main train station. Some if not all the tunnels were from old coal mines — some hundreds of years old and lost to memory — that still snake under the city. Not long ago, the authorities closed down a part of the Autobahn near here because of one of these lost tunnels. They’re everywhere.

In one of my next posts, I’ll describe how people lived down in the dark.

 

 

Book: a diplomat’s daughter in postwar Germany

27 Sunday Oct 2013

Posted by Anika in Books

≈ Comments Off on Book: a diplomat’s daughter in postwar Germany

Tags

bruce, essen, hügel, mary, postwar, villa

Quite a few Americans who lived in postwar Germany as children have contacted me since I started this blog. I have some of their stories waiting in the pipeline, but I wanted to introduce the topic with a memoir that has just appeared in German, and will hopefully show up in English soon.

cover Mary Bruce bookSchwimmen in Villa Hügel (Swimming in Villa Hügel) is the story of Mary Bruce, an American 9-year-old who followed her diplomat father to Essen in 1949. Via her father, she had access to the city’s grandest mansion, the Villa Hügel, home of the city’s grandest family, the Krupps. They made Essen the “City of Steel,” and more ominously, the “Armory of the Reich.”

Allied bombings left Essen in ruins, the landscape Mary found when she arrived. She moved between two worlds: the privileged luxury of the Krupp mansion, symbol of the Allied dominance in postwar Germany. And the squalor of the city with its rubble and shortages. Between her father’s work and her mother’s social engagements, Mary was left largely alone to explore a city populated by people she’d been taught were monsters. When she met the German girl Irmgard, she began to accept that this strange place could also be home. Mary Bruce as child

Mary is now a retired literature professor from Illinois. She was kind enough to answer a few question about her book and what writing about her childhood meant to her.

Q: Who did you write the book for?

A: I can’t remember if I, or someone else, suggested I write this book. Basically, the interest Germans showed in my story inspired me, so I wrote it for them – but really, as with most writers, I wrote it for myself.

Q: How emotional was it to write?

A: The experience was both emotional and intriguing, intriguing because once I began reflecting, memories tumbled out. It was like uncorking a bottle of wine and pouring. Yes, I felt many emotions from happy to sad to surprise. The surprise element was just how much I remembered, and also, as I wrote, some pieces of my life fell into place.

Q: Have you heard from Irmgard?

A: I have not found my dear friend Irmgard. This is very sad for me. People have been looking for her, but she has not shown up. I don’t remember her last name, or even her address, as I was at her house only twice. I only hope she is all right.

 

Follow Postwar Germany on WordPress.com

Categories

  • 1945
  • Allies
    • British
    • French
    • Soviets
  • Americans
  • berlin
  • Books
  • Children
  • Crime
  • Culture
  • Denazification
  • Everyday life
  • general
  • Hunger
  • Jewish life
  • Media
  • Personalities
  • Politics and government
  • postwar
  • Travel
  • Uncategorized
  • Women

Follow me on Twitter

My Tweets

Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com.

Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy
  • Follow Following
    • Postwar Germany
    • Join 89 other followers
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • Postwar Germany
    • Customize
    • Follow Following
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Report this content
    • View site in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar
 

Loading Comments...