Ruth Deutschmann

Benjamin Epp

Wien

2008-04-29

Sylvia Manning - Baumgartner

Nicole D´Incecco

1939

Let’s get back to your father. When was he denounced? Yes, he was denounced. The first accusation was: For listening to foreign radio, speaking out against the regime etc. Well, it's right that he spoke his mind, not hiding what he thought. But how they found out he was listening to radio, that was inconceivable when they found out, and so on. And for me it was like this. When he was in the concentration camp, at the fourth Gestapo interrogation, I was interrogated 4 times ? always leaving class to be interrogated and after 2, 3 hours, back to class, It was the worst that could happen to you. Of course, they treated you so that they didn't leave traces of how they had treated you. Yes, they did. But otherwise, everything you can imagine, they tried again and again. And then, to come back into the classroom in a state of shock. It was terrible. But the worst was: The fourth time, the interrogator said: "If you sign here and join the SS, your father will be released." Of course that was a bitter thing. I had my father's destiny in my hand, so to speak. and I refuse to help ? it was good, that I didn't want to join the SS. Obviously. But this decision was detrimental to my father. I was aware of that. And I returned to school, to the classroom, and looked around... probably. And suddenly the teacher calls upon me and asks what he had said. No idea what he had said. Yes, I was penalized for that. But the worst wasn't that, it was having to tell mother, what had happened. She was hoping that her husband would be released. And I had to tell her. She only said to me: "Listen please, that is wonderful. Your father would not have wanted it any other was." That is an achievement, isn’t it? And so I must say that is only possible in a family, that deserves to be called family. To experience something like that. You have to have such a family. And others probably didn't have the support that I had. So, I ? I am trying not to say how good I was, but I must say, my whole environment, the reason is my family, the Catholic youth movement and so on. which influenced my character. And naturally the principles we were taught at home. No question. So it isn’t my personal merit.