Stanford Student Letters and Memoirs

March 6, 1960

Yesterday I spoke for several hours with the mayor of Beutelsbach, Herr Plessing, and his wife. Our discussion turned among other things, to the war and to current political attitudes, and was, in addition a chance for me to think out several impressions that I have picked up as to American misconceptions about Germany. I am going to set these thoughts down in disjointed fashion so that I may have a record of them and you may share in the insights of my experience here.

#1- It is, as many of us, surely realize, simply impossible for Americans who have not seen it to imagine the destructive power of war. Even being here and seeing what ruins remain (not very many!) we cannot visualize a city 90% bombed out. And even less, could we understand the way this damage was experienced by the people, how they lived during the war. Frau Plessing described to me one very minor incident, the bombing of her small village just outside Stuttgart. In a matter of munites [minutes] there fell on this village of 2000 people 980 fire bombs and 190 explosive bombs. In her home, nine fire bombs hit simultaneously. They were very luck though and saved all but one bedroom. Many of the houses were built of straw. Of 89 of these, 2 remained standing. This in perhaps fifteen minutes, mostly with small fire bombs. I myself cannot imagine what it must have been in the big cities where the effort was concentrated and repeated. She also described living under air raid conditions (going 3 or 4 times in the night on the run with a suitcase of the most important clothes) to the shelter- there to stand perhaps for hours- silent (to cinserve [conserve] air) and motionless against the wall. This perhaps until 4 AM, and then at 6 every day to catch a train for work at Stuttgart (which might also be stopped for an airraid alert) without having eaten to put in a long day's work. Back again at night to have sleep broken again by the sirens.

#2- A second thing many Americans have trouble understanding is how could Hitler have become so powerful, and how could the people have committed such actions and ideas as he accried out? I surely don't claim to have the answers to this but some factors do loom out as important. In the early 30's there were in Germany millions of unemployed, and such a time is receptive to radical proposals. Hitler took several strong actions to mobilize resources- building autobahns, etc. Took thousands into the army to give them purpose and activity again and money to send home to pump into the sagging economy. And, too, Germans were often caught up in the appeal of a "New Germany", a "Glorious Fatherland" etc.- a sort of nationalism which has touched many counties in the last hundred years. As time progressed, however, another factor came forth which we Americans almost always forget, I think. Hitler's regime soon became an internal dictatorship with suppression of news, immiedtae [immediate] police retaliation (away to a work camp) for giving aid to a Jew or speaking against the government etc. It was on this reign of fear that most of Hitler's atricities were built and not on a nationalism ot [or] enthusiasm of the people (though those made his power possible).

Frau Plessing tells of having given food or clothing to Jews as much to get them to leave the shop as to help them. Fear was a very important reality and it effectively destroyed resistance.

Impressions- page 2

#3 Post-war conditions here were almost as severe as those of the war itself. Thousands of people pired in from bombed out cities or from lands controlled by the Russians- poured into small villages like Beutelsbach where bomb damage was not severe. But Beutelsbach was already overcrowded by people who had come from Stuttgart earily in the war and where could a tow] of 2000 find room for 30 people every day? (they came in truckloads on an hours notice). There was a housing commission which, with police aid made people give up rooms for new arrivals, until several families would be sleeping together, often on the floor. There no clothes, very little to eat, and there were no goods in the stores to be bought. Three stoves would come from Waibligen as aid gifts and 50 families would beg to have them. One very dramatic incident marks a turning point for these people: The Marshall Plan gave (on April 29, 1946- and every German knows the date by heart) to every man, woman, and child in Germany a gift of $10.00! This money acted apparently as a catalyst for the recovery of the economy and soon goods became available and the long road for recovery and rebuilding began.

#4- One very important factor in understanding political life in modern Europe is the realization that present national boundaries as very recent. We think of America as a young nation but most of Europe (Italy and Germany is younger). Thus this area of Baden (Wurttenberg) was a kingdom (several small ones actually) even after World War I. Many people here are far more "Schwabisch" (the folk culture of the area) than they are "German". And many remember in their own lives the whole history of the modern state of Germany. Consequently local areas are very important and each of these sections is quite different than the others. This may help explain some of the lack of deep interest which observers see in German National politics.

