Jane and John decide to take a holiday in Bavaria - which is a bit odd in 1959,
and Peter meets a German family, goes to the Eagles Nest, and gets a present from Eva Braun's Uncle
 |
| London Victory Parade - June 1946 |
Now this is very, very strange !
Remember that the war had been over for only fourteen years.
The memories of those wartime years had been seared onto the minds of all who had taken part in that appalling conflict.
The belief that the Germans, (the Hun) were the enemy had been made very clear by the awful propaganda that had come from the First World War.
 |
| Remember Belgium |
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| 'Rape of Belgium' |
The neutrality of Belgium had been guaranteed by the Treaty of London (1839), which had been signed by Prussia.
The Treaty of London was confirmed in 1871, and at the Hague Conference in 1907by the German Empire, which largely inherited and reaffirmed Prussia’s diplomatic obligations.
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| Deutsch Reichskanzler Theobald von Bethmann Hollweg |
In the Second World War there had been similar propaganda, culminating in the reports of the SS 'death camps' and the 'Holocaust'.
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| Adolf Hitler |
It seems that she was convinced that Herr Hitler had actually planned and executed the war with the express purpose of ruining her life.
This, of course, says a lot more about Jane's psychology that it does about Adolf's.
The mechanics of this odd assertion by Jane Crawford are as follows.
If there had been no war, then John would not have been away for so many years, and Jane would not have met the American officer, and Jane would not have become pregnant, and Joe would not have had to arrange an abortion, and Jane would have been able to have had her own children, and John would have been able to be a real father, and Jane would not have had to live through the terrible guilt, which she felt every single day.
So Jane hated Adolf, and the Germans who helped him fight the war.
So - why decide to go to Germany - of all places ?
Well, there may have been a reason - but that can only be revealed a little later on in the story.
So where did this all begin - this strange connection with Germany and Austria ?
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| Jane Crawford and Peter Inwood Park 1950s |
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| Die Wappen von Deutschland und Österreich |
There Jane booked a holiday to Bavaria.
Now this was odd.
Firstly because travel abroad was relatively rare in the 1950s, mainly because of the rigid currency controls which only allowed individuals to take relatively small sums of money out of the United Kingdom.
And secondly it must remembered that the Second World War had only ended in 1945, and Germany was not a particularly popular destination at that time - as we have described earlier.
Peter was very excited, although he had little idea of where Bavaria was, or what the place was like.
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| 1950s British Passport |
Soon, however, the excitement was forgotten, and it was only with a trip to the photographers on Hounslow Broadway, opposite the Bus Garage, in the early summer, that the enthusiasm was rekindled.
The photographs were for a new passport, and in those days British Pasports were 'real passports', with hard covers of a royal blue, buitfully embossed and gilded with the Royal Arms.
The next step was John Crawford' visit to the Bank Manager, armed with his passport, in order to change some english sterling into Deutschmarks.
Then it was time for new clothes, with shirts and shorts for Peter, in Jane's favourite pale green.
Then the school Summer Holidays came in August, and it was time to go on holiday.
Now Peter had been abroad before - to France to Calais and Paris - and by air - which was a real adventure in the 1950s.
Bavaria, was like Ruritania, however, a strange place in the middle of Europe, high among the mountain peaks - so this was to be a real adventure !
 |
| The Prisoner of Zenda |
____________________________________
 |
| Wappen von Deutschland und Österreich |
Now this is what Peter didn't know about Germany and Austria - apart for the bit at the end about the First and Second World Wars - but this is mainly for you, the reader.
If you know all about Germany and Austria, then you can skip this.
If you know all about Germany and Austria, then you can skip this.
Peter, of course, like most of his school-friends knew about the Second World War because of the plethora of war films that were produced in the 1940s and 1950s.
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| 'Ice Cold in Alex' (1958) |
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| 'Paths of Glory' (1957) |
There was only one significant film about the First World War shown in Britain in the 1950's and that was Stanley Kubrick's 'Paths of Glory' (1957) - which Peter didn't see.
