This Polish girl was “zwangsverpflichtet” in the year 1941 when she was in her early twenties. During the summer of 1941 we spent our holidays in Zokolniki quite some distance outside of Litzmannstadt (Lodz). Mum wanted to have a maid. I think this is when Maria was sent to us. Mum liked her straight away because she was very efficient and able to do all the housework to Mum’s satisfaction.
In August of 1941 we moved back to Berlin. Mum wanted Maria to come with us. Later on she once told me she didn’t really want to leave Poland but she had to go with us to Germany: She wasn’t given a choice, meaning she was “zwangsverpflichtet”!
Maria was very intelligent. Very quickly she picked up quite a bit of German. And she was always keen to learn more! In 1944 when I received my Poesy Album, I asked Maria to write something in it. This is the verse she chose:
‘Sei deiner Eltern Freude,
Beglücke sie durch Fleiss,
Dann erntest du im Alter
Dafür den schönsten Preis.’
The meaning of this is something like this:
‘Be the joy of your parents,
Make them happy by being diligent,
Then you’ll be greatly rewarded in your old age.’
And she stuck one of her pass-port photos into my album. After nearly seventy years I still happen to have it!
AuntyUta 
How nice to have her photo and her words, and to remember her fondly!
Thanks for commenting, Debra. End of January 1945 we left her behind in Berlin when we went to stay with Grandma in Leipzig. I often wonder what happened to Maria and whether she’s still alive. She would be well into her nineties by now.
Wünsche dir einen wunderschönen Mittwoch.Lieber Gruß Gislinde
Hallo, Gislinde! Es ist jetzt Mittwoch abend hier bei uns. Es ist kalt und hat geregnet. Wir werden uns jetzt ein Glas Glühwein machen, warm und gemütlich! Schönen Abend noch! Gruss, Uta.
I’ve been thinking lately of people I used to know and lost touch with – and wondering what happened to them wishing I’d stayed in touch. It would be nice to know how they got on, if they are still alive, and if so how they are doing. Maria was a part of your life – good that you still have tangible links to her.
Oh Cat, when I think about it how many people I lost touch with over the years! I can’t recall Maria telling us anything about her family. But I believe she grew up in Lodz, meaning she was a city girl. In Berlin she got engaged to a butcher. I think he was Polish too. She always went to see him on her day off. It is strange, but I don’t think I had the feeling that she was part of our family. She was just working for us. When her work was finished she went to the two attic rooms she shared with Katja, the Russian maid, Katja was the maid of the T family who were also from Berlin and lived in the same building where we and aunty lived away from the bombs in Berlin. I mean during the course of the day we would have some conversations with Maria, but she was never included when the family sat together.
I have another memory about Maria from the time when we still lived in Berlin. It was the 28th October 1941. I was seven and in year one at school. Maria rushed to my class and talked to my teacher, Frl.Anders. I had no idea why Maria had appeared talking to my teacher. I was soon to find out. Frl.Anders very happily called me to the front and said: “Uta, you have a baby brother. He’s in hospital with your mum. Maria is going to take you there now so you can see your mum and your new born brother.”
Sweet memories!
🙂
Maria is a kind, good hearted woman whose words till today inspires those who read them. You are indeed blessed to meet her. She does have a shy, soulful , beautiful eyes, which have a bit of sadness in them.Have great day my friend.
Thanks, IT, for this comment. These words Maria wrote must have moved me because I know them still by heart to this day. You describe beautifully what you feel when you look at her picture. I am awed that a pass-port photo tells so much about her, because I think the way you describe her, this is how she was. Have a great day too, dear IT.
A very beautiful girl Auntyuta, she must have found it hard living through those years too, I could not understand the terminology zwangsverpflichtet”!.
I enjoy your great historical memories Auntyuta.
Ian
I’m glad you enjoy reading my memories, Ian. Actually I imagine there must be a lot of what you remember about your life which would be very interesting to read about. Apart from all the beautiful poetry you could probably write about certain incidents that are stuck to your mind?!
“Zwangsverpflichtet” means you have no choice about your place of work. They say you have to do a certain job and you got to do it. You are duty bound to do this job. People who resisted were always in danger of being sent to a concentration camp! I am not sure, but it seems to me to most Germans the full extend of what happened in concentrations camps or maybe they called it “work-camps” would not have been known. Maybe you could say the knowledge was ‘hushed up’ somewhat?
I think it’s a really bad thing if people are deprived of their freedom. That it still happens to this day worries me. Too many people who aren’t criminals at all, are being deprived of their freedom or at least not given the rights that as human beings they deserve. One of the worst problems in our day and age is the refugee problem. Some people just aren’t given any space to live. Where on earth can all the refugees find a proper place to live?
With global warming it might only get worse.
Sorry, I’m going on and on here. Despite everything there’s still much beauty in the world, isn’t there? We can only try to make the best out of what we’ve been given.
Let’s enjoy the day, Ian, and let a bit of sunshine come into our lives!
Cheers, Auntyuta.