Letters From Germany
Köhler cousins (page 13)
1948 - 1951
Letters sent by Berta (Köhler) Brietzke to her first cousin, August Maas, in Walnut Grove, MN.
See page one for additional information about these letters.
[The accession numbers (A/N) are for reference and cataloging purposes.]
A/N - BRI001 - letter from Berta Brietzke to August Maas. [Translation by Siegfried Krause]
Duingen, March 2, 1948
Dear August and Family!
We have gotten from you two dear packages, a Care package and one with clothing, for which we thank you many, many times. May the Lord reward you a hundred times, that you dear ones have not yet forgotten us and support us in our need so much, I did not count on that. We were all so moved that we cried. Dear August, I remember you well, especially Berta and Anna, if they are still alive? They were much older than I, since we are also old, I am 62 and Hermann is 72. I have often thought of all of you dear ones, how you are, if you also had to suffer as much as we, but thank the Lord, you are well. Three years ago today we started on our journey of suffering, 4 weeks on the main road, it was a death march, the Russians always close behind us, fliers (planes) shot at us continually, there were many dead, we were miraculously untouched, but there were outbreaks of illnesses and we were we all sick when we arrived in Schleswig; our daughter would not recuperate, is sick in the lungs, moved to here, where our son-in-law found us, because the climate in Schleswig was too harsh, but it all did not help, she lies since April in hospital, then we had her with us a few weeks and is now in (St.) Andreasburg in the Harz in a Lung clinic it is all so bitterly difficult. [comment by the translator: probably a TB ward; the Harz mountains are famous for their fresh air and hosts many such clinics, even today]
But because of your dear packages, we can also care for and cloth her. Aunt Block also sent us 2 dear packages, Marta Buss, and we received a Care package from G. Steffen, can you write to us who that is, there was only Sanborn after it, that cannot be the entire address. [note by Gene Maas: This would be Gust and Hattie Steffen who farmed near Sanborn, MN] You dear ones, you cannot imagine, how much good you do for us homeless ones. I will distribute it among the children, the oldest daughter and her husband and 2 boys, 9 and 4 years old are in Mecklenburg, Russian Zone, for whom it also is very sad, the oldest son is in __(difficult to decipher - looks like "Burg"), also has 2 sons, 11 and 4 years old, both in dire need, we are all torn apart and can hardly come together. The youngest son is missing in Russia since 1943 and until now there has been no trace, we have written a lot, not knowing is so very hard. Dear ones, did you also have sons in this horrible war? Please write us, how you dear ones are doing.
We cried about our poverty several times and were close to despair when the Lord sent us help through you dear ones.
We wish for you a blessed and healthy Easter and many hearty greetings from us all,
Your thankful cousin Berta.
From our little Renate I am to send special warm greetings to the dear aunts and uncles, she fears very much for her mother, she is 7 years old.
Updated - BRI001 added 3/12/2011
A/N - BRI002. This first letter was written by Bertha's son-in-law, Otto. Bertha's letter follows as an addendum. [translation by Michael Kolterjahn in Stockholm, Sweden]
Duingen (Kr. Alfeld, British Zone)
21 October 1948You loved ones,
We have received your dear letter of Sept 12. Thank you also for the photo. Last week we were able to fetch the CARE package too which you’ve ordered. We thank you especially much (heartily) for that. It’s of a great help to us and helps us a considerable bit on the road. Oma (Granny) will write you a few lines at the end of the letter.
But now I have to tell you first of all with heavy heart that Oma’s daughter, my beloved wife and Renate’s mom has left us for ever on Sept. 28. In July, I brought our beloved Lotti home from the sanitarium and we had the hope that she would recover at home, but alas, it went another way. In spite of that, she was on her legs every day until the day before her death. On Monday evening it suddenly turned so serious that we called for a doctor at night, but he could do nothing to help her. Her state got worse during the night so in the morning we called the doctor once more and Lotti herself asked for an injection so that she finally could fall asleep. Her death was a terrible one but she was brave until the last minute. She was fully conscious and said ”see you again” to all of us. As patiently and brave as she has worn her sufferings for 6 long years, she was patient and brave when she was dying. I think only she knew that she was going to die. Now we have gotten a better flat (apartment) and are going to make it a bit comfy.
