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My mother worked in 1944 in a hospital in a small city
about 70 miles east of Stuttgart near to the village, W.al, where
I was living in the family of relatives. At the end of the war,
beginning at New Years 1945 till June I was with her in this city and
the hospital. It was partially a public and a military hospital. We were very fortunate to be at the hospital. At the end of the war with American occupation we
now got good food, chickens etc and chocolate for the children; my mother
continued to work on for the public and military part till June 1945 when we returned to Stuttgart (figure 1).
The relatives in W.al. had a big garden at the surroundings of
the village near to a camp for prisoners. The men walked along the fence of the garden going for work at a plant nearby. When we went to the garden we had to be
very cautious if military planes approached firing to the road.
And during nights we saw red light in the sky where cities such as Stuttgart
were burning far away. We children were aware of what was going on but the families did not speak with the children much about this (although they were not supporting the regime in any form; on Sunday we went to church and all letters from a soldier were shown and discussed in the neighborhood). I was very lucky to be with the relatives at a rather safe village.
In Stuttgart our home was not destroyed. However, glass in the windows of all rooms was broken and it was very difficult to get even wooden pieces to close the windows. Shingles and wood to repair roofs were also in short supply. The streets were blocked up by debris (stones, bricks and other material) from the destroyed buildings. Very narrow paths had been cleared through the debris. were very small at all places where buildings were destroyed and stones had fallen down from the ruins. The streetcars could not operate because of all the blocked streets. We had American relatives who sent us some clothes after the War when it was almost impossible to obtain children's clothes in Germany. The Winter of 1945-46 following the War was very difficult. It was hard getting coal to heat homes. We dressed very warmly even inside. This was the last photograoh taken of me wearing short pants with long stockings (figure 1). The photograph was taken in Spring 1946. I am also wearing my heavy sailor jacket.
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