German Field Mail - Translation

[Johnny-D]

Im just scanning the envelope now.... There does appear to be a name on the back.... See what you think buddy

Lee

[Johnny-D]

Sorry, what appears to be the name is in the bottom left hand corner.

Lee

[Johnny-D]

I've just noticed.... its addressed to Frau ....... ............

The writing in the bottom left hand corner MUST be the guys name..... its the same surname as the person he is writing to.... presumably his wife!

I hope he made it! I'd love to know

[Kesha]

Im just scanning the envelope now.... There does appear to be a name on the back.... See what you think buddy

Lee

I`m a former German Federal Mail Official... let`s see.

[Kesha]

I`m a former German Federal Mail Official... let`s see.

Well, it says...


Field post

Mrs Hildegard ???

Lions Street 14, Hannover

The last name is the problem. I simply can`t read it. Sütterlin letters...

OK, I´ll ask some of the older folks over here. Stand by.

[big ned]

@Ned and Lee:

I appreciate your kind words... it was indeed quite interesting and also moving to read and translate his letter. It`s like a window into the past, and what we see is a normal man dealing with abnormal circumstances, trying to keep in touch with his old, normal life.

To get this straight:
He is refering to Elisabeth`s unborn baby, not his own.

I thought the same as Ned did... He thought he would be home soon, not knowing that the worst was yet to come. Good chance he never made it back. Any chance you know his full name, Lee? Would be interesting to find out what happened to him.

Thanks for the clarification Kesha,

I don't know why, but this little bit of everyday life sixty odd years ago has been on my mind all night. The loving words to a wife whilst referring to his personal 'slave'. The butchering of livestock, making sausage, baking bread...He sounds rear echelon, but did he eventually bear arms and fight for his own life? Did he make it home, or die in the unremitting trudge back to the crumbling reich? So many thoughts...Was he an ardent nazi or a decent man? The letter shows some appreciation for the 'slave', but that is somewhat ambiguous.

When you think about it, theres so much in two simple pieces of paper, it's very profound; haunting actually.

Something like that is as good and more provoking than many of the musty artifacts we choose to collect.

Regards, Ned.

[Johnny-D]

Thanks for the clarification Kesha,

I don't know why, but this little bit of everyday life sixty odd years ago has been on my mind all night. The loving words to a wife whilst referring to his personal 'slave'. The butchering of livestock, making sausage, baking bread...He sounds rear echelon, but did he eventually bear arms and fight for his own life? Did he make it home, or die in the unremitting trudge back to the crumbling reich? So many thoughts...Was he an ardent nazi or a decent man? The letter shows some appreciation for the 'slave', but that is somewhat ambiguous.

When you think about it, theres so much in two simple pieces of paper, it's very profound; haunting actually.

Something like that is as good and more provoking than many of the musty artifacts we choose to collect.

Regards, Ned.

My thoughts exactly Ned!

I've not not stopped thinking about this guy. I'm trying to understand where he was, and what was happening around him on 1st Nov 1941. I'm gonna do my very best to find out his fate.

I think this may be a collecting avenue I'll explore further. As Ned said, the letters offer so much more than other items we tend to collect.

Lee

[Kesha]

Thanks for the clarification Kesha,

I don't know why, but this little bit of everyday life sixty odd years ago has been on my mind all night. The loving words to a wife whilst referring to his personal 'slave'. The butchering of livestock, making sausage, baking bread...He sounds rear echelon, but did he eventually bear arms and fight for his own life? Did he make it home, or die in the unremitting trudge back to the crumbling reich? So many thoughts...Was he an ardent nazi or a decent man? The letter shows some appreciation for the 'slave', but that is somewhat ambiguous.

When you think about it, theres so much in two simple pieces of paper, it's very profound; haunting actually.

Something like that is as good and more provoking than many of the musty artifacts we choose to collect.

Regards, Ned.

D'accord, Ned...

I don`t think he was a Nazi, at least not by means of ideology. Why?

I`m translating DE <> EN more or less every day, it`s part of my job. One problem is that the German dictionary is twice as large as the English one. I know that our language sometimes sounds
harsh, but this language is, in fact, a very powerful tool if you know how to use it. There are certain words and expressions which just can`t be translated into English, simply because they don`t have an equivalent. So, translating DE > EN always means to "simplify" a text to a certain degree.

When our friend from the past tried to describe the Russian village he was staying at, there`s a certain untertone of sympathy for the locals which always had to live under such bad conditions. Remember the part with "You cannot imagine!"? In the German original, it`s followed by an unwritten "how these poor people have to live".

Same for the "Slave". He put "Sklave" in quotation marks in his German letter. The idea of having a personal slave is laughable, as well in your culture as in ours. 12 years don`t change 2000 years of history. His German text just implies that this Russian POW was very good at archiving vantages. The guy was a turncoat, that`s it. Quite efficient, though.


@Lee: I`ll print the envelope and ask the old couple next door to "translate" it. They should be able to read her last name.

[Johnny-D]

D'accord, Ned...

I don`t think he was a Nazi, at least not by means of ideology. Why?

I`m translating DE <> EN more or less every day, it`s part of my job. One problem is that the German dictionary is twice as large as the English one. I know that our language sometimes sounds
harsh, but this language is, in fact, a very powerful tool if you know how to use it. There are certain words and expressions which just can`t be translated into English, simply because they don`t have an equivalent. So, translating DE > EN always means to "simplify" a text to a certain degree.

When our friend from the past tried to describe the Russian village he was staying at, there`s a certain untertone of sympathy for the locals which always had to live under such bad conditions. Remember the part with "You cannot imagine!"? In the German original, it`s followed by an unwritten "how these poor people have to live".

Same for the "Slave". He put "Sklave" in quotation marks in his German letter. The idea of having a personal slave is laughable, as well in your culture as in ours. 12 years don`t change 2000 years of history. His German text just implies that this Russian POW was very good at archiving vantages. The guy was a turncoat, that`s it. Quite efficient, though.


@Lee: I`ll print the envelope and ask the old couple next door to "translate" it. They should be able to read her last name.

Cheers Kesha, your a pal!

I picked up about the guy praising his 'slave' He sound's just like a typical family man. I feel sorry for the guy! I really hope you can get his surname mate.... I've taken our friend to my heart.

We've got to remember...... not all German soldiers were Nazi's!

[johnhmcgary]

Woody and Kesha,
Thanks to both of you, very interesting. Written in 41, things were going so well, turned around kind of fast. Was almost like being there. Thanks again, John