A Letter from a German Citizen
My name is Jonathan Greisman and I was a German citizen living in Munich before World War II broke.
Before WWII, like most German citizens, life for me as a 10 year old was a struggle. The Depression brought poverty. My family suffered difficult living conditions and I recall the freezing cold, little clothing and very basic food that had to be rationed carefully.
As Germany struggled many dissatisfied people turned to Hitler’s radical ideas for hope. Hitler became elected Chancellor and life improved for the civilians of Germany. They were better fed and the economy was stronger. Meanwhile, Hitler was building up war materials like weapons, ammunition and tanks. Little did I know what lay ahead.
I was feeling extremely worried as I witnessed the horror that surrounded me. I found it difficult as I watched innocent people being taken and treated like animals. I wondered what would happen to them after they were loaded onto trucks and taken by the Nazi soldiers. My friends from my class were no longer able to join us. All of a sudden they were meant to be our enemies.
Everywhere I turned I seemed to see posters of Hitler and the sounds of bombs falling from the sky. People were screaming and homes were being destroyed. The swastika was a symbol of the Nazis that was now sending my blood cold. I could not believe my eyes seeing the amount of people that had being killed. The people that had died had showed the courage to stand up for their Jewish beliefs.
During WWII, Germany changed considerably. After the German victories, living standards in Germany were quite high. However, from about 1942 onwards, especially after the Battle of Stalingrad, conditions for ordinary Germans became increasingly difficult. As I grew older I found myself torn between right and wrong. So many lives had been destroyed. Hitler was such a cruel man who exterminated the Jews and would stop at nothing to ensure Germany was strong again. I was forced to be part of the German army where most of us were only teenagers.
After WWII, life in Germany was tough. We had to convince our new power that we were not Nazis. My parents just wanted to work so they could collect a reasonable income and provide for our family. Also after WW2, Germany was pretty much bankrupt and people wished to keep their positions for example: (teachers) needed to persuade the Allies that they were not part of the Nazis.
Germany had surrendered unconditionally and the allies could do as they pleased. The country was divided into four different zones and through the power of occupation was governed by the four powers: Americans, British, French and Soviets.
It was the time of the Cold War and the long post war boom had pulled Germany out of the mess. Also many Germans were expelled from countries (estimated at about 11.7 million) and most people had suffered grievously and some died in the process.
Before WWII, like most German citizens, life for me as a 10 year old was a struggle. The Depression brought poverty. My family suffered difficult living conditions and I recall the freezing cold, little clothing and very basic food that had to be rationed carefully.
As Germany struggled many dissatisfied people turned to Hitler’s radical ideas for hope. Hitler became elected Chancellor and life improved for the civilians of Germany. They were better fed and the economy was stronger. Meanwhile, Hitler was building up war materials like weapons, ammunition and tanks. Little did I know what lay ahead.
I was feeling extremely worried as I witnessed the horror that surrounded me. I found it difficult as I watched innocent people being taken and treated like animals. I wondered what would happen to them after they were loaded onto trucks and taken by the Nazi soldiers. My friends from my class were no longer able to join us. All of a sudden they were meant to be our enemies.
Everywhere I turned I seemed to see posters of Hitler and the sounds of bombs falling from the sky. People were screaming and homes were being destroyed. The swastika was a symbol of the Nazis that was now sending my blood cold. I could not believe my eyes seeing the amount of people that had being killed. The people that had died had showed the courage to stand up for their Jewish beliefs.
During WWII, Germany changed considerably. After the German victories, living standards in Germany were quite high. However, from about 1942 onwards, especially after the Battle of Stalingrad, conditions for ordinary Germans became increasingly difficult. As I grew older I found myself torn between right and wrong. So many lives had been destroyed. Hitler was such a cruel man who exterminated the Jews and would stop at nothing to ensure Germany was strong again. I was forced to be part of the German army where most of us were only teenagers.
After WWII, life in Germany was tough. We had to convince our new power that we were not Nazis. My parents just wanted to work so they could collect a reasonable income and provide for our family. Also after WW2, Germany was pretty much bankrupt and people wished to keep their positions for example: (teachers) needed to persuade the Allies that they were not part of the Nazis.
Germany had surrendered unconditionally and the allies could do as they pleased. The country was divided into four different zones and through the power of occupation was governed by the four powers: Americans, British, French and Soviets.
It was the time of the Cold War and the long post war boom had pulled Germany out of the mess. Also many Germans were expelled from countries (estimated at about 11.7 million) and most people had suffered grievously and some died in the process.