Hallo Frau Nölke,

although I am considerably older than yourself, your story and that of your mother whose first name I share are surprisingly similar to mine: bombs and air-raid shelters, in my case in Siegen not that far from Düsseldorf, scarlet fever and diphtheria, 7 years old in 1945, relatives in East Germany, one relative a “Spätheimkehrer” after eight years as a prisoner of war in Russia, my enthusiasm for languages, studies in Germersheim to become an interpreter/translator, work in England and emigration to Canada in the sixties, 40 years in Ottawa (where I suppose you lived at some stage or perhaps still live). British translator husband worked for the Translation Bureau of the Federal Government, I freelanced most of the time and brought up three children. Retirement in Toronto to escape the terrible winters. Two children still in Ottawa whom we visit as often as possible.

I, too, remember “they lied to us”, but I am now going through feelings of betrayal and disappointment, because this time THE AMERICANS, one could even claim “most Anglo-Saxons” (see Brexit), lied to us when they preached democracy and freedom after the war and left us, even myself at age 7, with terrible feelings of guilt and being unworthy, having to repay something, make up for something, and with the urgent obligation to “make the world a better place”.

I even have a sneaking suspicion that you are making a similar connection. If this is the case, it would be absolutely fascinating to hear from you how you are dealing with this. I am shocked and very very angry and frightened. I am trying to get my German citizenship back which I lost when I became British (and later Canadian), hoping I have somewhere to escape to if, when, the assault and occupation from the South occurs. I HAVE LIVED IN AN OCCUPIED COUNTRY, which luckily was a relatively benign part of one, but I went on frequent trips to East Germany where most of my family lived, and the parallels are already showing up in the USA. I wish there was something practical for me to do, such as learning how to use a gun. I keep talking about and mentioning a “militia of angry grandmothers”, and I am only half joking. I find other older women agreeing with me. We would be the most likely to be made to suffer under a Trump regime of sadistic misogynists, equalled by the plight of our granddaughters.

I shall keep following you, and who knows, I might bump into you one day, maybe even in Ottawa. Thank you so much for telling your story and touching a chord. So many similarities!

Grüße,

Inge Jordan