Chapter Two
"We do not want any other God than Germany itself." - Adolf Hitler
The country had gone mad.
At least, it seemed so to Maria. She had been born after the Great War and thus did not
have many clear memories of the hard, post-war years. Yet she knew, she felt, that over the
last decade, her world had dramatically changed. And the change was because of the Fuhrer.
Hitler. Could people talk of no one else? To the wealthy class Maria had been raised in,
he seemed more of a god than a chancellor. Among the middle and lower classes, she discovered,
opinion was much the same. Everywhere his praises were being sung. His new national flag
stained the city streets red and black. And the absolute hysteria whenever his party held a
rally never failed to make Maria's knees shake.
That feeling of intimidation was twinned with fear as she began to learn Hitler's plans
for Germany. Along with righting the wrongs of the Treaty of Versailles and reviving the
economy, the Fuhrer spoke with great fury about solving what he called "the Jewish Problem."
According to Hitler, Jews were not only responsible for a variety of evils, but were also an
inferior race. This prejudice was already shared by many of Hitler's followers, and with his
encouragement began to grow into hatred.
Maria was at first confused by this hate. The only Jewish people she knew were the
Schweitzers' housekeeper Janina and a few shop owners. She had tried to think of how they
might be wronging the community, but she could never come up with anything convincing. They
were just people living their lives. The more she heard, the more Maria realised that her
country was under the control of a strange new darkness.
With the same stubbornness that got her into college, Maria began a series of secret
rebellions. Some nights, when she was sure everyone in the house was asleep, she would quietly
sneak out the back door with any leftover food she thought no one would really miss. In a
winter coat and a scarf worn like a hijab, Maria would find her way to the Jewish
neighbourhoods and give her gifts to the needy people there. After a few visits, she no longer
had to leave the food on doorsteps, for there would be someone waiting in the shadows for her
who would distribute her gifts among the people.
Maria knew that what she was doing was extremely dangerous. The consequences of being
caught would be those of a traitor. But something told her to continue. She just couldn't
bring herself to turn yet another back on the persecution.
Because of the incredible danger of her actions, Maria tried to avoid recognition. She
hid her actions even from Janina, for she, being Jewish, would suffer far worse punishment
than a gentile if discovered to be a conspirator. All Janina knew about were Maria's secret
gifts of money to her. As for the people in the Jewish neighbourhoods, those who waited in
the dark to receive the food gifts told only of a young gentile woman who was risking her life
to help them. Maria was always careful to keep her hair tied back and to keep her eyes
downcast. However, just in case, she always swore along with the recipient that neither would
identify the other, even if caught. It was sometimes the only thing on which Maria felt she
could rely.
* * * *
"...And then the next week you go to Warsaw."
Rudi shook his head and finished chewing. "No, first we go to the conference in Munich.
Then Warsaw."
"Well, I hope you'll get back in time for Christmas."
"Of course."
The Schweitzers were in the dining room, eating dinner and discussing schedules. Rudi
was explaining his winter agenda so that Christmas celebrations could be organised for times
the family would all be in one place.
Maria feigned interest in her brother's military duties. She wondered in amusement how
long he would focus on his work before his hair became the main priority again. Rudi had also
been blessed with the family's good looks, but was a great deal more proud of it than his
little sister. She assumed his easy entry into the SS hadn't done much to humble him. After
all, he was the blond Aryan ideal.
Maria was immersed in her thoughts and in impaling a pea on each prong of her fork when
she was awakened by her mother's voice.
"Speaking of celebrations," Frau Schweitzer began, "we're going to be having some rather
interesting guests on Saturday." She had been planning a large dinner party for several weeks.
"What sort of interesting guests?" Maria wondered what her mother was up to.
"A very respectable Bavarian family. They've just moved here." She paused for effect.
"They wanted to live closer to their son. He's just finished his medical degree at the
university."
Oh.
"Their name is von Reichter."
