During the summer of the birth of Star Wars and the death of Elvis my first best man and I were welcomed into Frau Herzog’s apartment at 19 Untergasse in Wien (Vienna, Austria). She survived off annual Emory tuition paid to her. She only spoke German. She only complained when we left the shower running for a second too long between on-quick soak-off-lather-on-quick rinse-off. I continue that practice as I recall her conservation born out of poverty. A daily breakfast was included, but she was so generous with her food that we smuggled fruit and granola to feed fellow students famished by wealthier hosts.
One particular night she talked until dawn — one of those sacred experiences of connection that are too rare. She shared the suffering from the consequences of her war — her community searching amidst devastation for scraps of food. In the wee hours with my immature German, I couldn’t fully translate every word, but her eyes spoke with sighs too deep for words.
As she ended her soul-bearing to begin cooking breakfast, she went to the beginning. She was a young adult for the 1938 Anschluss (“joining”) when Hitler forced the unification of Germany and Austria (their split was forced 20 years before after losing WW1). The promise of one man who could fix the economy, purify and protect the elite race, establish one religion, and make his realm (“Reich”) great again was so popular that a vote to unify was scheduled for March 13 in Austria. Not trusting a fair election, Hitler marched his German troops across the border the day before. A month later, Frau Herzog “voted” in the delayed election to approve the Anschluss with German troops observing her visible ballot.
Whenever I safely and secretly vote my conscience, I think of how she couldn’t.
If you’re a person of faith, what feeds your joy, hope, and compassion for everything and everyone on this planet? If you’re an American citizen, how do you treat the gift of the freedom to vote? Where do you get your information to be responsible for your freedom?
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Thank you for sharing this memory with us. People who don’t see the similarities between 1936 Germany and our status in the USA in 2024 do not know their history well. I vote all the time for whatever election comes along in memory of my mother who was born in 1918, 2 years before women had the right to vote. We must not go back. The “good old days” were not always so great.
Thank you Betty for standing for your freedom and responsibility to vote. I pray for your woman’s right to choose through the ballot isn’t also taken away by those who make plans to.
Wow, Wally. This one was great and so tender. You have really led a remarkable life, my friend. Thank you so much for sharing with those of us who haven’t had opportunities like you had to meet so many different people!
Hey Wally, I went on this same program the next summer, thanks to you. It was life-changing. I stayed with Frau Schabhietl on the edge of the city, almost to the Wienerwald. That was not the original plan. The woman who was supposed to take me in changed her mind and decided to simply not meet me at the train station. She told this to an acquaintance of hers at the pool and that kind lady (Frau Schabhietl) couldn’t stand the thought of this poor little American girl at the train station with nowhere to stay. So she left the pool, came directly to the station, and agreed with Dr Aue that she could take me in for a night or two. It turned into a full summer at her tiny apartment. She didn’t speak a word of English so my German improved dramatically…also on the long streetcar ride into town every day where I would talk to other kind old ladies. This *mistake* and her small kindness ended up being the best gift! I loved her, the city and the whole program.
So much we share without crossing paths since HS. Thank you for sharing and I’m lifting your state up too