OCTOBER,1946 317 wouldservetheirpurposeornot,butstilleveryonehoped thattheywouldbecompleted.Fromhourtohourwithincreasingfrequency,weheardrumorsthattheRussianswere gettingnearerandnearerthecityfromtheEast.Wherever onelooked,onesawtheworiedeyesofchildren,thepale questioningfaecesofwomen,andexcitedmenarguing. OntheafternoonofApril26thefirstrefugeesfromthe easternpartofBerlincamethroughthestreets,withbaby cariagesandcartspiledhighwiththerestoftheirbelong- ings.Thewavehadreachedandstruckthemfirst.Noone knewwherethesepoorpeopleweretogo,andeveryonewasso busywithhimselfandhisownfamilythathesemedtohave nofeelingforthemiseryofothers.Therefugeesbroughtthe mostdirereports;theywereallleavingbecausetheRussians wereactinginhumanly.Atfirstthesestoriesdidnotmakeme nervous,butafterIthoughtaboutthemtheydid.Foragrain oftruthisusualybackofeventhemostextravagantrumor. Andagainitwasnight.Asalways,anairalarm.Thesame dramaasthenightbefore—bloodredsky,buzzingairplanes, crashesofbombs.Itseemedtomeasiftheskywasashade redderthanthenightbefore—thatmeanttheRussianswere gettingnearer.Thenextday,onthe27thofApril,allmen whowerestillavailablewerecalledintotheVolkssturm. Youngstersof15andoldmenof60weregivenanti-tank grenadesandsenttothebaricades.Theoldonesshooktheir heads,buttheyoungoneswereproudthattheytoocouldnow playtheirparts.Forwhat15-year-oldboyrealybelieves seriouslyindeath? Nowtherumorswerebecomingalmostunbelievable.One rumorhadtheRussiansinTempelhof,anotherhadthem somewhereelse,andsoforth.Buteveryrumorindicatedthat theRedArmywastreatingpeopleterribly.Theywereburninghouses,shootingpeople,andrapingwomen.Thewomen andchildreninthecelarswerebesidethemselves.Aftersittingaldaylonginthecellar,almostwithoutsleep,andwith- outhotfood,theycouldeasilyimaginethemselvesalready rapedorkilled. . . Nowitseemedasifshel-firewasbeingaimedatusfrom alldirections.Windowglassshatered,plasterandbricksflew throughtheair,piecesofwoodworkfellintothestreet,and youcouldhearthescreamsofpeoplewhowerefrightenedor hitbythem. Itwaschaos!Thencamethefrightfulnews thatthewatersupplyhadbeencutoff.Thefireguardman- agedtoatachahosetothehydrant.Nowwaterhadtobe broughtininpitchers.Thepeoplestoodinlongqueues,and astheshelsflewovertheyduckedandheldtheirbreaths. Thenagaincamethescreamofashel,andinthesamemo- mentacrash.Ashelhadburstinthemiddleofthelineof peoplewaitingatthehydrant. Iwasstandingtheretoo,and hadjustgoneafewstepsawaywithmypitcher.Someofthe womenweretorntoshreds.Afterthat,thestreetwasempty, withthebodiessoakedbythewaterstillrunningoutofthe hydrant. Earlyonthemorningofthe28thcameclearsunshine. Whatacontrast!Deathanddestructionallaround,andover itallsmiledthesun.Soldiersslippedthroughthestreetswith readiedguns,andnowandthenshotsrangout.Iscreamedto thesoldiers,wouldn'ttheypleasetellmewheretheRussians were?Onestoppedamoment,lookedatmeandsaidinadead voice,attheSchonebergstation.Ashudderwentthroughmy body.NowitcouldbeonlyashorttimebeforetheRussians reachedus. Intheafternoonallofasuddenitbecamecompletely peaceful.Onlyeverynowandthenonecouldheartheclick, clickofrifleshots.Afewpeoplesteppedoutonthestreet expectantly.Whatcouldthispeacefulnessmean?Presently 'figireknew.Isa.w.thefirstfiveRussians,ledbyanM.P.,come Bibliotecaunobianco