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| Mr Wilkinson ? |
Peter's main interest in these books was looking at the photos and illustrations of the various uniforms.
Oddly he preferred the German uniforms - not the first World War vintage, with the soldiers wearing quaint pickelhaubes, but the Second World war uniforms, and in particular the infamous SS.
The Pickelhaube (plural Pickelhauben; from the old German Pickel = "point" or "pickaxe", and Haube = "bonnet", a general word for headgear), also "Pickelhelm," was a spiked helmet worn in the 19th and 20th centuries by German military, firefighters, and police.
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| SS Armanen Sig Runes |
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| Adolf Hitler First World War Pickelhaube |
The Schutzstaffel (translated to Protection Squadron or defence corps, abbreviated SS - or with stylized "Armanen" sig runes) was a major paramilitary organization under Adolf Hitler and the NSDAP.
As for the rest of this potted history - Peter knew nothing - which may say something about the English education system.
A POTTED HISTORY OF GERMANY
ANCIENT GERMANY
Hundreds of years before Christ a group of people speaking similar languages emerged in northern Europe. They were the first Germanic peoples.
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| Arminius |
In 9 AD the Germanic people beyond the Rhine inflicted a crushing defeat on the Roman army in a battle at the Teutoberg Forest.
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| Charlemagne |
The battle ensured that the Romans never conquered Germany beyond the Rhine, however the Romans occupied southern and western Germany. They founded a number of towns which still survive (Augsburg, Cologne, Mainz, Regensburg and Trier).
In 771 Charlemagne became king of the Franks. In 772 he attacked the Saxons. The Saxons were defeated and were 'converted' to Christianity by force. Charlemagne also annexed Bavaria. In 800 he was crowned emperor.
In 843 Charlemagne died and his empire was divided into three kingdoms, west, middle and east.
GERMANY IN THE MIDDLE AGES
Then in 911 Conrad, Duke of Franconia was elected king of Germany. He died in 918 and was replaced by Duke Henry of Saxony.
In 771 Charlemagne became king of the Franks. In 772 he attacked the Saxons. The Saxons were defeated and were 'converted' to Christianity by force. Charlemagne also annexed Bavaria. In 800 he was crowned emperor.
In 843 Charlemagne died and his empire was divided into three kingdoms, west, middle and east.
GERMANY IN THE MIDDLE AGES
Then in 911 Conrad, Duke of Franconia was elected king of Germany. He died in 918 and was replaced by Duke Henry of Saxony.
When he died in 936 his son Otto became king of Germany. He is known as Otto the Great. In 955 Otto utterly defeated the Magyars at the battle of Lechfeld, ending the threat to Germany forever. In 962 the Pope crowned Otto emperor.
Otto and the following emperors claimed they were the successors to the ancient Roman Empire. So their Germanic empire was called the Roman Empire. In 1157 it was called the Holy Roman Empire.
Otto and the following emperors claimed they were the successors to the ancient Roman Empire. So their Germanic empire was called the Roman Empire. In 1157 it was called the Holy Roman Empire.
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| The Golden Bull of 1356 |
Germany grew richer in the early middle ages and the population rose sharply (until the 14th century).
From 1220 to 1250 Frederick II was emperor. He was known as stupor mundi (wonder of the world) because of his brilliant mind. However in 1254 central authority broke down completely. From 1254 to 1273 there was no emperor.
In 1356 Karl IV issued a document called the 'golden bull', which lay down the rules for electing emperors.
In the late 14th and 15th centuries there were a series of peasant uprisings in Germany. Furthermore impoverished noblemen called robber barons roamed the countryside.
GERMANY IN THE 16TH CENTURY
 |
| Martin Luther |
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| Wappen des Heiligen Römischen Reiches Deutscher Nation |
Then in 1517 the great Christian scholar Martin Luther started the Reformation when he nailed his theses to the door of a church in Wittenberg. In 1521 the heads of the various German states met in an Imperial Diet at Worms. Martin Luther was called to account and he stood by his views. The Reformation split Germany, with some states accepting his teachings and others rejecting them.
