Flucht aus Polen

They said,
the war was over.
Still,
the suffering continued.

They were hungry.
Alone.
Afraid.

Father had never come home,
from Stalingrad.
Brother, an infant,
was dead.

Home was gone,
given to others.

Of the family,
Mother and the two sisters survived.
They had
their fear,
their lives,
their uncertainty,
and
each other.

Mutti had sent Lilli to beg a cup of food from another expelled family… (photo, Lilli, age six or seven, is in the dark coat with cup). Her face shows the the feelings of humiliation she still remembers.

This poorly written piece is true. Circumstances such as Lilli’s Vertreibung can never be justified; yet, they continue. Different wars, different peoples, the same horror, the same pain…

To complete the story, a few weeks ago Lilli, the girl kneeling next to the fire in this photo, called (some 66 years after these events). She had never seen this photo of herself. She did not know it had been taken. I am glad Lilli saw her photo here and we (Becky & I) are even more glad to have made Lilli’s acquaintance.

N.B.: By way of follow-up, we have had the great good fortune to find an additional photo of Lilli’s sister and her Mutti trying to escape Poland in the winter of 1945.

For more images please visit our Flucht und Vertreibung Gallerie.