At Christmas time 1993 it became known that another trip to our East Pomeranian homeland was planned for June 4–11, 1994.
I very much wanted to go “home” once again. One weighs the options – will health allow it? / but fortune favors the brave! – and so I signed up, and I have not regretted it!
We set off in Braunschweig-Timmerlah with Rudi Dorow, and at the last stop before Stettin, Anita, née Laude, and her husband joined us. The journey went well, and the mood on the bus was cheerful – thanks in part to the obligatory little schnapps.
Then at last the border station. After two hours of waiting, we had made it through. Money was exchanged, and suddenly we were millionaires in Złoty!
Now we were in Pomerania.
„ERST WENN DU IN DER FERNE BIST, SIEHST DU, WIE SCHÖN DIE HEIMAT IST!“*
Pomeranian Song
*”Only when you are far away, you realize how beautiful your homeland is!”
Beyond Stettin, a few roadside stands with garden gnomes and life-sized storks appeared, but our true destination was our hotel in Bad Polzin.
The friendly, blossoming landscape – yellow broom and blue-violet lupines alternating with cultivated fields and fallow land – was dressed in its green summer gown.
In Bad Polzin we arrived late because of the wait at the border, but our hot dinner was waiting for us. We will say no more about the shortcomings of the house, nor about the little mouse that nibbled Norma’s chocolate.
On June 5 the journey to Groß Krössin was on the program. We wanted to walk into the village from the forestry house, but first we drove to Villnow station, which was as clean as it had been in our time. Then on to the forestry house, and from there we walked – sometimes with detours and in small groups – into the village.
I wanted to go to the cemetery. The left side has not yet been used again. There my grandmother Ida Hackbarth, née Venzke, found her final resting place. She had passed away on June 5, 1926 – exactly 68 years to the day earlier. A brief moment of remembrance, though I never knew her, as I was only born on June 12, 1926. The old wrought-iron cross was still there!
Gisela, née Wruck, took many photographs in the village.
We walked past our old and new sports field and all gathered at the school. The headmaster was friendly and allowed us to visit once more.
Our Busenberg is now fenced in; so sledding in winter is no longer possible.
At 3 p.m. we were invited once again by the women of the village for coffee and cake. Beforehand, Marian, the interpreter from Krosino, welcomed each of us with two hard-boiled eggs. It was a beautiful, harmonious Sunday!
At 7 p.m. another delicious dinner awaited us back at the hotel.
Every day was excellently planned by Rudi Dorow.
Never would I have thought to stand once again in front of the town hall in Neustettin, to see Friedrichstraße leading down to Kietz station. We also walked a little along Lake Streitzig; the grounds are well-kept and inviting.
On the way back to the bus, we passed a bakery. Liebesknochen (éclair) were bought – a delightful pastry, bringing back memories of childhood.
The hours in Leba were wonderful. We strolled along the Baltic Sea, where a strong wind was blowing. The way back was calmer, leading through a pine forest on the dunes – truly magnificent!
And again, a bakery offered pastries reminiscent of our childhood. For lunch we treated ourselves to Baltic salmon with salad.
On Tuesday we had a city stroll through Belgard, past St. Mary’s Church, where a Mass was being read and which was therefore not open to visitors. The High Gate from the 14th century greeted us.
We wandered down to the station and then continued on to Groß Tychow, where lunch had been ordered for us. Afterwards we walked to the glacial boulder (circumference 44 m, 4 m above ground, 6 m below) – impressive and worth seeing! (At the cemetery in Groß Tychow).
For our health, a hike later took us from there to Villnow – about one and a half hours through the forest to the road toward Gramenz.
How wonderful the forest air is in the woods of our old homeland. Toward the end, the mosquitoes grew bothersome, but the bus was already waiting.
Wednesday’s destination was Köslin – a beautiful city! Around the marketplace, many shops with fine displays. We strolled through the gardens and heard music and children’s laughter from the pavilion. The schools were presenting a performance on the theme of The Four Seasons. The Snow Queen was just then driving away winter. Even if the music was foreign and loud, we enjoyed it – especially the children’s ballet and their charming costumes.
In a restaurant already familiar from earlier days, we had trout with side dishes – a feast for the eyes and a delight for the palate!
Afterwards we drove to Kolberg: a visit to the cathedral, and then a walk along the beach promenade to the harbor and to our Persante, with a cappuccino in a hotel.
By Thursday we were bound for the holiday resort in Tempelburg. But the weather was so changeable that we abandoned the plan and returned to our hotel in Bad Polzin. There we visited the spa gardens and took a stroll through the town.
Friday was the last day. We drove to Zülkenhagen. Our senior member, Mrs. Venzke (82), dearly wished to see her dairy once more. In between we strolled through the village and visited the cemetery.
Here too, as in so many other places, the old names had been made illegible with cement. On one stone, however, still clearly visible, was inscribed a Bible verse from Revelation 2:10: “Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life” (originally inscribed in German). Did people have respect for that?
Our next stop was Döbel. At Friedrich’s fish smokehouse, everyone stocked up for home. We picked up the pre-ordered trout and walked back through the forest to Groß Krössin. Along the way we found June beetles in the rye.
The women of Groß Krössin wished to invite us for coffee once more and had already prepared bread and coffee. And so we feasted together again at the firehouse – this time with freshly smoked trout!
To conclude our homeland journey, we took a walk through the village.
It truly looks sad; decay is visible everywhere, and now 33 houses are already gone.
Then came the time to bid farewell to Groß Krössin.
We greeted once more the sadly overgrown Persante and our beautiful pine forest! Who knows whether there will ever be another reunion?
„BIST JA DOCH DAS EINE AUF DER GANZEN WELT, KANNST JA DOCH VON ALLEN; DIE ICH JE GESEHEN, MIR ALLEIN GEFALLEN, POMMERLAND SO SCHÖN!“*
Pomeranian Song
*”You are the one and only in the whole world, of all that I have ever seen, only you delight me, beautiful Pomerania!”
With heavy hearts we began the journey home on Saturday, June 11, 1994. Everyone returned safe and sound.
It was an unforgettable, beautiful week in Pomerania!
Ilse Großmann, née Hackbarth, was born on June 12, 1926 in the Sandmühle near Groß Krössin and lived until 1938 on the estate of Karlshöh. Her first school years were in Villnow, later in Groß Krössin. After the flight she lived with her parents in Schleswig-Holstein, before moving on to Münsterland.
In 2014 Ilse, née Hackbarth, passed away at nearly 88 years of age. According to her wish, she was laid to rest in the Bay of Pomerania near Swinemünde.
