"The eternal March" - contemporary witnesses remember
New film, new brochure and city map of remembrance for the 20th Peace Day
Only a few people from Chemnitz can still remember the events of the war in March 1945. Most of those who are now over 80 were children at the time. Their memories of the nights of bombing have shaped them for the rest of their lives. The city of Chemnitz has analysed personal stories in various projects and is presenting them on the 20th Chemnitz Peace Day.
Lord Mayor Sven Schulze: "People associate sad and terrible memories with 5 March 1945, when the war came to our city. Today's contemporary witnesses had to experience what war and bombing meant as children. They endured fears and experienced losses that we can hardly imagine today. I am glad that the war children of that time have told us their stories very openly and courageously. They all make it clear to us how valuable it is to live in peace and that we have to stand up for it every day."
Contemporary witness film "The eternal March"
A third film joins the City of Chemnitz's list of contemporary witness films on 5 March 1945.
The film "The Eternal March" tells the stories of four Chemnitz residents who grew up in the Third Reich and had to experience the war and the bombing raids as children:
Helga Lehnert, for example, experienced 5 March in Feldstraße, now Rembrandtstraße. After emerging from the cellar, she hid under a railway bridge. "Headless" is how she describes her state at the time.
Barbara Wähner was with her grandmother on Kaßberg that night. She knows how much she missed her father, who was at war. Her faithful companion was a teddy bear - even in the bomb shelter. She cherishes it to this day.
Roland Schulze lived in the rear building of the Reichshauptmannschaft on what is now Reichsstraße. New buildings stand on this site today. He remembers the painful loss of family members, the fear of survival, the escape through the burning Weststraße.
Wolfgang Eckart was also in the cellar of his home and had to leave it while the bombs were still falling. For the film, he visited his old school, today's Dr.-Wilhelm-André-Gymnasium, and found his old classroom again. He tells of hunger and hardship during this difficult time.
The film was made by Thomas Beckmann, a native of Chemnitz.
"The Eternal March" will be shown for the first time on 5 March, from 6 p.m. in the special programme on Sachsen-Fernsehen. It can then also be viewed on the City of Chemnitz YouTube channel or at www.chemnitz.de/zeitzeugen.
New brochure
These four stories and other excerpts from letters are included in a 22-page brochure to accompany the film. This will be available free of charge at Chemnitz City Hall from 5 March.
City map of remembrance
Even more eyewitness accounts can be found on the newly designed website at www.chemnitz.de/zeitzeugen. More than 70 memories are digitally recorded. Videos and personal photos are also published there. The texts are located on a city map where eyewitnesses experienced the attacks, most of them on 5 March 1945. Photos, audio recordings and films supplement the reports.
All memories were received following an appeal by the city of Chemnitz last year. More than one hundred letters have been received by the town hall and will be incorporated into the various projects. Further reports and comments can be sent by e-mail to buergerbuero(at)stadt-chemnitz.de or by post to: City of Chemnitz, Office of the Lord Mayor, P.O. Box 09106 Chemnitz.