Divided Lives: The Untold Stories of Jewish-Christian Women in Nazi Germany

385 Pages·2000·1.23 MB·English

by  Cynthia A. Crane

DIVIDED LIVES
The Untold Stories of
Jewish-Christian Women
in Nazi Germany
CYNTHIA CRANE
St.Martin’sPress
NewYork
DIVIDEDLIVES
Copyright©2000byCynthiaCrane.Allrightsreserved.Printedinthe
UnitedStatesofAmerica.Nopartofthisbookmaybeusedorreproduced
inanymannerwhatsoeverwithoutwrittenpermissionexceptinthecaseof
briefquotationsembodiedincriticalarticlesorreviews.Forinformation,
addressSt.Martin’sPress,175FifthAvenue,NewYork,N.Y.10010.
ISBN0-312-21953-9
LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData
isavailablefromtheLibraryofCongress.
DesignbyAcmeArt,Inc.
Firstedition:December2000
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
To my parents, Carl K. and Joan Cummins Crane
“I think I can. I thought I could.”
Thereistremendouselasticityofautobiographicalforms,a
fact that we discover in any perusal of bookstores, and
libraries.Thereseemsanendlessvarietytopersonalwritings,
autobiographical novels, personal essays, journals, diaries,
collectionsofletters,travelliterature,oralhistories,ethnog-
raphies,testimonials,andprisonnarratives.Autobiographical
subjects are everywhere. And the cacophony of autobio-
graphical voices invigorates autobiographical narrative. In
fact,itisawonderfultimeofautobiographicalexperimenta-
tionaswellasautobiographicaltraditionalism.Fracturesin
theoldformsgeneratenewmodesofself-narratives.
—SidonieSmith,Subjectivity,Identity,andtheBody
Allautobiographicmemoryistrue.Itisuptotheinterpreter
todiscoverinwhichsense,where,forwhichpurpose.
—LuisaPasserini,InterpretingWomen’sLives
Even in our world of printed facts and impersonal mass
media,weconsciouslyandunconsciouslyabsorbknowledge
of the world and how it works through exchanges of life
stories.Weconstantlytestrealityagainstsuchstories,assert-
ingandmodifyingourownperceptionsinlightofthem.
—PersonalNarrativesGroup,InterpretingWomen’sLives
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ............................. vii
I. THESPIRIT................................... 1
II. THELAW ................................... 21
III. STORIES .................................... 41
1. INGEBORGHECHT........................ 43
“TheGermansandtheNaziswere
notsynonymsforme”
2. INGRIDWECKER.......................... 67
“Iwasawandererbetweenthewaves,
belongingtonoone”
3. RUTHYOST............................. 103
“Iwasborncompletelypoisoned”
4. RUTHWILMSCHEN....................... 133
“IntheNaziyears,Iacquiredanelephantskin
andcouldhandleanykindoftreatment”
5. URSULARANDT.......................... 169
“Onehad,atthetime,enoughpossibilitiestodie”
6. ILSEB.................................. 201
“IwastreateddifferentlybecauseIlookedAryan.
Thathelpedmeagreatdeal”
7. GRETELLORENZEN ...................... 229
“GodtookmylifeintohishandsandI'm
forevergratefulforthat”
8. SIGRIDLORENZEN ....................... 243
“TheHitlerideologywasstrongerthanmylife”
9. MARGOTWETZEL........................ 269
“Therewasnopartoflifewhereyou
weren’taskedwhetherornot
youwereJewish”
10. URSULABOSSELMANN .................... 297
“Istoodateighteenlookingintonothingness”
NOTES......................................... 343
WORKSCONSULTED ............................. 359
INDEX ......................................... 365
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I want to begin with a note that a friend sent to me in Germany that
motivated me whenever I felt that I was tilling in questionable soil or
planting seeds that might not bear fruit: “I think you must also realize
(using a botanical analogy) that you plant seeds and wait. Often one
thinks the seeds are no good because they don’t do anything. Are they
sterile?Isthesoiltainted?Thensuddenlythecotyledonsappear,almost
overnighttheseedsplantedweeksbeforeshowlife.Afterweeksofdoubt
andworrytherealworkandresponsibilitybegins.Itisoftenoverwhelm-
ing. I know you are up to it.” And so it happened. With such a great
armyofpeoplebehindme,Ihadeveryreasontomarchforward.After
nearly ten years of planning and working on this project there are
numerouspeopletothank.
MythankyousstartsixyearsbackinGermany.I'dliketogivespecial
thankstothefollowingpeople:Allofthewomenwhoallowedmetocome
into their homes to record their stories. My two dear Hamburg friends,
K.ErnstDohnkeandAlmuthDittmar-Kolb,foryourunendingfaithand
immeasurable assistance—schönen Dank! Your depth of knowledge of
German history, in particular, Hamburg’s history, strengthened every
blockinthestructure.ClaudiaKirschnerforprovidingasafehavenforme
when I was suffering from culture shock. My committed helpers and
friendsinGermany:CandaceBarlow,HeatherDuke,IngaNevermann,
