Mary Hass' questions
Zvonko Springer (zzspri@COSY.SBG.AC.AT)
Sun, 31 Mar 1996 21:05:03 +0200
To : MEMORIES@SJUVM.STJOHNS.EDU
For : MaryHass@aol.com \ Mary Haas \
From : zzspri@cosy.sbg.ac.at \ Zvonko Springer \
Date : Sun, March 31, 1996
Subj.: Re: School memories - enquiry of 25 Mar 1996
Ref. : MEMORIES.E24
Lines: 131
Hello to Mary Haas somewhere in USA!
It took a while to consider your questions before answering them
in a reasonable form. I was born as a Gemini in 1925 in Osijek, a larger
city of some 35.000 inhabitants then. Osijek is near the confluence of
Drava river into Danube near Aljmas village. You'ld find these places on
a map of Eastern Slavonia part of which is still occupied by insurgent
Serb nationalists since 1991. You probably have read or heard in the news
about the totaly destroyed Vukovar by the Yugoslav Army. The UNTAES forces
under US General Klein are supposed to return the occupied territories to
the Republic of Croatia in peaceful way soon.
Why do I mention these places at all? I believe, that it is impor-
tant to know where I grew up and lived until 1945. These regions have been
contested by different nations and/or states for very many centuries. How-
ever, these regions have been populated by predominant Croats since modern
times. Also, there were many other nationalities like Serbs, German (all
expelled by 1944/5), Hungarians and Slovaks. First time I became aware of
my Croatian nationality was the assination of King Alexander I (a Serb) in
Marseilles 1934. I have learned fast that we live in the Kingdom of Yugo-
slavia under a royal dictatorship since 1929. The republican Croats won the
autonomy within the Kingdom by 1939.
The Regent Prince Paul ruled in the name of the under aged King
Peter II. The Yugoslav Government had to abandone their state of neutrality
by joining 3 parties Pact (Germany, Italy and Japan) on 25.03.1941. There,
Hitler's Germany exerted a too strong pressure to it after the downfall of
France. Two days later, General Simovic lead a Coup d'etat and inthroned
Peter II. as the new King of Yugoslavia. At dawn of April 6, 1941 German
STUKA bombers attacked Beograd causing considerable casualties and damage.
Thus, the World War Two got to my home country.
I am still fully aware of all the tumults of those days. Soon I
would be 16 ending the 6th grade in the Real (Humanitarian) Gymnasium in
Osijek. Early in April 1941, I got order from the Municipality to distri-
bute personal calls to military service as mobilisation had been ordered.
I toured on my bicycle throughout the city bringing mobilisation orders
as well as requisition orders of any transport means. I found such a re-
quisition order for my (most beatiful WANDERER) heavy-duty bicycle on the
evening of 3rd April. I had turned it over the next day.
The German troups passed through Osijek on 10th April 1941. The
same day the Independent State of Croatia (NDH) has been declared by the
new Poglavnik (=Leader). Ante Pavelic became the new ruler with Germany's
approval & support and introduced Nazis' dictatorship and their rules of
suppression to Croatia too.
Soon after these traumatic days, we were called joining the Youth
Militia or Youth Labour Units. The students of the first units helped in
picking up peoples who were wanted as oponents of the new regime. Later,
these unfortunate ones (Jews, Gipsies, Serbs and any political oponents)
were accompanied by the same students to places from where nobody returned.
Due to my father's forsight, I joined the Labour units and had to work very
hard for two full months. When I returned home, my mother had to wear the
"yellow star" marking her family's Jewish origin. All what I knew of my
mother was that she was a Catholic and married in a catholic church too.
The world started turning upside down in my inocent soul. I grew up in the
security of a well-to-do burgess family (my father was a well-known layer
in Osijek then).
I believe that this lengthy introduction prompts me answering your
questions now, isn't?
Q1 - What did you study about the war?
A1 - We studied history from the old age until say the end of World War One.
Of course, the teachers followed the textbooks approved by the regime
of the time. Some major changes happened during school year 1941/2
when Croatian history had been taught more thoroughly and from few
different aspects too. However, the books were our only information
as well as daily newspapers - none of free radio information services
(no TV nor Internet like today!).
Q2 - If and how did teachers deal with your feelings and fears (F&F) about
the war?
A2 - Many teachers dissapeared for ever under the regime in NDH [see above].
The rest of elderly teachers had and kept their own feelings and fears
for themselves and the younger ones had been called into the Army. The
students were left alone with their F&Fs to be dealt with on their own
by their families. The parents fro too often scared of talking to or
even councelling their children many of whom the regime used as infor-
mers too. That's the truth!
Q3 - Did you take part in programs and drives supporting the war efforts?
A3 - Yes! We HAD to become members of regime's Youth organization (NAZI)
or further schooling would be in jeopardy as well as one's own family
existence. [Please, read and consider the introduction.] I graduated
early July 1943 and had been called into the Army by end of October. I
got my appointement as a junior-lieutenant in December 1944 and fought
with an artillery unit until 15th May 1945. The same day, 7 days after
the Armistice, I surroundered to the Tito's Army. I'm one of the few
still living survivors of the Croats' Tragedy of Bleiburg and Death
Marches. I wonder whether I took part in drives supporting the war
efforts at all? [A rather cynical or rhetoric question, isnt?]
Q4 - How did you feel about these activities?
A4 - Fears! Primeval and instictive fears! Feelings of an iminent danger
or desaster or indescribable pain or injury or even death (which is
something incomprehensible for a young person without one's own expe-
rience). In general, I may say, that there wasn't much time to ponder
about any of the feelings or fears as these happened in the reality.
One had to cope with all of these - there wasn't any or anybody to
councel you.
Q5 - Did soldiers visit classes when they returned home on leave?
A5 - No! The regime didn't like showing injured or crippled soldiers to
its future war "fodder". A dead soldier never returns home and the
one on leave may never come back either.
Q6 - What did they tell you?
A6 - If you mean those soldiers who came on leave then read A4, please!
Q7 - Did you live in an area where there was a potential or particular
threat that most children would not have encountered?
A7 - Yes! I believe that the introduction gives you a good enough answer
to this question, is it so? Therefore, I would end this answering as
the one of few still living time witnesses of horid times during World
War Two.
Many regards from the now old CROATIAN SOLDIER alias
Zvonko of the Oak Hill
End of MEMORIES.E24 .