Then in 1555 the Peace of Augsburg declared that princes could decide the religion of their state. Anyone who disagreed with their ruler could emigrate.
Meanwhile Martin Luther translated the New Testament into German in 1522 and the Old Testament in 1534.
GERMANY IN THE 17TH CENTURY
GERMANY IN THE 17TH CENTURY
 |
| Des Westfälischen Friedens |
In the early 17th century the uneasy peace between Protestants and Catholics broke down. The Protestants formed a military alliance in 1608. In response the Catholics formed the Catholic League in 1609, and there were a series of wars between the protestants and the Catholics.
The wars dragged on until the Peace of Westphalia in 1648 signed in Münster.
The Thirty Years War was a disaster for Germany, and Germany took decades to recover from the destruction.
 |
| Wappen des Königreichs Preußen |
The main development in Germany during the 18th century was the rise of Prussia. In the 17th century the Hohenzolleron family ruled both Brandenburg and East Prussia. In 1701 the ruler of both was Elector Frederick III. In that year he crowned himself King of Prussia. Soon the whole realm was called Prussia.
However at first Prussia was an economically backward area. It only rose to greatness under Frederick II 'The Great', who became king in 1740. Frederick had a very large army and he was a capable general, which allowed him to fight successful wars.
On 10 April 1741 the Prussians defeated the Austrians at the battle of Mollwitz.
Austria made peace in 1742 but the peace did not last long. War began again in 1745.
The Prussians won a series of battles at Hohenfriedberg on 4 June, at Soor on 30 September and at Hennersdorf on 23 November. Frederick II ended the war in December 1745 with his territory enlarged.
In 1756 Prussia went to war again when Frederick invaded Saxony. However this time Frederick II was faced with a powerful coalition of enemies.
Nevertheless the Prussians won two victories at Rossback in November 1757 and at Leuthen in December 1757. The Prussians also defeated the Russians at the battle of Zorndorf in 1758.
However the tide of war then turned against the Prussians and they were defeated at the battle of Minden in 1759. Fortunately in January 1762, one of Frederick's most powerful enemies, Elizabeth of Russia, died and her son made peace with the Treaty of St Petersburg. The war ended in 1763.
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| Frederick the Great |
In 1756 Prussia went to war again when Frederick invaded Saxony. However this time Frederick II was faced with a powerful coalition of enemies.
Nevertheless the Prussians won two victories at Rossback in November 1757 and at Leuthen in December 1757. The Prussians also defeated the Russians at the battle of Zorndorf in 1758.
However the tide of war then turned against the Prussians and they were defeated at the battle of Minden in 1759. Fortunately in January 1762, one of Frederick's most powerful enemies, Elizabeth of Russia, died and her son made peace with the Treaty of St Petersburg. The war ended in 1763.
GERMANY IN THE 19TH CENTURY
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| Napoléon Bonaparte Empereur des Français |
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| Flagge der Rheinbund |
The Holy Roman Empire officially ceased to exist on 6 August 1806.
Then, in September 1806 Prussia went to war with France. However Napoleon crushed the Prussians at Jena on 14 October 1806.
In 1812 the French were utterly defeated in Russia. In 1813 Prussia joined Russia in the war against the French. Austria also joined and in October 1813 the combined armies defeated the French at the battle of Leipzig.
After Napoleon's final defeat in 1815 the Congress of Vienna met to decide the fate of Europe. A German confederation was formed to replace the old Holy Roman Empire. It consisted of 38 states. An assembly called the Bundestag, made up of delegates from the states was formed.
Prussia was the biggest winner from the peace. It gained the Rhineland and Westphalia. In 1834 the Prussians and other German states formed a customs union called the Zollverein.
In the 1830s Germany began to industrialise.
In 1812 the French were utterly defeated in Russia. In 1813 Prussia joined Russia in the war against the French. Austria also joined and in October 1813 the combined armies defeated the French at the battle of Leipzig.
