Family Secrets

''A Seder in Germany of all places, sir. Who would have thought? Our family didn't celebrate when we lived in Frankfurt. German Jews like us tend to be more secular and assimilated.''

''Greenberg, what, you were born in Germany? You don't have a German accent.'' Hogan was now astonished at this point.

''My hidden secret sir. I was born in Bavaria as Josef Grünberg and our family moved to Frankfurt when I was 5. When Mr. Nutty came to power, we left for New York. I was 15 at the time. Figured out how to speak with a Bronx accent real quickly.''

''Otherwise the neighborhood kids would beat me up thinking I was a lousy Kraut.''

''We were lucky. My dad was a Captain in the last war. Commanded an infantry company and was awarded the Blue Max by the Kaiser himself for being the first officer into Fort Douaumont. Planted the Imperial German Flag on the emplacement too. His photo was in all the German newspapers at the time.''

''We paid our way out because my dad's status as a war hero helped. But we left Germany with only a few marks and pretty much the clothes on our backs. Other families weren't so lucky of course.''

Now it was Hogan's turn to digest the statement of Sergeant Joseph Greenberg.

''And in the States, we started celebrating Passover. Thankful that we escaped Pharoah and found our Promised Land.''

''And next time you need a German speaker, have me do it. I speak High German and Bavarian German like a native. That time the not so real Adolf showed up, you had Foster do the talking. Even though I was a brigadier general. His German accent is atrocious. I am a better German-born and bred of course.''

No sound of irony in Greenberg's voice, thought Colonel Hogan. But of course that last statement had more than a hint of irony and bitterness. Not unlike the herbs served in a Passover dinner.

The Kommandant's office

Klink dreaded this time of the year. For there was a secret in the family.

Despite the 500 year history of the illustrious Klink family name, it was not a so-called German surname. For the first Klink's last name was originally Klinkenstein. And was Jewish.

Jacob Klinkenstein was a tailor by trade and worked for the Royal Family of Saxony. And the King of Saxony gave Klinkenstein the freedom of the city of Leipzig as a full citizen with all rights and privileges thereof.

In exchange, Klinkenstein had to convert to Christianity and Germanize his name. And the last name was shortened to Klink.

Jacob Klinkenstein was now Johannes Klink. And that name was on all the official records. As founding father of the Klink family.

No records in Leipzig City Hall or any of the municipal archives could point to the family having Jewish origins. For all intents and purposes, the Klinks were German according to the current laws of the land.

The Klink family secretly celebrated all the Jewish holidays as well as Christian ones. Young Wilhelm Klink enjoyed the idea of having 2 holidays in spring as well as 2 holidays in December. Especially December since he could be showered with presents for 2 occasions.

But he was warned not to reveal the secret. For even though German Jews or those of Jewish ancestry thought of themselves as loyal citizens of the Kaiser, some of their Gentile neighbors did not think so.

Klink served with distinction in World War 1. And he was not that bad of a pilot despite what the Blue Baron claimed. The Pour le Mérite on Klink's neck was not handed out to fools or cowards. 20 aerial victories as Oswald Boelke's wingman in 1916 was nothing to be ashamed of.

His service in KG40 as a bomber pilot in the Second War earned him both Clasps to the Iron Cross First and Second Cross of 1918. It was the blasted left eye that got him grounded and becoming a jail keeper.

Despite the fat goose's constant threats of a one way ticket to Russia or the prospect of being married off to his sister, Klink was safe in his camp in Northern Bavaria.

Klink put on a facade of servility and stupidity at times. Which served well in Nazi Germany. For he had to do the same to hide his family origins.

A fake loyal Nazi presented to Hitler in the 1930s. Maybe he was really looking the other way during Hogan's extracurricular activities.

Notes

Hopefully the backstory here seems plausible

I can see why the Greenbergs anglicized their name after they immigrated. To avoid ill feelings and be possibly mistaken for Germans

Although Greenberg/Grünberg may seem a Jewish sounding last name, there was a pilot in the Luftwaffe with the same last name. Hans Grünberg was a fighter ace with 84 confirmed kills including 5 on the ME 262. And there were Jews who had surnames more common to their German neighbors.

Greenberg's father being a holder of the Pour le Mérite would qualify the family as Edeljuden (noble Jews). German Jews who rendered service to Germany (military, scientific, etc) and who had some protection from the Nuremberg laws although limited. Such people could leave Germany before the war if they found the right people to help.

Anne Frank's family qualified as well-her father Otto Frank was an officer in World War 1 and was awarded the Iron Cross.

Douaumont was the main fort in the defensive lines of Verdun. The Germans captured it on the third day of the Battle of Verdun (2/25/1916) will roughly 100 men.

Douaumont was captured with barely a shot fired and no casualties on the German side. A major humiliation for the French. Eventually it required 3 full French army divisions to recapture to fort, but with major casualties.

The 3 officers who let the unit were all awarded the Pour le Mérite. Took some historical license in making Greenberg's father the first officer inside

Roughly 100,000 German Jews served in the military during World War 1 and 12,000 died in combat. A very significant number indeed.

Klink's military background in WW1 is from my series of stories about national anthems.

History lesson done,