7th graders from Northfield, Ohio

Zvonko Springer (zzspri@COSY.SBG.AC.AT)
Sat, 22 Nov 1997 18:24:45 +0100 

        Hello seven graders in Northfield,

At 10:41 AM 11/20/97 -0400, you wrote:
>We are a 7th grade class in Northfield, Ohio a suburb of Cleveland.  >We
would like to ask you some questions about your WWII experience.
>
        Here are my answers to your questions.

Q.1.:   Did you have enough food to eat?
A.1.:   Yes, in principle our family had enough food during WWII. Father
        has lost some weight which didn't matter much. He still stayed well
despite loosing some of his normal 125 kg (approx. 275 lbs). Mother kept a
farm of rabbits and fowl in a small garden behind our house. This was in
central part of Osijek, a town on river Drava in County of Croatia of
former Kingdom of Yugoslavia. We got fresh fish from a fishery too until my
uncle had been abducted to a concentration camp in 1943. Mother also kept a
pig or two to be slaughtered sometime in December. As the war protracted
the food situation significantly worsened and certain food articles had
been rationed too. However, we haven't been starving throughout the war -
to be honest.

Q.2.:   Were any of your family members in the War?
A.2.: I've graduated in 1943 and had been called into Army service
        soon after. By end of 1944 I've got my order as a lieutenant-junior to the
active service at front line in my home town Osijek. All other male
relatives had either succeeded escaping Nazi's persecution or vanished in
concentration camps.

Q.3.:   Was money worth anything during and after the war?
a.3.: The Independent State of Croatia (known as Pavelic's NDH was
        liased to Germany) had it's new currency KUNA. There had been some value
lost changing former Yugoslavia's DINARs into KUNAs. Later during the war
money was gradually loosing its value though. More and more one turned to
bargain and trade by natural value of goods. The big value lost came after
the war ended when KUNA had been converted to new Tito Yugoslavia's DINAR.

Q.4.:   What were your schools like?
A.5.: Buildings weren't much different than today. These were massive
        structures with large rooms which survived the WWII and are still in use
now. Floors made of strong boards were painted with black oily paint on
which any dirt showed. We didn't have proper wardrobes in primary school
(1931/32 - 1934/35 = 4K) and we had hung clothings in our class. At the
begin we learned writing with scribble on slate and only later started
using pencil and ink with pen-in-holder. In secondary school in Osijek
(1935/36 - 1942/43 = 8K) hasn't been so much different but one CANNOT
COMPARE a laboratory's outfit and/or equipment with that of modern times.
There were too many significant  changes in various sciences during the
past 60+ years, isn't?

Q.5.:   What were your hobbies during the war?
A.5.: There weren't any. I was 16 when war came to Yugoslavia in 1941.
        We were all well aware that sooner or later we'd be involved in it so one
wouldn't have time for hobbies. Late 1944 we had moved from our old school
to a much smaller building at Lower Town of Osijek. This had brought many
inconveniences and times for preparation to final exams became short too.
I've graduated in summer next year.

Q.6.: How were women treated?
A.6.: I could tell much about it. All the 12 years of schooling I was
        in male only classes. Of course, we liked looking female colleagues and
flirting with them too. Traditionaly, the students of older classes (> 8K)
were allowed to evening's strolling (a CORSO of Italian style) but in
groups of separated sexes. The 5&6 graders had leave it at 19h and the
other older ones at 20h. This ruling stayed unchanged until lecturer's
control slackened due to war times.

Q.7.:   What things did you do for fun with your family?
A.7.:   We didn't have the facilities you'd have today. TV didn't exist
        and music played from gramophone's shellac disks (15 min/side) with
changing needles often. Radio had 3 wave lengths with too noisy listening.
We had cinemas showing movies twice on working days. On Sundays were 3
performances and movies were strictly controlled by  their rating. Osijek
had a permanent theater which burger's families and general public had been
visiting regularly. Father was an active member of local roving club and
mountaineering society. Thus, kids went for outings with parents in springs
and summers often. Youngsters
played football or other sport's games and there was an athletic club for
those more ambitious. True, one had generally more time spending with the
family than it's the case today. Consider also that good 2/3 of population
lived in rural areas and cities much less inhabitants than now. WWII
brought great and significant changes to all societies and to my home
country too.

        Thank you for reading my answer hopping that you'd find some interesting
facts for your home work too. Best regards from

        Zvonko of Oak Hill alias CROATIAN SOLDIER (a former one)