After Napoleon's final defeat in 1815 the Congress of Vienna met to decide the fate of Europe. A German confederation was formed to replace the old Holy Roman Empire. It consisted of 38 states. An assembly called the Bundestag, made up of delegates from the states was formed.
Prussia was the biggest winner from the peace. It gained the Rhineland and Westphalia. In 1834 the Prussians and other German states formed a customs union called the Zollverein.
In the 1830s Germany began to industrialise.
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| Klemens Lothar Fürst von Metternich-Winneburg zu Beilstein |
Meanwhile an Austrian minister named Metternich tried to prevent the ideas of the French Revolution spreading in Germany. His measures were called the Karlsbad decrees.
In 1818 Baden and Bavaria introduced liberal constitutions. So did Wurttemberg in 1819 and Hessen-Darmstadt in 1820. Furthermore in 1830 a revolution in France triggered riots in parts of Germany and some German rulers were forced to make concessions.
In 1831 Brunswick, Hesse and Saxony all introduced new constitutions.
However in Prussia and Austria all liberal movements were repressed.
Then, after 1845 there were a series of bad harvests and also a recession. Discontent erupted in revolution in 1848.
In May 1848 an elected assembly representing all Germany met in Frankfurt.
On 2 April 1849 the Frankfurt parliament offered the King of Prussia the crown of Germany. However he rejected the offer. The Frankfurt parliament gradually dispersed.
THE UNIFICATION OF GERMANY
Then, in 1863 the Danish king tried to annexe the duchies of Schleswig and Holstein. Both Prussia and Austria fought a short war against Denmark in 1864.
Then, in 1863 the Danish king tried to annexe the duchies of Schleswig and Holstein. Both Prussia and Austria fought a short war against Denmark in 1864.
As a result Prussia and Austria were given joint administration of the two duchies.
Disagreements with Austria over the duchies gave Prussia a pretext to start a war in 1866. It was over within a short period.
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| Wappen des Norddeutschen Bund |
On 3 July 1866 Prussia won a great victory over the Austrians at Koniggratz. Afterwards a peace treaty created the Norddeutscher Bund (North German Federation) dominated by Prussia.
 |
| Napoleon III and Bismark |
Bismarck, the German chancellor, then quarrelled with France over the issue of who was to succeed to the Spanish throne.
The French declared war on 19 July 1870, however the French were utterly defeated at the battle of Sedan on 2 September 1870, and they made peace in February 1871.
Meanwhile the southern German states agreed to become part of a new German Empire with the Prussian king as emperor. Wilhelm I was proclaimed emperor on 18 January 1871. Bismarck resigned in 1890.
GERMANY IN THE EARLY 20TH CENTURY
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| Otto Fürst von Bismarck Herzog von Lauenburg |
Bismarck always pursued friendly relations with Britain but under his successors it was different. From 1898 under Admiral Tirpitz Germany began expanding its navy. Europe became divided into two armed camps, with Germany and Austria-Hungary one side and Britain, France and Russia on the other. The spark that ignited war came on 28 June 1914 when the Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated in Sarajevo.
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| Chateau Wood - Ypres - 1917 |
In August 1914 the Germany army overran Belgium and marched on Paris. However they were defeated at the battle of the Marne in September. Both sides began a 'race for the sea'. Both sides reached it at the same time. They then dug trenches and years of deadlock followed.
In the east the Germany was more successful.
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| Paul von Beneckendorff und von Hindenburg |
They crushed the Russians at the battle of Tannenberg. Russia gradually weakened and finally made peace by the treaty of Brest-Litvosk in March 1918.
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| Wilhelm II Kaiser von Deutschland und König von Preuße |
Meanwhile in 1917 Germany introduced unrestricted submarine warfare.
As a result the USA declared war on Germany on 6 April 1917.
In Europe the Allies slowly advanced, and on 29 September 1918 General Hindenburg advised the government that the war could not be won.
The Kaiser abdicated on 9 November and the Social Democrats formed a new government. On 11 November they were forced to sign the Versailles Treaty with the allies, and pay huge reparations for starting the war.
