I would find it difficult to help you and get away with it.” Replied Johann as he looked away. It was the first time in many years that anyone had struck Franz, and it brought back strange feelings of hate and revenge.
Rabbi Goldmann looked at his old friend and was speechless. He knew his position was very tenuous, but he prayed to God that a miracle would happen and save them from this horrible nightmare. After a few seconds, Krieger asked him one more question.
“Franz, how old are you?”
The question caught him by surprise. What on earth could his age have to do with the current situation. Before he could answer, Krieger growled at him again.
“How old are you!”
“I am fifty-nine eleven months and a few days.” Answered a nervous Franz.
“Good!” Replied Krieger.
“May I ask what my age has to do with my situation?” Asked a somewhat bolder Goldmann.
“It has a lot to do with everything. I am obligated to ship all Jews between thirteen and sixty years old, to a work camp within two weeks from today. Since you are within a few weeks of being sixty, I will make an exception for you, but there is nothing I can do for the rest of you. I warned you last night! You did not listen, and now you must pay the price.” Finished Herr Krieger with emphasis.
“You mean all members of my family who are under sixty will be leaving Niedergeyer within two weeks?” Asked an incredulous Franz.
“Yes, and as a matter of fact, I am going to require you to get me a list of all Jews and their ages. However, you cannot inform anyone of what is going on. It will only cause panic and hurt everyone. Do you understand?” Asked Krieger.
“I can’t do this thing you are asking of me. It would be the same as Pontius Pilote in the bible. This is too horrible to even contemplate. Why are we being treated this way?” Cried Rabbi Goldmann as he stared at his old friend.
“I guess you are right. This could be a bible story, and I am one of the Roman soldiers following orders. Try to make the best it and help your people get through this mess. If things work out, you might come home one day soon and resume your life.” Stated a somewhat irate Krieger. He hated to lie to his old comrade, but he truly believe that he had done everything within his limited power.
“No, I don’t think so. Our lives have been changed forever. We could never feel the same way about Germany, but we still would be proud of our German heritage.” Replied Franz his voice trailing off in to a sob.
“I am truly sorry, Franz! You should have listened to me, and you would not have been in this situation! I am angry with you for putting me in this dilemma. Enough of this, just follow my orders and things will take their course.” Stated Krieger as he walked away from Rabbi Goldmann without looking back.
The die was cast. There was nothing that Krieger or Franz could do now. Events would take place beyond their control. Both men wished that things had happened differently, but circumstances had dictated otherwise.
Krieger returned to his barracks in Dueren and finalized the assault on Niedergeyer. He had to plan the final removal of most of the Jews from Niedergeyer and the surrounding communities, and Rabbi Goldmann had to reflect on a poor decision he had made.
As he re-entered the house, his wife pleaded with him, “Franz, Franz what is happening to us? Why did he strike you in the face? Are you OK?” Begged his wife.
“Don’t worry, all is well. God will protect us.” Replied the rabbi.
Things went from bad to worse. Before the week was out a total of forty-two lost souls were crammed into Das Haus. No one knew how long they would be there or what their future held for them. The inhabitants of Das Haus were fortunate to have Rabbi Goldmann as their spiritual and practical leader. Once the initial shock wore off, he organized them into sleeping, working and kitchen details. Everyone had a job to do. The Nazis initially allowed them to go work in the garden and continue growing the multitude of fruits and vegetables in their backyard. However, at least four heavily armed guards watched over them.
Like most Germans the Goldmann’s had a large potato patch, some beets, a small amount of wheat, various types of leafy plants, cabbage and twenty fruit trees. As long as they still had money, Rabbi Goldmann had worked it out with Dieter Krieger, they could twice a week, under armed guard, go to the local grocery store and purchase necessities. The Nazis did not provide them with any food or water, at least for the first few weeks anyway.
However, the inhabitants of Das Haus had to be careful. Their funds would eventually run out and hunger would set in. Sarah Goldmann had for years canned most of her fruits and some vegetables and had an ample supply of each. Franz was also the local butcher and had hundreds of already made sausages and other culinary delights in his cellar. All in all they managed to take care of themselves. Except for the occasional spat over this or that, their lives were filled with daily chores and plenty of anxiety.
The biggest problem seemed to be keeping the younger children occupied and out of mischief. Franz assigned the older teenagers the task of finding ways to keep them busy. It wasn’t before long that shrill laughter was once again heard in the Golmann household. Hordes of children were seen running up and down the stairs, from the attic to the basement. It was a comforting sound despite the horrible situation they were in. Children have a way of coping with circumstances a lot better than adults.
What appeared to be a nice routine, was in fact the quiet before the storm. On a quiet, but cold evening Johann Krieger once again came knocking at the door. He seemed only to appear in bad and cold stormy weather. His appearances were reminiscent of old vampire movies. He skulked around in the shadows and disappeared just as quickly. As it was customary only Rabbi Goldmann or his wife Sarah were allowed to answer the door. This would keep the nervous inhabitants in the dark until such time they needed to know. Rabbi Goldman had purposely devised this plan to attempt and control those who might have wild ideas of escape or other schemes. The Gestapo man had made it very clear. “Anyone attempting to escape would cause the immediate execution of all forty-two souls.”
There were some who doubted the sincerity of this threat, but Rabbi Goldmann kept reminding them on a daily basis not to jeopardize their already tenuous situation. It was a constant battle on his part to maintain order and discipline. His previous military training came in very handy at times. Some of the inhabitants resented his new-found authority, but most accepted it.
On this faithful evening Johann Krieger asked to see Franz alone. Both men asked all inhabitants to go upstairs or to the cellar. Once this was accomplished Krieger said.
“Franz, do you have the list I asked for two weeks ago?” Asked Krieger in a somewhat grouchy tone.
“Well, I, I, I don’t have it ready yet.” Replied a frightened, yet courageous rabbi. In his own way Rabbi David Franz Goldmann was trying to stand up to this Nazi.
“What do you mean? You don’t have it yet? You have had plenty of time, and my hands are tied, Franz! You either provide me with the list, or I send all off you to Buchenwald concentration camp tomorrow morning!” Screamed an irate Krieger.
Franz
