Brief report on my first visit to the Neustettin region
and Groß Krössin since 1945
12–16 May 2010
1.
Departure:
Departure from Timmerlah by FUMU coach began on 12 May at around 8 a.m. Our driver was called Sergej and traveled without an assistant. Some of the visitors joined in Timmerlah, others boarded at Berlin ZOB and at an arranged motorway service area. In total there were 37 of us.
2.
Re-acquainting ourselves:
Slowly and steadily we introduced ourselves by name; Anna (Herzog) was very helpful with this. The joy of meeting again after 1945 was overwhelming.
Remembering what people looked like as children and comparing that with their appearance today was a pleasant surprise. We also recalled where the expelled families had settled in Germany and elsewhere in the world. Lively conversations during the journey sparked memories of the past. One could picture it like a jigsaw puzzle in which pieces — or gaps in memory — were filled in by the participants.
Topics discussed included:
- The expulsion from Groß-Krössin in the winter of 1945.
- The march on foot to Gramenz.
- Loading into freight wagons.
- We did not know whether we were headed east or west.
- Thank God it was to the west.
- Arrival at the Stettiner Bahnhof — I will never forget what I saw there.
The many frozen corpses laid out or stacked on the platform!
3.
Memories of Groß-Krössin
While travelling and looking at the surrounding countryside and the distance, I repeatedly tried to visualise my memories.
- The place where we lived.
- The position of the streets.
- The houses.
- The harvest seasons.
- The fields.
- Us children and our parents.
- The games.
- Singing and making music.
- School outings.
- Much more — and what awaited me there today.
4.
The drive towards Berlin, Stettin, Stargard and Bad Polzin:
Of course I was very curious about the landscapes we saw today — the different regions, countries, motorways, roads as well as the villages, towns and their surroundings. The differences along our route were striking.
- Well-developed roads in western Germany.
- The incomparable views in the eastern part of Germany.
- Very different conditions after entering Stettin in Poland.
- Unploughed fields.
- Districts, villages and houses in need of renovation.
- Many properties and facilities are in a state of decay.
- However, it was noticeable that the closer one came to towns and villages, the more fields were cultivated.
5.
Other observations along the motorways and roads:
The motorway we travelled in Poland was passable, only in places still under construction, with restrictions (Note from Herzog: expansion possible with EU funds).
- Few vehicles on the road — traffic density different from the western part of Europe.
- Consequently fewer service stations and visitors.
- Supplies also limited.
- Staff at exchange offices and service areas not especially friendly.
- No wind turbine generators visible in the landscape.
- Industrial facilities were very rare to spot.
6.
Our arrival at the Hotel Polanin in Bad Polzin at about 5:30 p.m.
The hotel has a good location. Plenty of open space in front of the property with attractive trees. A pleasant view and an inviting atmosphere.
About the hotel itself:
- A nice entrance and a generously designed lobby suitable for many occasions.
- Reception furnishings practical and clearly visible. Staffed as needed.
- The apartments/rooms follow a standard layout and are practical.
- The beds are clean and comfortable.
- The bathrooms are practical and hygienically equipped.
- Daily room service is efficient.
Dinner was served at around 7 p.m.
- A large, nicely arranged dining hall.
- Good seating and table settings.
- Tables were laid with attractive china and decorated with fresh flowers.
- Dinner was served promptly.
- Portions were generous, well-cooked, attractively presented and appetising.
- The serving staff — young women — were well dressed and groomed and provided competent service, though unfortunately not very friendly.
- This may, however, be down to the culture of the people who live there today.
- The next morning’s breakfast was a buffet, centrally arranged on a large table with a wide variety of delicacies, hot and cold dishes and a good selection of fruit. One could say it was excellent and a feast for the eyes. Refills were no problem.
7.
About the town of Bad Polzin:
A short walk through the spa park, the main street and side streets gave me the following impression:
- The spa park is nicely laid out and well kept, as are the houses belonging to it. The houses are actively managed. In the evening we were shown a video presentation about the services offered there.
- The main street, with beautiful Art-Deco houses/facades, is decaying — renovation is urgently needed.
- The shops on the main street sell interesting goods, typical of town centres.
- I saw few friendly faces.
- People in shops and pedestrians spoke little or no German. Communication in English was easy.
8.
Visit to Groß-Krössin on 13 May:
The coach journey to Groß-Krössin led along pleasant chaussées, through woods and countryside almost as I remembered them.
As we approached the village I was full of anticipation and emotionally moved. During several walks and observations through the village I realised that what I had left as a thirteen-year-old in the winter of 1945 had changed greatly. My memory of the place, though marked by wartime events, had been of a thriving and active community.
My findings about the present condition of houses, roads, altered property boundaries and houses that no longer exist were not what I had imagined. It was a sad and oppressive sight for me. Here are a few examples of how I felt:
- Our house, Michaelis/Pommerening, though still standing, has a changed façade/shape and is in a miserable state — this applies to the whole property.
