Dunkelmann / Wege Lina

or The Short Life of an Exceptional Girl
1. Auflage 2021
ISBN: 978-3-7557-6300-0
Verlag: BoD - Books on Demand
Format: EPUB
Kopierschutz: 6 - ePub Watermark

E-Book, Englisch, 148 Seiten

In 1924, Lina Bernhardt is born in Schwäbisch Hall, the fourth of ten children. The family circumstances are very difficult and the parents are overburdened. Soon the Youth Welfare Office gets involved and Lina is taken to the children's home in Lichtenstern with three of her siblings. Due to a previous illness, the fun-loving girl is slightly mentally and physically handicapped. Without her siblings, she has to move to the Stetten Sanatorium and Care Home in 1931. With her cheerful and sunny nature, she quickly makes friends there - she enjoys singing songs to the nursing staff, telling imaginative stories and recounting her dreams, which are often about family members. In September 1940, the first "gray buses" start to appear in front of the Stetten institution. Numerous residents are transported to extermination camps as part of the "Action T4" genocide program. Lina's path takes her first to Winnenden and then to Weinsberg. At the age of 17, she is murdered at the killing center in Hadamar. In this book, Ruth Dunkelmann and Brigitte Wege recall the story of their aunt. Using letters and reports from Lina's medical records, they reveal the touching fate of an exceptional girl.

From left to right: Ruth Alice Dunkelmann, Elsa Dunkelmann née Bernhardt, Brigitte Wege What really happened back then? Where was Lina taken? Could I still find out something about her after 70 years? These are the questions I asked myself at the beginning of my search for my unknown aunt. My mother and her many siblings grew up under difficult circumstances. Some of them only got to know each other as adults. Only Lina seemed to have vanished completely. For my mother, my sister and me, in searching for her it was as if we were at last gradually getting to know her, and above all coming to love her. Ruth Alice Dunkelmann im Juli 2019 --- You can contact the authors at the following email address [e-mail]

Autoren/Hrsg.