WEIMAR GERMANY
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| The Versailles Treaty. |
 |
| Wappen der Weimarer Republik |
In 1919 the German government were forced to sign the Versailles Treaty. However the vast majority of Germans bitterly resented the Versailles Treaty.
Under the treaty Germany lost a significant part of its territory and its population.
Furthermore the Rhineland was demilitarised. In any case Germany was not allowed more than 100,000 soldiers. The Germans were not allowed submarines or battleships. They were not allowed an air force either.
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| Spartacists Rebellion Berlin 1919 |
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| Freikorps |
From the start there were attempts to overthrow the government. In January 1919 a group of communists called Spartacists led a rebellion in Berlin.
The communist uprising in Berlin was crushed by the Freikorps (free corps).
In April 1919 more communists seized power in Bavaria.
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| Wolfgang Kapp |
Again the Freikorps crushed them. Then in March 1920 a group of Freikorps led by Dr Kapp tried to take control of Berlin. The army refused to put down the rebellion but the trade unions in Berlin ordered a general strike. As a result the Kapp putsch was defeated.
The early 1920s were years of hardship and near-starvation for many people in Germany.
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| Anton Drexler |
Meanwhile in January 1919 Anton Drexler formed the German Workers Party in Munich. In September 1919 an Austrian named Adolf Hitler joined.
In 1920 the party's name was changed to the National Socialist Germany Workers Party or NAZI party.
In 1923 Hitler and his supporters marched through Munich they were met by state troopers in the Odeonplatz.
In the skirmish that followed 4 troopers and 16 Nazis were killed and the Munich putsch promptly collapsed.
In the skirmish that followed 4 troopers and 16 Nazis were killed and the Munich putsch promptly collapsed.
The year 1923 the price of goods rose very quickly and the government started printing excessive amounts of money. These two factors, the printed money and the shortage of foods caused inflation in Germany to become hyper-inflation.
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| Adolf Hitler In 1921 |
Finally in August 1923 Gustav Streseman became chancellor of Germany. He issued a new currency the Rentenmark to replace the mark, which had become almost worthless. The depression of the early 1930s was a disaster for Germany. By 1933 unemployment in Germany had risen to 33%.
One effect of the depression was that the democratic parties lost support. Instead people turned to radical parties like the communists or the National Socialists, who promised seemingly easy solutions to Germany's problems.
By 1932 the NSDAP were the largest party in the Reichstag.
On January 30 1933 President Hindenburg asked Hitler to become Chancellor of Germany and to lead a coalition government.
THE THIRD REICH
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| Das Dritte Reich |
On 28 February President Hindenburg was persuaded to sign 'Presidential Decree for the Protection of the People and the State', which allowed arbitrary arrest.
As a result all the leading Communists were arrested.
The last election in Weimar Germany was held on 5 March 1933. As a result the Nazis were left in control of the Reichstag.
In March 1933 Hitler persuaded the Reichstag to pass the enabling law.
This would give Hitler the power to pass new laws without the consent of the Reichstag.
As a result all the leading Communists were arrested.
The last election in Weimar Germany was held on 5 March 1933. As a result the Nazis were left in control of the Reichstag.
In March 1933 Hitler persuaded the Reichstag to pass the enabling law.
This would give Hitler the power to pass new laws without the consent of the Reichstag.
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| Deutsche Arbeitsfront |
In May Hitler created the Deutsche Arbeitsfront (German Labour Front) under Robert Ley. It set levels of pay and hours of work.
 |
| Ernst Röhm 1934 |
Finally Hitler consolidated his grip on power with a purge called the Night of the Long Knives on 30 June 1934.
Hitler arrested Röhm the leader of the SA.
Hitler arrested Röhm the leader of the SA.
The SS arrested other important figures in the SA and other prominent critics of the regime.
All of them were shot.
All of them were shot.
Then on 2 August 1934 President Hindenburg died.
Hitler, the Chancellor took over the President's powers and called himself Führer und Reichskanzler (leader and chancellor).
