SERIALS FROM PAST ISSUES
RADZIA, AMERICAN PRISONER
IN NAZI-OCCUPIED POLAND
by Radzia Niewiarowski
Distributed by the Polonia Media Network - Copyright 1990 AngloPol Corporation
Born and educated in America, Radzia accompanied her parents upon their
return to Poland. There she marries a Polish Army officer and has two daughters,
Irene and Dana. Although her comfortable villa in Torun was not damaged by
bombing at the start of WW II, it has been taken over by a Volksdeutscher, a
Pole of German descent. Likewise, the Germans have confiscated her mother's
considerable real estate and bank accounts. She, the children, her mother and
her aunt are being allowed to live in the basement of the villa. Her husband,
Edmund, is a prisoner of war.
Chapter 12
In the meantime, the villa upstairs was occupied by a displaced German and
his family from Germany. (He was a member of the brown- shirted militia, S.A.,
which means Sturm Abteilung or Storm Troops.)
This S.A. official, his wife and eight children now lived in our home. Five
of the children belonged to the German Youth Organization. They wore the red
armband with the black swastika.
The family was called the Macks ... originally Mackowski, of Polish parentage
living in Germany. [This also qualified as a Volksdeutscher.]
When they were settled, my mother had two good ideas. She mentioned that she
had an attic full of furniture, which, if he were willing, he could place in his
present home. "I trust you will take good care of it."
He nodded.
We hoped for victory; he also had the same desire.
"If you would agree to purchase all the furniture, and all other items
in the attic, so much the better." He hesitated. Then mother presented
another proposition. "If you don't want to invest in the furniture, how
about my giving you a list of the units? Also, I would give you a receipt to the
effect you bought these articles, making it a fictitious sale."
Mack quickly agreed. He was happy over the deal, which cost him nothing. He
was now the proud owner of a grand piano, a dining room suite ... everything,
including rungs and paintings. All this for a piece of paper with the words,
"Sold to Mr. Mack by B.J., May 3, 1940."
Somehow I felt I was going to be the winner in this war, so with faith in the
future, I accepted my loss. The furniture was mine. But my mother was the
matriarch, so she made the decisions.
Mack immediately removed everything from the garret and arranged the rugs,
furniture and all else in place. In a few days they were living comfortably in
my former home.
We occupied the basement flat. My heart was very heavy to be deprived of
everything so personal and beautiful.
Not many days later, Mrs. Mack invited my mother and me to see how she placed
our belongings.
My mother scanned the walls. They were all blank. "Where do you have the
paintings?" she asked in surprise.
"Oh, they're in the sun parlor. My husband hasn't time to hang them, but
we'll get to them shortly."
Mother knew the value of the paintings: "It's hot there, and dry. That's
not good for the paintings."
"Yes, I know, but we don't know where to store them."
"Well, how about letting me keep them in the cellar. It's cool there and
they won't dry up."
"Yes, you can take them."
Delighted to have them again in our possession, we attacked them in a cool
and dry nook.
It wasn't long when we heard a great commotion upstairs. Mr. Mack was home
for lunch. His wife related the story of the removal of the paintings. We could
hear the angry words.
"Why did you let her take the paintings down to the basement? Don't you
know we paid for them and they are ours?"
"Well, in fact, we didn't." His wife's voice. "We just gave
them a receipt for them. That is not the same as paying."
"Don't you ever do anything again without first checking with me."
He left, slamming the door, not waiting for lunch.
They never came for the pictures. No doubt they felt they were as safe as
anywhere.
As Mother and I listened to the conversation, we shuddered at the thought of
what would happen to us if the Germans won the war.
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