Kitty Otto, Katharina Kramer, Heike Prahl, and my “savior landlords,”
Karen and Horst Moeller. Dr. Norbert Finzsch for such a warm wel-
come—dinneratyourhome,awork-outatyourhealthclub,andguidance
through the mazes at the University of Hamburg. The late Dr. Günter
Moltmann, who started the ball rolling that made this book possible.
Priv.Doz.Dr.BüttnerandFrauBaumbachattheResearchCenterforthe
viii DIVIDED LIVES
Study of National Socialism; Monika Richarz; and Herr Peter Jaffé,
Member,BoardofDirectors,VorstandsmitgliedderJüdischenGemeinde
in Hamburg, who gave me a contact to Herr Gerhard Wundermacher,
NotgemeinschaftderdurchdieNürnbergerGesetzeBetroffenen,wholed
me to Ruth Yost and then Ruth Wilmschen. Stuten and Fridolin Ertz,
friend’s of my family when they lived in Germany, who led me to the
engaging Dr. Ursula Levy Becker in Aachen; Frau Goldman at the
Christian-JewishSociety;ErikaHirschattheGedenk-undBildungsstätte
IsraelitischeTöchterschule,whohookedmeupwithPastorRalfMeister-
Karanikas,andUrselHochmuth.KaranikasledmetotheengagingHans
Hermann Mack, who led me to Ingeborg Hecht in Freiburg, and Dr.
UrsulaRandt;FrauCarolaMeinhardtattheSenatskanzlei,whoprovided
mewithinformationaboutpeoplewhohademigratedandbeenintouch
withherofficeandwhoplayedapartwhenmyfatherdecidedtoreturn
toHamburgforavisit.
ThankyoutotheEppendorferWochenblatt,aweeklypaperthatran
anannouncementfromwhichIreceivedremarkablefeedback,including
a contact to Ilse B., and from which I found a great talent and friend,
GiselaGrossSeifert,aprofessionalphotographerwhograciouslyvolun-
teered to take black and white photographs of the women. Thank you
totheHamburgerAbendblattandRenateSchneider,editorofthecolumn
Von Mensch zu Mensch. Your announcement generated letters from
people who had known my grandparents on both sides—Bahlsen and
Cohn—to Mischlinge who contacted me, including Margot Wetzel,
IngridWecker,andSigridandGretelLorenzen.AlsothenewspaperDie
AllgemeineJüdischeWochenzeitung,whichledUrsulaBosselmanntome.
Mydoctoralcommittee:JimWilson,DonBogen,andGilaSafran
Naveh. You were all superb, keen readers. Mark Schardine, Daniella
Bartha,InaRemus,ChristophHaertel,andAlisonOwings—yourhelp
wasgreatlyappreciated.Allofthegroupsthatinvitedmetospeakand
the following organizations and institutes: United States and German
Fulbright Commission, University Research Council, University of
Cincinnati,PEO,andtheHamburgStateArchives.
Dr.JohnDoliboisforyourletters,emails,andphonecalls—many
years ago you were enthusiastic but realistic about applying for the
Acknowledgments ix
Fulbright. I treasure our continuing friendship. Jim Tent, Professor of
HistoryandUniversityScholaratAlabama.WhatcanIsay?Youwerea
godsend.ClaudiaKoonz,withwhomIcommunicatedbeforeanyofthis
materialwasstarted.Thankyouforalltheadvice.MarionKaplan,thank
youforyourhelpwithcontactsandyourcontinuedinterest.AnnMilan,
for your knowledge and bibliography. Thanks to Katinka Matson at
Brockman, Inc., who, years ago, took the time to give me invaluable
feedbackonmynascentmanuscript.
MonicaDavis,translatorandfriend,towhomIamindebted.Your
infectiousoptimismandmeticulousnessaddedtoourteamwork.Alsoa
thank you to others who assisted with translation of difficult passages:
Dr.JerryGlenn,fromtheUniversityofCincinnati,andGerhardChrist.
AllthosewhosupportedmeatRaymondWaltersCollege,includingPete
BenderinMediaServicesformakingslidesandreproducingphotosand
DebbieGagefor yourhelpwithspecific passages.My1999 TopicsIII
class,agroupofengagingandthoughtfulstudentswhotaughtmeabout
my own work: Renee Angel, Tara Boehner, Krissy Carovillano, Kim
Conn, Patrice Flowers, Michelle Harrison, Jennifer Hoffman, Pat
Jackson, Kim Janson, Tim Kroeger, Stacy Major, Julie Montgomery,
CariMoreland,EricNeefus,BrianThacker,KristyThompson,Allyson
Vonnida,SharonWard,StephanieWuest,CaraYoung.Alsothanksto
other students, including Lisa Simpson and Mary Katherine Ramsey,
whoinquiredaboutmyprogress.
Dr. Patricia Cramer, my mentor in graduate school at Xavier
University, who many years ago gave me the courage, support, and
“toughlove”thatIneededtopursuemypath.LiseWilliams,my“soul
friend,”AndreasDrath,andDr.JohnCussen,whoprovidedmewithso
muchloveandinspirationovertheyears,itwouldtakeabooktolistall
yourcontributions.ThelateKayPeters,librarianandgreatfriend,whose
presenceisallaroundme,andwhoImisseveryday.Thisbookwasas
much her dream as it is mine. Al Gavin, ace pilot and pal. Thanks for
listening,forflyingadventures,foryourownstoriesoffamilyandfriends,
for intriguing shopping and dining ventures, and your knowledge of
WorldWarIImilitaryoperations.Youmakemefeellikeamillionbucks.
AsdoesCraigSeaver.Thanksforyourpeptalks,helpwiththeschedule,