downthestreet.Theysaunteredquietlyalong,stoppinghere andtheretospeakwiththefewpeoplewhowerestanding outside.Whathappenedwasjusttheoppositeofwhatweex- pected.TheRussians,wellclothedandwelfed,cametothe people,shookhands,andsaid:don'tbeafraid,wewon'tdo anything.Theyofferedcigarettes,restedforamoment,and wenton.Peoplesighedwithrelief;nothinghorriblewasgo- ingtohappen.Hereandthereoneheardagainalittlelaughter. Ilookedaroundwithjoy;itwasachildandhismother.Ihad thought,wehadallforgotenhowtolaugh. Whocouldthinknow,thatoursuferingwasjustbe- ginNn o inbgo?dyyetdaredtogobackintohisapartmentthisnight, andasbeforeeveryonestayedatthecelar.Solongasitwas light,thereseemedtobenothingtoworryabout,butwith thedarkweallbecameoncemorenervousandanxious.And thencamethefirstRussiansintoourcelar.Theywerebyno meansasweldressedasthefirstones,andbehavedaswe hadexpectedtheRussianstobehave.Theyinspectedeveryonewiththeirflashlights,andstolewhatseemedatthemo- menttobevaluable.Especialywatches.Forthemoment, nothingmorehappened.Peopletriedtorest. Then,aboutthreeinthemorning,twowomen,weeping loudlyandcompletelydisheveled,camerunningintoourcellarseekingshelter.Theywerefromthenextstreet,where alreadytheRussianshadbeguntodragthewomenfromthe celarsandrapethem.Itwasindeedtrue,what Icouldn't bringmyselftobelieve.Itrembled,for Ididn'tknowhowI wouldbehaveifthesamethingshouldhappentome,andit semedcertainthat itwould.Thetwowomenweptand sobedastheyfranticalytoldtheirexperiences,whichnat- uralythrewallthewomenintosuchexcitementthatthey toobegantoweepandwail.Thechildrenbegantoscream. TowardmorningIwentoutwithanotheryoungwoman tolookaround.Aswesteppedoutonthestreet,aRussianim- mediatelycaledtousandorderedustohalt. Iimmediately fearedtheworstandwaspetrified.Heaskedusvariousques- tions,andlookedfromoneofustotheotherinsolently,sizing usup.ThenhesaidIshouldgo,andtheyoungwomanhad tocomewithhim.Shebegantoscream.Hermothercame, andseeingtheRussianforciblydraggingheraway,flungher- selfaroundhisneckandimploredhimtoletherdaughtergo. Asshewouldnotdesistinspiteofhisthreats,hepulledout hisgunandshother.Thenhedraggedthedaughterintothe firststoryofthehouse,kickedthedooropen,andrapedher. Afteralongtimethedaughtercameback,paleand apAath ftee r tic th . is,wedidnotdarestepoutonthestreetanymore. Wesattremblinginthepitch-darkcellarandwaitedfor whatevershouldhappen.Thenweheardtherolingofmany wheelsoverourheads,andthesoundofhorses'hoofs. I listenedcarefulydid Ihearrightly?Ihadthoughtthenoise wasonthestreet,butnowIwasconvincedthattheRus- siansweremovingrightintoourcourt. Ilookedthroughthe windowanditwastrue—theyweresetingupafieldkitchen. Whatwouldhappentousthisnightwasonlytooclear.For thefirsttimeinthewholeweekIbecamenervous,andbegan toshiverandshake.Mysisterbeggedmetogiveherallour veronaltabletssothatshecouldpoisonherself.Mymother onlysatandstaredatnothingwithanxiouseyes.DearGod, Iamthankfultodaythat I didnothaveapistolavailable, asIwouldhavedeliberatelyshotallthreeofus. Ibeganto thinkofvariouswaystoescape,beforetheRussiansshould discoverus.Weimmediatelybegantomakeourselvesasugly aspossible.Wetiedourhairtightlyinback,smearedour faceswithsoot,andputonthemostraggedoldclothes.Only tobecomeunatractive!Werealylookedmostfrightfully,
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