The army were made to swear an oath of loyalty of Hitler.
Hitler, the Chancellor took over the President's powers and called himself Führer und Reichskanzler (leader and chancellor).
The army were made to swear an oath of loyalty of Hitler.
THE GERMAN ECONOMY
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| Berliner Olympiastadion - 1936 |
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| Reichsautobahn |
1936 German troops entered the Demilitarised zone of the Rhineland. Britain and France did nothing.
Hitler also built roads called autobahns across Germany and he built great public buildings such as the Olympic Stadium for the 1936 Berlin Olympics.
To keep the workers happy an organisation was formed called (Strength Through Joy). Some workers went on cheap holidays to places like Norway and Italy. However, more often they organised cheap concerts and trips to the theatre.
NAZI PROPAGANDA
NAZI PROPAGANDA
 |
| Hitlerjugend |
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| Hitlerjugend Fahnenträger |
The government arranged for cheap radios to be made so as many people as possible could afford one. The NSDAP also used the cinema.
The NSDAP attacked modern art, which they called degenerate.
The Nazis also disliked jazz music, which they regarded as decadent.
To further influence young people the NSDAP created the Hitler-Jugend (Hitler Youth), which was an organisation boys could join at the age of 14. They went camping and hiking but also learned Nazi ideas.
In 1936 membership was effectively made compulsory. For girls the Nazis created the Bund Deutscher Madel (League of German Girls).
GERMANY IN THE SECOND WORLD WAR
On 1 September 1939 the German Army invaded Poland.
On 3 September Britain and France declared war on Germany, however Poland was soon overrun. On 17 September the Russians invaded Poland from the east and by early October Polish resistance was crushed. Then in April 1940 the Germans occupied Denmark and they invaded Norway. They captured Norway in early June. Meanwhile in May 1940 Germany invaded the Netherlands, Belgium and France.
The German army was astonishingly successful and France capitulated in late June, however Britain fought on.
In 1941 German troops were sent to fight the British in North Africa. Meanwhile the Germany army conquered Yugoslavia, Greece and Crete.
In June 1941 Hitler invaded Russia, and on 11 December 1941 he declared war on the USA.
At first the war had little impact on German civilians. Hitler was convinced that a collapse of morale at home had cost Germany the First World War and he was determined to prevent the same thing happening again. So in 1940-1941 German civilians still had quite a high standard of living. However in 1942 food rations were reduced.
Then at the end of 1942 the British won the battle of El Alamein in Egypt.
In November 1942 the Russian army surrounded the Germans at Stalingrad.
Part of the German army there surrendered on 31 January 1943.
The remaining part surrendered on 2 February. After this disaster Germany was losing the war. Also British and American bombing began to destroy German cities and industry.
The German troops in North Africa surrendered in May 1943. In July 1943 the allies invaded Sicily and in September they invaded Italy. On 6 June 1944 the allies invaded Normandy and opened a second front. By the autumn of 1944 they had liberated France and Belgium.
By January 1945 the Russians were poised to invade Germany.
Civilians from East Prussia fled in terror. Then as the Russians entered Germany they committed terrible atrocities. Finally on 2 May 1945 the Russians captured Berlin, bringing the war to an end.
MODERN GERMANY
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| Nürnberg Trial - 1945 |
Following the surrender Germany was divided into four zones, American, British, French and Russian. Berlin, although it was within the Russian area, was also divided into zones.
The surviving leaders of the Third Reich were brought to trial at Nürnberg in November 1945.
Soon the Russians and the western powers drifted apart and it became clear that Germany was not going to be reunited. The Russians stripped East Germany of its resources but the Americans gave aid to West Germany and the rest of Western Europe. This aid was called the Marshall plan and it was paid from 1948 to 1952.
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| Wappen der Bundesrepublik Deutschland |
Meanwhile in 1948 the three western powers introduced a new currency into their zones. The Russians responded by blocking all land routes to West Berlin (which was occupied by the western powers). The western allies flew in supplies for the next 11 months until the Russians relented.