Dunkelmann, Ruth Alice

Wege, Brigitte

Leseproben

Lichtenstern, October 1929 to June 1931
Next morning the world already looks a bit friendlier. It is a beautiful clear autumn day and the woods around Lichtenstern are resplendent with all colors. The siblings go for a walk and view the grounds. “Such a beautiful, big church – just for children,” Liesl marvels. Later she will find out more about the history of Lichtenstern and learn that it is located in a former monastery. The monastery of Lichtenstern was founded in 1242 by Countess Luitgard of Weinsberg. In addition to the monastery church (1280) which still exists today, the monastery complex, which was built by the end of the 13th century, included the cloister with its beautiful tracery and ribbed vaulting, the convent building, residential accommodation for about 25 nuns and outbuildings. The monastery experienced its heyday in the 15th century. After 300 years of existence, the monastery was dissolved by Duke Christoph in 1554 in the course of the Reformation. He established a monastery superintendency, which administered the properties and benefices of the former monastery. During this time, the Oberamtei (as an extension of the church) and the Bandhaus (1586) were built, which today, together with the church, the Forsthaus and Binderhaus, form the medieval ensemble of Lichtenstern. In 1836, citizens from Löwenstein (the Schmidgall brothers), together with the physician Justinus Kerner and Pastor Hegler, founded an association and a foundation to open a Children’s Rescue Home in the former Cistercian monastery of Lichtenstern. The impetus for this was given by Carl August Zeller, who based the educational project on the spirit of Pestalozzi. Giving children and young people future prospects was the goal of the institution until after the Second World War. Until the 1960s, Lichtenstern was a children’s home before it became a facility for the disabled in 1963. (http://www.lichtenstern.de, accessed: 10.07.2012) “Look, there are Klara and Werner!” Liesl exclaims. She waves excitedly to the two. They have known them for a long time, because they are the children of mother’s friend Martha. They are delighted to see each other again, especially when Klara fetches their cousin August. Fritz almost gushes with excitement: “It’s so great that you are here too, August!” At last he has a friend again. Today the children set out together for a journey of discovery. First they walk through the beautiful monastery garden, which is located right next to the boys’ house, then on over the hill. They cheerfully explore their new home. To begin with, Lina and Gertrud cling to Liesl all the time. Time and again, Lina asks about their mother and father, about little brother Emil and the new tiny sister. Liesl gradually loses patience with her. They have only been in Lichtenstern for a few days, but she has already explained things to Lina ever so many times. “But I told you before,” she says, irritated, “we’re just going to have to stay here for a while. Our parents will come and pick us up. After all, we do still have parents, not like most of the children here who don’t have any, or only have a mother or a father. You have to be good now, and not always be fidgeting or wagging your head, because they don’t like that here,” she explains earnestly. Lina nods and tries to be good. But everything is so new and disturbing that it’s hard for her to stay calm. Liesl has her hands full with her two little sisters – they stick to her like burrs. When she comes home from school, Gertrud and Lina are already eagerly waiting for her. Most of the time they sit on the low wall in front of the girls’ house and let their legs dangle. Liesl also has to help them both at mealtimes, because the “aunties” already have their hands full with the other little children. At first, the caregivers didn’t take it in that Lina can’t feed herself – after all, she is nearly six years old. But they soon realize that something is not quite right. Liesl is now allowed to help her after all. The children at last have enough to eat and are no longer hungry all the time. They like pretty much everything, they really aren’t choosy – except when it happens to be “Hutzel porridge” (boiled dried fruit with semolina). Liesl feels sick just looking at this strange slimy concoction. The semolina porridge is okay, and she eats it up quickly. She simply leaves the rest on her plate and hopes that no one will notice. Unfortunately, she hasn’t allowed for strict Auntie Sofie. “That’s not how we do things here,” the latter says severely. “You always eat up everything that is on your plate, or no one is allowed out to play. So make sure you finish every mouthful, Liesl.” The other girls give her dirty looks, and Jule, sitting nearby, hisses, “Eat up, we want to play tag.” Liesl bravely puts a spoon in her mouth and swallows without chewing, “Uahhh …” She almost spits out the tough, squishy mass again, she is so disgusted and feels like crying. But then it occurs to her that after all she has two little sisters sitting next to her! And in a flash, as soon as Aunt Sofie isn’t looking, she puts a big spoonful of Hutzel mush into each of their mouths. The two of them wrinkle their noses indignantly, but dutifully swallow it all. “Well done, Liesl.” Aunt Sofie is happy, when the plate is finally empty. Cheerfully, they all skip and jump out into the garden. “You’re a sly one,” says Jule. She grins at Liesl and links arms with her. The days at Lichtenstern pass in an orderly and well structured way. This is something the Bernhardt children are not used to. At home, there were no structures, and hardly any order or rules. It is not easy for them to fit into the thoroughly organized daily routine. Fritz, in particular, is having a hard time with it; he is always late or messes up the day’s agenda. In addition, now that he finally has a few friends, he thinks the time allowed for playing and romping is always much too short. In the first few days the siblings have been thoroughly examined. All of them had lice and also bug bites. In addition, they were quite neglected, dirty and malnourished, but that after all was pretty much par for the course. Otherwise Liesl, Gertrud and Fritz are healthy. Liesl admittedly is a bit small and weak for her age, but she has no serious health problems. With Lina it is quite different – she is most definitely not “normal”. Report from Lichtenstern (1929) about Lina: Mentally very weak, right-sided paralysis originating from the brain Prognosis: not hopeful Needy for love, cuddly, friendly, extremely nervous, hasty and restless, great need for recognition. Psyche very low. Still cannot speak clearly, has difficulty expressing herself with her own peculiar word formations. Healthy, blooming appearance. As for the reasons why the children have been brought here, we find the following stated: Sad family circumstances, father often drunk, rarely at home, with a recidivist criminal record for theft. Mother also very prone to drinking, exercises a shameful influence on the children. The Inspector (director) of the Lichtenstein facility thoughtfully shakes his head: “Lina must be examined again very thoroughly when she has settled in a bit. There seems to be quite a bit wrong with her. I also need to get more detailed information about her previous illnesses,” he tells the nurse in an undertone. Under his breath he adds, “I hardly think we can keep her here with us in Lichtenstern permanently. Surely she would be better off in a home for special needs in the long run, but we won’t decide that today.” Winter is slowly coming on. The children like slipping into their beds in the evening and are happy about the extra wool blankets. It’s always too cold in the old building, especially in the dormitory. Just getting up is a torment, and washing in the morning is even more so. Hot water is a luxury that is rarely available. All the girls have to wash at a long stone trough on which a multitude of wash bowls are lined up. The “aunties” stand alongside and watch them with an eagle eye. Lina needs help most of the time – the paralysis in her right hand has not improved and there are many things she simply cannot manage to do. When the first snow falls, the siblings are once again amazed. Here in the midst of nature and near the forest, everything looks like a fairytale world. In the mornings and evenings, the freshly fallen snow seems to literally glisten on the trees. As soon as the lessons are over, the children can’t be stopped, no matter how cold it is. They rush out into the white world, build snow castles, igloos and snowmen. Lina loves to throw herself backwards and make angels in the snow. She romps around outside with abandon. Because of her cheerful nature, she has already made a few friends. She is especially fond of Auntie Emma, the young blonde care worker. Lina is always running after her like a puppy and adores her. Auntie Emma laughs and says, “Oh, there’s my poor little black cat again,” and strokes Lina’s dark hair. This makes Lina happy – she beams like the sun. An elderly woman who helps out in the kitchen from time to time is another of Lina’s favorites. Time and again she sneaks...