#5- One of my first observations here was that Germans rarely talk politics, show no particular sign of interest in political matters. Naturally this was very disturbing because it would seem to be just such disinterest that made Hitler possible. I raised the question with the Mayor and he provided a somewhat different picture: First of all, as a matter of information, virtually every home in Beutelsbach takes a daily newspaper, many two. Every family also has a radio and this often runs a good part of the day. A fact that will probably shock you- in Beutelsbach, population 3100- there are only 180-200 television sets- virtually all bought in the last 2-3 years. As to the political significance of this, they Mayor says that people read the paper carefully and thoroughly and that they get a large amount of news on radio or TV. He says that all citizens, peasant farmers included, are well informed on political matters. How all I don't know, but he himself certainly is. So apparenyl [apparently] people are interested and informed about political matters. Why then so little talk and activity?? One important answer is that many people don't want to be identified with a party. There are two reasons given for this: 1- People remember well the Nazi party experience- what it produced, and what a shadow it could leave on one's postwar record to belong. They distruct open membership in parties-fearing later consequences of this sort. 2- In the small towns especially, it is economically unwise to be an enthusiastic supporter of one party or the other. If a shopkeeper is a rabid supporter og [of] the S.P.D. (Social Democratic Party) conservative peasants who favor almost always the C.D.U. (Christian Democratic Union- Adenauer's party) may supposedly boycott his store. So why should he speak out and lose business? Such "radicalism" is viewed unfavorably and people would rather go silently to the elections, cast their vote, and otherwise remain cautiously silent.

6.30.60

Dear Folks,

Yesterday I spoke for several hours with the mayor of Beutelsbach, Herr Plessing, and his wife. Our discussion turned among other things to the war, and to current political attitudes, and was in addition a chance for me to think out several impressions that I have picked up as to American misconceptions about Germany. I'm going to set these thoughts down in disjointed fashion, so that I may have a record of them, and you may share in the insights of my experience here.

#1 - It is as many of us surely realize, simply impossible for Americans who have not seen it to imagine the destructive power of a war. Even being here and seeing what ruins remain (not very many!) we cannot visualize a city 90% bombed out. And even less could we understand the way this damage was experienced by the people, how they lived during the war. Frau Plessing described to me one very minor incident - the bombing of her small village just outside Stuttgart. In a matter of minutes there fell on this village of 2000 people 980 firebombs and 190 explosive bombs! In her house 9 firebombs hit simultaneously - they were very lucky though, and saved all but one bedroom. Many of the houses were built of straw - of 89 of these, 2 remained standing! This in perhaps 15 minutes, mostly with small fire bombs - I myself cannot imagine what it must have been in the big cities where the effort was concentrated and repeated.

She also described living under air raid conditions - going 3 or 4 times in a night - on the run, with a suitcase of the most important clothes - to the shelter, there to stand perhaps for hours - silent (to conserve air) and motionless against the wall. This perhaps until 4 AM then at 6 every day catch a train to Stuttgart (which might also be stopped for an air raid alert), without having eaten, to put in a long days work. Back again at night to have sleep broken again by the sirens.

#2 A second thing many Americans have trouble understanding is - How coud Hitler af become so powerful, and how could the people have permitted such actions and ideas as he carried out. I surely don't claim to have the answers to this, but some factors do loom out as important - in the early 30's there were in Germany millions of unemployed (as in America) and such a time is receptive to radical proposals (draw analogy to the necessary dramatic proposals of Roosevelt in the early New Deal). Hitler took several strong actions to mobilize resources - building autobahns, etc. took thousands into the army to give them purpose and activity again, and money to send home to pump into the sagging economy, and too Germans were often caught up in the appeal of a "New Germany", a glorious fatherland, etc - a sort of nationalism which has touched many countries in the last 100 years.

As time progressed however another factor came forth which we Americans almost always forget, I think. Hitler's regime soon became an internal dictatorshop - with supression of news, immediate police retaliation (away to a work camp) for giving aid to a Jew or speaking against the govt., etc. It is on this reign of fear that most of Hitler atrocities are built, and not on the nationalism or enthusiasm of the people (though these made his power possible)! Frau Plessing tells of having given food, clothes to Jews, as much to get them to leave the shop as to help them. Fear was a very important reality and it effectively

a couple of hours to catch up on the news, and relax. We bought the week's Time magazine in Amsterdam, but a good reading of one day's N.Y. Times added a lot. After this interlude we arrived at the peace Palace at 4:15 to find that the building closed at 4, so we had a tourist-style look at the outside. Then the half-hour ride back out to the hostel, and another relaxing evening of talk and reading. These easy evenings seem to be the best formula with a days walking or biking, and a 10 pm lights out in the hostels prevents concerts, etc. anyway, so we just stay in after dinner and take it easy (and write letters like right now).