In the west a new state called the Federal Republic of Germany was formed on 23 May 1949.
In the 1950s and 1960s West Germany went through an 'economic miracle'.
The devastation caused by World War II was repaired and the economy boomed.
Meanwhile, in 1955, West Germany was allowed to join NATO and rearm. Then, in 1957, West Germany was one of the founder members of the EEC (forerunner of the EU).
THE HOLIDAY
But now - on with the story !
But now - on with the story !
 |
| Harwich - Gateway to Europe |
And the holiday began, but not with a trip to the airport - currency restrictions made that too expensive - so it was off to Liverpool Street station, and a train to the coast and a ferry to the continent.
 |
| Pullman |
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| Liverpool Street Station - London |
And this involved a crossing of the North Seas by British Rail Ferries (later known as Sealink) and then the train journey provided by a company called 'Blue Cars' - which was a reference to the Pullman cars.
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| Liverpool Street to Harwich |
 |
| Arriving at Harwich |
For Peter, this was the start of a momentous journey, and it was also Peter's first journey on a Pullman train - where you actually slept on the train.
But there was no sleeping to begin with - because first there was a rather boring journey to Harwich.
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| SS Amsterdam |
 |
| British Railways Logo - 1950s |
There is nothing like the crisp smell of sea salt and marine diesel, which for many years, for Peter, meant the beginning of an adventure.
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| Hoek van Holland - 1950s |
This was a daytime crossing, for the trip from Harwich to the Hoek van Holland.
The crossing in those days, took about seven hours, and the SS Amsterdam would reach the Hoek in the late afternoon.
After a good look round the ship, Peter, Jane and John Decided to have lunch.
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| Dining on Board the Ferry |
Arrival at the Hoek involved disembarkation and customs - remember that this was in that golden time before the European Common Market, and border restrictions were scrupulously enforced on the continent by imposing and intimidating customs officers, in resplendent uniforms, and carrying side-arms.
Jane, John and Peter then re-boarded the Pullman, and prepared for the journey across Europe.
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| British Railways Dining Car |
By then it was getting dark so, before retiring for the night, Peter Jane and John decided to go to the restaurant car for dinner.
After dinner it was time to go to bed - and for Peter, the first 'bed-time' on a train.
Obviously Peter found it difficult to sleep. Obviously there was the noise and the movement, and the dim blue light that remained on in the compartment throughout the night - but Peter also had the urge to peek out through the curtains to glimpse the twinkling lights of the occasional town, village and station.
Then came the oblivion of sleep.......
Now while Peter is sleeping we may consider the strange circumstances of this holiday to Bavaria - or Bayern as it is called in German.
We have already explained how Jane had an antipathy to Germans, and in particular Herr Hitler, as a result of what had happened during the war.
Well now we must consider a little of the recent history of the particular alpine resort that Peter's parents had decided to use as the base for their first continental holiday.
Remember as you read this that there were many other places in Germany that they could have visited, and more significantly many places in Europe other than Germany.
We mention this because Ruhpolding had some rather interesting recent history.
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| Ruhpolding Hauptplatz |
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| Celebration of the Austrian Anchluß Ruhpolding Hauptplatz Feb 1936 |
We know this because there is photographic evidence.
Of course, everybody that Peter ever met in Germany, (with the exception of Adolf Lördermann, who we will meet later), made it very clear that they had nothing to do with the National Socialists or the Third Reich, so it's interesting to see evidence of the villagers giving enthusiastic Nazi salutes - and it makes one wonder just who were all those enthusiastic people in the Nürnberg Stadium, (remember Nürnberg is also in Bavaria).
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| Finnish SS - Ruhpolding 23rd of May 1943 |
Equally, later in the war the Finnish SS were stationed in Ruhpolding.That is as it may be, but even more interesting is the link that Ruhpolding had with the highest echelons of the Third Reich hierarchy.
