Vtual European Cultural Centre
- European study of the everyday culture -
Residential biographies / cooperative living
A day of rejoicing
A day of rejoicing
This story arouses very special memories in me. Together with our parents we moved into our first common domicile, after all.
Rays of sunlight woke both of us children up on that day in late
autumn. Our grandmother had to remind us to eat our breakfast
unhurriedly. That time we did not dawdle at all while getting dressed,
for we were excited and full of anticipation.
Eventually, we walked hand in hand with our grandfather and grandmother
to the tram stop. The tram jerked and squeaked through the streets. It
ran very slowly through the destroyed city. In great astonishment we
stared at the buildings, the bridge and the river Elbe passing by,
since those places had been completely unknown to us.
At Stübelplatz, today called Straßburger Platz, we transferred to another tram.
We asked our grandfather what kind of park this was. He explained to us
that that was the Grand Garden. We continued regarding the alley of
trees which bordered the tram tracks on the left-hand and right-hand
side.
Having arrived at Zwinglistraße we caught again sight of the city’s
ruins. Although the sun was shining a chilly breeze blew from the
cellar rooms of the broken buildings.
As fast as our legs would carry us we ran towards our new home. All of
a sudden, we heard a whistle. A locomotive of the so-called Trümmerbahn
pulled wagons loaded with rubble past us. We crossed the tracks that
passed our way.
Finally, we stood in front of “our” house. We rushed upstairs to the
second floor. Our mother had already heard us and had opened the
hallway door. Without greeting her my younger sister Renate immediately
discovered the bathroom. I examined every single room. The adults
followed our flat viewing.
Our parents had furnished that flat with lots of love, yet in a simple
style. In the meantime our grandmother had warmed up the meal and
called us in to have lunch in the kitchen.
The kitchen was a special place for me as it was bigger and brighter.
There was an integrated gas and coal stove. From the kitchen window one
could look at a vast and nice courtyard which was decorated with fruit
trees, willows, bushes, meadows and two sandboxes. It encouraged
playing outdoors.
I was suddenly startled out of my thoughts as my mother insistently
told me: “Windows are not to be opened alone and the balcony is only to
be stepped on together with an adult.”
The many new impressions made us sleepy and without grumbling the two of us went straight to our new own living areas.
Background information:
Move from Neustadt to Gruna on November 3rd, 1949.
We were of the age of 3¼ and 4¼ years at that time.
A board at a house on Falkensteinplatz/Zwinglistraße reminds of the destruction and the reconstruction.
Father received a three-roomed flat equipped with heating, cold and
warm water as well as a balcony in recognition of his work as a
so-called new teacher.