"We do not want any other God than Germany itself." - Adolf Hitler
The country had gone mad.
At least, it seemed so to Maria. She had been born after the Great War and thus did not
have many clear memories of the hard, post-war years. Yet she knew, she felt, that over the
last decade, her world had dramatically changed. And the change was because of the Fuhrer.
Hitler. Could people talk of no one else? To the wealthy class Maria had been raised in,
he seemed more of a god than a chancellor. Among the middle and lower classes, she discovered,
opinion was much the same. Everywhere his praises were being sung. His new national flag
stained the city streets red and black. And the absolute hysteria whenever his party held a
rally never failed to make Maria's knees shake.
That feeling of intimidation was twinned with fear as she began to learn Hitler's plans
for Germany. Along with righting the wrongs of the Treaty of Versailles and reviving the
economy, the Fuhrer spoke with great fury about solving what he called "the Jewish Problem."
According to Hitler, Jews were not only responsible for a variety of evils, but were also an
inferior race. This prejudice was already shared by many of Hitler's followers, and with his
encouragement began to grow into hatred.
Maria was at first confused by this hate. The only Jewish people she knew were the
Schweitzers' housekeeper Janina and a few shop owners. She had tried to think of how they
might be wronging the community, but she could never come up with anything convincing. They
were just people living their lives. The more she heard, the more Maria realised that her
country was under the control of a strange new darkness.
With the same stubbornness that got her into college, Maria began a series of secret
rebellions. Some nights, when she was sure everyone in the house was asleep, she would quietly
sneak out the back door with any leftover food she thought no one would really miss. In a
winter coat and a scarf worn like a hijab, Maria would find her way to the Jewish
neighbourhoods and give her gifts to the needy people there. After a few visits, she no longer
had to leave the food on doorsteps, for there would be someone waiting in the shadows for her
who would distribute her gifts among the people.
Maria knew that what she was doing was extremely dangerous. The consequences of being
caught would be those of a traitor. But something told her to continue. She just couldn't
bring herself to turn yet another back on the persecution.
Because of the incredible danger of her actions, Maria tried to avoid recognition. She
hid her actions even from Janina, for she, being Jewish, would suffer far worse punishment
than a gentile if discovered to be a conspirator. All Janina knew about were Maria's secret
gifts of money to her. As for the people in the Jewish neighbourhoods, those who waited in
the dark to receive the food gifts told only of a young gentile woman who was risking her life
to help them. Maria was always careful to keep her hair tied back and to keep her eyes
downcast. However, just in case, she always swore along with the recipient that neither would
identify the other, even if caught. It was sometimes the only thing on which Maria felt she
could rely.
* * * *
"...And then the next week you go to Warsaw."
Rudi shook his head and finished chewing. "No, first we go to the conference in Munich.
Then Warsaw."
"Well, I hope you'll get back in time for Christmas."
"Of course."
The Schweitzers were in the dining room, eating dinner and discussing schedules. Rudi
was explaining his winter agenda so that Christmas celebrations could be organised for times
the family would all be in one place.
Maria feigned interest in her brother's military duties. She wondered in amusement how
long he would focus on his work before his hair became the main priority again. Rudi had also
been blessed with the family's good looks, but was a great deal more proud of it than his
little sister. She assumed his easy entry into the SS hadn't done much to humble him. After
all, he was the blond Aryan ideal.
Maria was immersed in her thoughts and in impaling a pea on each prong of her fork when
she was awakened by her mother's voice.
"Speaking of celebrations," Frau Schweitzer began, "we're going to be having some rather
interesting guests on Saturday." She had been planning a large dinner party for several weeks.
"What sort of interesting guests?" Maria wondered what her mother was up to.
"A very respectable Bavarian family. They've just moved here." She paused for effect.
"They wanted to live closer to their son. He's just finished his medical degree at the
university."
Oh.
"Their name is von Reichter."
