Horst Naftaniel, Eupen (Belgium)
From: Helios, Issue 35 / July 1953
In a typical working-class neighborhood in north-east of Berlin, near the home of the famous Kate Kollwitz, I spent my childhood years.
My father - a Jew - was a sergeant in the First World War on the Western Front in 1917. My mother was a single, heavy heart trouble.
The first conscious memory of my childhood is the inclusion in the Jewish orphanage in Berlin-Pankow. I was not yet seven years old. In the postwar period, there were hardly any clothes and underwear.
"We in the orphanage" was brand-new uniform-like clothing that has been prepared for all the boys especially. And that's what I noticed, because the other boys and girls on the street were dressed very poorly, she looked pale and had little to eat. I had the feeling that "something special" to be. The new clothes were donations of former pupils of the orphanage, the money already earned.
...
Walk alone to go play and we were not allowed. The school was in the house. Jewish teachers taught us. Any areas of contact with non-Jewish children, we never had.
We had freedom only in the bathroom. There we were fighting us naked and blew us out heartily. Unfortunately, that was just the Friday before the Sabbath of the case. To this day I associate with these hours swimming in my memory laughter and joy.
...
Every summer we spent several weeks in a Jewish home on the Baltic Sea in Wustrow. But even here, even with the path to the beach and back, the same order in rows of four, the same attitude, the same clothes, same hair cut: everything nicely into shape. It was disgusting, because we often saw other children with their parents.
Sometimes we Berlind boys were still smart enough to disengage. We then strolled to second or third in the dunes. That was exciting - and beautiful to be one day without coercion and isolation.
Twelve years old I was when I saw the first naked adult humans. Two boys and I were in the dunes a few miles from our home stalked beach to the north ... and suddenly stood before a large group of naked girls. We were struck with amazement. But the girls over to us "clothed" boys do not - they called us to be friendly, but to come to them. We solved this in everything from a sense of fear. We retired rather cautious and were then astonished the dune grass.
...
I know it, it was not a nasty word to us boys and we told the others nothing. But in the evening I checked my white skin with a brown body of the girl.
...
(With 17 years of journeyman exam hairdresser)
At that time I was "in the" German-Jewish youth community, were organized in the boys and girls. Since I got to know a girl who was not Jewish: sixteen years, small, petite but energetic. And this little "Lie" gave me what I lacked: a glimpse into the wide world. How were in love, but never more. It was a real affection. Lie was a member of the Physical Education School in Berlin, Adolf Koch. She had told me a lot of the people who move freely, without clothes and without hesitation said, enlightening and also from the lectures of the regular medical examinations.
One evening I took courage and went along. With a self-evident to all said, "YOU" - all were naked except for the teachers. There was laughter, teasing, joking, in the gym worked, played, sung, showered, basking ... But to me it was by no means obvious that neither I nor anyone else Adolf Koch asked about my religion or race.
I was the first among equals.
I felt happier than usual to house!
And then I saw how the "Thousand Year Reich," in which Adolf Koch movement took its catchment. The SA drove us from our beautiful large grounds in Berlin-Selchow, tore down the tents, log cabins and destroyed the truck finally drove off everything. We have had to march out with the others and were glad, so it came about.
...
Adolf Koch has from his property, even by its beautiful wings in the big gym never seen anything again. The violence triumphed. Later, the other rooms of the Adolf-Koch-Schule were hopelessly ravaged. All writings and the great library were transported on trucks and in the pleasure garden publicly burned.
This action "against the un-spirit" was in common with the closure of
Institute for Sexual Science, whose director, Dr. Magnus Hirschfeld in the
Management of the Adolf-Koch-Schule worked.
The former Prussian Minister of Education Rust stated that all foreign races in word and
Font without compensation as a result of Marxist dictatorship under Jewish
Leadership would be destroyed.
Professer Julius Bochnik (short "Juliet" called) stood between the rubble and wept, for he had always maintained the great library expanded and carefully.
Adolf Koch said, but dogged and defiant: "Somehow and at some point must all be paid for once!"
He did not despair and immediately developed a plan to continue working illegally.
Much was broken in me by so much human wickedness. Then, when Jewish businesses were particularly marked by signs, as everywhere, the Jews had to be excluded, I again felt the oppression of my race. We Jews were only allowed to work here and as tolerated. I was constantly in fear. Desire for protection and I lived in an unrestrained anger, a desire for revenge.
But the circle around Adolf Koch held together. After 1936, the Institute for "eubiotic" was founded. No one knew what that meant really. Outwardly it was a massage or beauty salon. Promptly seized the SS after a year of this Institute.
Undeterred, Adolf Koch in the Knight Street to try something new, "site control for life".
A very understanding landlord, a Democrat - Dietrich, who, like Adolf hated cooking, Hitler - helped.
We have always done the same thing we did earlier: Gymnastics ... With enthusiasm, we sang satirical songs about Hitler and his regime. Here Wearen people remained what they were before: equal among equals, namely: people!
The Jewish Star of David badges were sent to her from under his coat (note: also jacket) hidden. Our intention is not to "Adolf our" endangering useless. It is still a mystery to me that we could be together undisturbed there with the circle of Jewish sisters.
How much strength and comfort we took, only the judge who witnessed it.
In the camp, I have often fed on dieer force that kept me going in all of this torture that took many persecuted Jews and their way across the border into a foreign country, is again characteristic of humanity that Adolf Koch Community, for their true relationship and the fact that there was no betrayal.
After the Kristallnacht Naftaniel Horst and his wife left Germany.
In Belgium, they found refuge at first, until after the German-Truppenein
march deported to the concentration camp Auschwitz.
His mother was shot, his wife, he had never seen again.
Horst was transferred to the Flossenburg in Bavaria, where he eventually
was liberated by the U.S. Army.
After his liberation, he saw his son again, which for 4 years-different
put was held.
In the summer of 1953, after fifteen years, I was back in Berlin, in my home, with Adolf Koch, with his men and women, boys and girls.
From 1946 he has created a new Institute of debris.
...
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