Your parcels have brought us so many beautiful /good/ things and have been immense resources of joy, but this in not grudged (??) our beloved Lotti any more. Sometimes, as I return from my work, I’m thinking that she must be sitting in the living room, and then I realize she isn’t there any more. This, my friends, would be all on this matter and all for today. More another time. We wish you everything good over there. Many hearty returns to you.
your sad Oma, Opa, Renate and Otto
Bertha's letter follows:
Dear August and Family!
Have to write a few lines too although it’s not easy for me. As you see a bad suffering has come over us as our good, and only, daughter now has left forever. We cannot understand it, it came so suddenly. The paths of our Lord are unfathomable. Thanks a thousand for your dear package, the Lord bless you and your children. I have to greet you too from our dear daughter and thank you for everything good you have done for her.
Dear August, we thank you very much for your dear picture. You look good for your age. I realize we are both the same age and very often played together when you ........ [cannot read the words here]
Many regards,
Your sad cousin Bertha
A/N - BRI003 - letter from Berta Brietzke to August Maas. [Translation by Siegfried Krause].
Duingen
10 February 1949.Dear cousin August and family!
We got your dear letter and thank you heartily for it. Yes, dear August, we can understand that it is probably difficult for you to write a letter, and we have often said so already. We are surprised very much, that you can still write so clearly. I think when this letter arrives you probably will be back from your trip already. How good that you could see each other once again and speak. At Christmas, our eldest son was here, brother Franz and wife, it was a reunion after a long difficult time. It does us good, in our great grief. I was also very sick for several weeks, my heart and nerves worked no more. Little Renate always said: "Grandma, stay with me." With God’s help, however, I can do the work again. My husband is 10 years older than me, he always stood beside me in all our grief and sorrow, that our dear good daughter is gone from us, he can't get over it; he goes to the graveyard almost daily and often sits so profoundly there that I become completely worried about him. However, it was God's will, and now I want to allow peace for her; she has suffered much, and who knows what we still must go through.
It looks bad in the world, may God protect us from a new war. Now came from sister Anna the sad message, that they burned down. Her daughter, who had a little girl born10 days ago, also had unfortunate consequences. Now they have lost everything again, which they had once again now at clothing, by you love ones. It is as if we shall only go through affliction. The prices are crazy here, there are no earnings?, for what one is able to buy. My husband gets 46 Marks of pension, from this we both must live.
If you loved ones would not have already helped us so much, we would be also in despair, like so many others. We always must recognize, that when the need becomes greatest, God's help comes next, by you loved ones. Our burdens should even out, but unfortunately our hope also is gone again. You loved ones, I would have a request, it is hard for me to write this. I have gotten feathers, do you have any old ticking remaining, I don't know where; however, we would have a needed bed! One can't pay for even a simple blanket yet. This begging is bitterly hard, because you already do so much for us.--
I have forwarded your greetings to the siblings, if you’ll write to them once, greet them heartily from us. And now many best regards to all you loved ones from your cousins,
Hermann and Berta Brietzke,
our son-in-law, and Renate
A/N - BRI005 Letter from Bertha and Herrmann Brietze [translation by Michael Kolterjahn in Stockholm, Sweden]
Burg (Dithmarschen (Brit. Zone)
December 17, 1951Dear cousin August and family
We wish you all a merry and blessed Christmas and a healthy and blessed New Year.
For a long time we didn’t hear from each other, as you see we are now here by the children since March, that is our only support, what we have left is our oldest son. He couldn’t fetch us earlier, because he himself was in ?? trouble with the Julch family; now we are living in a newly built house, have to pay a high rent, but at last we feel like human beings again. The children have struggled hard. What we two elderly had to go through in one year in Duingen is indescribable, moreover, I was ill a lot. Now Hermann had a stroke in September; the left side was paralyzed, now he is on his legs again for several hours (a day), but his walking is bad.
How it will end lies in the hands of our Lord. Age is there too, otherwise he was still so fit in his 77th year. That our dear Uncle Block had to die so soon has made us very sorry, we think much of Auntie, she will have it lonesome, The Lord our Savior will be her comfort. May the people of the world turn to peace is our prayer.
We have been away from our home(land) for almost 7 years, the borders still are not open, the children from the Russian zone also write very sadly, we should see each other once again. We will all strive that we’ll meet once again in the blessed homeland. Hoping you all beloved are healthy and have your dear children about, the Lord protect you from every suffering in your hearts heart felt greetings to all of you from your always thankful cousins.
Herrmann and Bertha Brietzke with children.
It looks very bad in the world. May God give us the strength to bear it all.