While, in the 1950s, most of the leaders of the Reich and individuals closely associated with Hitler were either dead, or had gone into hiding, usually in some obscure South American state, some of those closest to Jane's much reviled Herr Hitler were actually living in Ruhpolding.
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| Family of Eva Braun |
Yes, members of Eva Braun's family were living openly and unmolested in Ruhpolding.
And these people were pillars of the community, and were regular visitors to the local Gasthof where, in fact, they met Peter, Jane and John.
So this makes this holiday very strange.
Friedrich Braun (also known as Fritz; a School teacher; - Parents: Phillip Braun, Christina Heyser)
Birth: Neckargmund, Germany - Death: 22 January 1964 in Ruhpolding, Bavaria, Germany
Franziska Kronberger - Birth:1880 - Death: January 1976 in Ruhpolding, Bavaria, Germany
Occupation: Seamstress ; Father: Unidentified Veterinarian b: in of Oberpfalz, Germany
Their Children: - Eva Anna Paula Braun b: 6 February 1912 in Munich, Bavaria, Germany
Margarete (Gretl) Braun (married SS-Gruppenführer Hans Georg Otto Hermann Fegelein 3 June 1944. born 30 October 1906 in Ansbach, Germany, and died 29 April 1945 in Berlin, Germany.
And then, to cap it all, John arranged for a visit to Berchtesgaden, the ruins of the Berghof, the Gasthof Zum Türken, and the Adlerhorst (Eagles Nest) on the Kehlstein.
But, of course, while Peter slept he knew nothing of this.
So back to the story ...
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| Chiemgau Alps - Bayern |
Bleary eyed, Peter opened the curtain just a little, only to get one of the biggest shocks of his life.
Outside the window, above the passing forest were huge, snow-capped mountains.
So then, after dressing, Peter, Jane and John went to the dining car for breakfast, and this would be the last English meal that Peter would have for two weeks.
So it was breakfast while watching the beautiful Bavarian Alps.
By the time breakfast was over the final destination was approaching, and so it was time to return to the compartment and get ready to leave the train.
RUHPOLDING
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| Ruhpolding Bahnhof - Bayern |
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| Tirolean Band - Ruhpolding Bahnhof |
A tiny little station, without a proper platform, (on the continent then you either climbed up or climbed down to enter or leave a train).
And on the low platform were a group of Bavarian villagers, and a Tirolean Band.
There, amid the raucous sounds of the 'oompah' band, and the chatter of the villagers, was a very small, dark haired woman, probably in her sixties.
This was Frau Agnes - a sweet little old lady, with dark, 'frizzy' hair, who was dragging a small trolley.
She insisted on loading the cases onto the little trolley, despite John's protestations to the contrary.She then began dragging the trolley from the station to the road, chatting away all the time in broken English, as they all made their way through the village.
Agness, as Peter learned later, had been married, but her husband, a forester, had been killed in the First World War.
Agness had then inherited a remarkably large house in the centre of the village.
What she had done during the Third Reich and the Second World War Peter never discovered, (but then that was the case with most of the people he met in Austria and Germany), but in the fifties she had supported herself by renting her spacious home to tourists.
And that, of course, is how Peter, Jane and John met her.
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| Die Gebrüder Grimm |
Die Gebrüder Grimm (The BrothersGrimm) - Jacob (1785–1863) and Wilhelm Grimm (1786–1859), were German academics, linguists, cultural researchers, and authors who together collected folklore. They are among the most well-known storytellers of European folk tales, and their work popularized such stories as "Cinderella", "The Frog Prince" (Der Froschkönig), "Hansel and Gretel" (Hänsel und Gretel), "Rapunzel", "Rumpelstiltskin" (Rumpelstilzchen), and "Snow White" (Schneewittchen). Their first collection of folk tales, Children's and Household Tales (Kinder- und Hausmärchen), was published in 1812.
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| Ortszentrum Ruhpolding |
In the centre of the town was a water trough, undoubtedly originally used for the passing dairy herds, and a strange object which reminded Peter of an Indian Totem pole indicated the various amenities of the village and the surrounding area.