This morning up as usual, and away about 9 to bike to Rotterdam (30 km). It was against the wind all the way, some up and down, but we're getting stronger by now, did te distance in 2 1/2 - 3 hours. Went first off to American Express and I found 6 letters waiting for me - 3 short ones from Anne (who was suffering from finals at the time), the copies of Tuck's fine letters (congratulate him also on his improved regularity, and tell him I enjoy them as much as you do), and two newsy ones from you Mom. So it's bright spirits tonight! Say did I tell you? - don't write to Köln because Amer. Express has no office there. Write to Heidelburg, Germany c/o Am. Ex. Co. (16 Friedrich Ebert Allee) until 3/26, then back to the Burg. After a very short ride through Rotterdam, we bought train tickets to Köln, got here about 6:30 this evening. On the way (Utrecht, Arnhem, Emmerich, Oberhausen, Düsseldorf) we came through the Ruhr of course, and saw endless huge smoke stacks and heavy factories. It is really industry saturared I guess. (Should learn more about that next quarter in economics, and in our trip to Luxembourg).

To answer a few questions: I'm travelling with Bridges Mitchell; he's a sophomore, and was a cellist in the Stanford orchestra with Anne. Former math major probably changing social science. We've traveled together before (mainly on the Rome trip) as I may have mentioned. As to my paper and interviews with the mayor, the only written material he gave me was a copy of the Gemeindeordnung (also in German of course); otherwise all my information came from him - he speaks no English, but very good German. And as I've said before, I can understand almost all of what people say (even when Germans are talking to each other) and fill in by context the words I don't know. And if something was unclear, I'd ask and Herr Plessing would explain it in other words. So I guess the paper is also evidence of my progress in speaking and listening to German.

Our itinerary for the rest of the trip (subject to daily revision of course): tomorrow 3/23 - in Köln (Cologne)

on the Rhine! 3/24 - through Bonn, probably stop at Bad Godesburg 3/25 - to Coblenz 3/26 - part way to Mainz 3/27 - to Mainz 3/28 - part way to Heidelberg 3/29 - to Heidelberg

on the Neckar! 3/30 - in Heidelberg 3/31 - to between Heidelberg, Heilbronn 4/1 - to Ludwigsburg 4/2 - to Beutelsbach

Should be lovely!! Another letter soon (and one to Pops too).

Love, George

Dear Folks,

I'm sorry I've been so long in writing, but nothing special has happened and besides I just finished midterms yesterday. I spent last weekend and have cancelled the trip to Vienna which was under consideration for this weekend, and I am again going to remain here. Probably go to Vienna next quarter on a 5 day weekend (maybe Easter even) and plan to go next weekend to Switzerland for 4 days. But last weekend and this one are saved for homework and for visiting in Beutelsbach.

So finally I have a chance to tell you about classes, etc. over here. One basic difference is that as far as time goes they are under much more pressure than at Stanford in California. We have four hours each day (Anthropology at 8, Music at 9, and German 10-12 or 2-4, which I now have) and besides this 2 hours of chorus each week (and Madrigal group and seminars for others). All of this between Monday and Thursday, and then the weekends free. But by the time you add student meetings, guest lectures, concerts, special programs, and especially holidays and long field trips like Rome and letter writing!, there is really a great demand for our time, and studies have to be done on a cram basis. The second main fact is that the courses are pretty well related to our situation here, so that the course is more meaningful, and also our other experiences are enriched by what we learn in class. This is especially true of Anthropology and of course of German, less so of music (except for the concerts).

Anthro is a fascinating course, and I wish I had more time to spend on it, especially to talk with Dr. Spindler. Unfortunately his wife has been very ill from the start of the quarter until just this week (pregnancy complications, then a miscarriage) so he has not been too available for conversation. But the class work is very interesting - some basic work in the concepts of Anthro., a great deal of special material on the culture of Beutelsbach, and some on Germany as a whole. We have already done one short term paper - describing and analyzing one of our families in Beutelsbach (some students compared two of their families; I did mine on the Krauters). We also have a longer one (10-20 pages) due by the end of the quarter, on a topic of our choice. I'm hoping to do mine on City Planning and Plans for Future Expansion in Beutelsbach, getting the material by interviewing the Mayor and other members of the town council, in German of course! I may get to work on it this weekend, if I find time.

Music here is fairly much like music appreciation back at Stanford, or anywhere else. There's not much that could be done to change it really, to relate it to Germany. We are required to attend 8 concerts or operas (no painful job, really!) and to write to short papers, one on a symphony, the other on an opera, besides our midterm and final exam (Anthro will have no final. We had its midterm last we and I was very lucky to get an A, since was not very well prepared!)

German class is going along quite well, even though I have let the work slide badly (that too is on this weekend's work list). We spend a little over an hour each day on grammar, reading, etc. and the rest on conversation in German. Herr Zimmerman, our German instructor is a terrific fellow - very interested in literature (knows Latin and French as well as German + English), arts, modern philosophy, and the problems of post-war Germany. You may remember that he was in our compartment on the trip to Rome, and also with us in Florence; he's very interesting to travel and talk with, generally a fine fellow. He's made many close friends in the previous groups, including particularly Dave [illegible?] and John Miller (both in El Campo.), and spends much time corresponding with them