- Stables behind the house are no longer in use and are falling apart.
- The wooden carriage house that was attached to the stables no longer exists.
- Our neighbour on the left, the Fritz Ewald family (wheelwright/cartwright) — house, workshop and barn — no longer exist. There is no trace that these premises ever stood there.
- The row of houses behind the Ewald family has entirely disappeared.
- The house of my best friend Hubert Kroll, about 100 m further towards Gramenz, is no longer there. No sign that a property ever stood there.
General remarks about the village of Groß-Krössin
- Remaining houses, and especially the roofs, are in need of renovation. Roofs are covered with several centimetres of moss and one gets the impression they are watertight only by chance. There are no gutters.
- The mill pond and surrounding area have been so changed that I did not recognise them.
- The place where the mill once stood is completely changed.
- The Persante bridge has been rebuilt.
- Due to tree growth there is no longer a clear view into the river valley.
- The water was murky; I remember it as clear, where in the shallower areas one could admire the beautiful aquatic plants in the flowing water.
- Where the open, sandy bathing area once was, there is now a wooden platform over marshy ground. The murky water is not inviting for swimming.
- The present inhabitants of the village Krosino appear to live very modestly because of the economic situation.
- Most of the residents we met were friendly. German is little understood.
- The community today appears to be predominantly Catholic.
- The cemetery was well kept and colourful with flowers.
- There are no longer any German graves.
- The Balfanz manor is also badly damaged. The grounds are unrecognisable.
9.
Visit to Neustettin, 14 May
As with the drive to Bad Polzin, we passed remarkable avenues (chausées, as they used to be called), woods and countryside with beautiful lakes.
- Again it was noticeable that the closer we came to the town, the more the fields were cultivated.
- Few industrial facilities were visible from the road.
- Here and there stork nests on chimneys or similar structures on roofs — some occupied, some not.
- Wildlife was rare, though we saw hares more often. Grazing livestock was also very rare.
- Many isolated farms/properties are falling into ruin.
About Neustettin:
- Many beautiful old Art-Nouveau villas, a large proportion of which are in urgent need of renovation. Efforts in this regard are obviously under way.
- Larger municipal public buildings, such as the town hall, churches and facilities, have been restored to something of their former glory.
- The main shopping street and market square are occupied by attractive modern shops and cafés.
- The town’s location on Streitzig Lake is uniquely beautiful.
- People in the shops were open, approachable and helpful. Communication in German or English was not a problem.
- The air on the day of our visit was not particularly good.
- Unfortunately there was not enough time to see all the sights.
- On the return journey to Bad Polzin we often encountered large transports of logs. It is always admirable how our driver Sergej manoeuvred past them without a scratch on the narrow and often uneven roads while the bus swayed.
- On the return journey one could see, close to the road, larger facilities for firewood processing, where on large sites many wire containers were filled with split small wood.
- This may also be one reason why, when larger amounts of wood are burned for cooking or heating in concentrated settlements such as villages or towns, the air becomes heavily polluted.
10.
Drive to Henkenhagen and on to Kolberg, 15 May
The journey went via Köslin with a short pause in Henkenhagen.
About Henkenhagen:
- As a coastal town everything was clean and presented in a friendly manner.
- Houses and gardens well maintained.
- A nice sandy beach.
- Beach cafés with tasty offerings and shops of various kinds in the usual manner of a coastal resort town.
- We met holidaymakers from other countries, a sign of its popularity.
- It is worth noting that the landscape, the farther east one drove, changed from the hilly, wooded countryside of our Neustettin region to more open flat land.
11.
Onwards to Kolberg at about 2:30 p.m.
About Kolberg city centre:
- Wide, well-kept streets.
- Department stores and boutiques in a western style.
- Offerings of renowned brands of top quality.
- Well-decorated shop windows.
- Coffee houses and an ambience in a western style.
- A solid banking presence.
- Beautiful buildings from different eras.
- Service staff generally very friendly.
- A magnificent town hall in red brick, apparently spared from war damage. It is a gem.
- We encountered many visitors from different countries — an international audience and atmosphere.
We stayed two hours in Kolberg. In that time we unfortunately could not visit all the sights. On a future visit we will try to continue exploring.
I have tried here to give a summary of the five travel days in which I saw and experienced a great deal. I will certainly think of things afterwards that I might have added. I would also like to take this opportunity to express my heartfelt thanks to:
Anna Herzog and Rudi Dorow for their good care and for always doing their best to meet our wishes.
We would especially like to thank our son Bernard for his research and efforts that made this trip possible. The many contacts made via the Internet with Anna and others, and the planning of the group trip in 2010, were the decisive reason for our participation. Meeting up with people from Groß-Krössin and the joint visit by coach was a particular joy.
Many thanks also to Sergej, who provided us with drinks, sausages and other snacks on the way. He always knew where and when a break should be taken. His safe driving was very reassuring and indispensable.
Many warm thanks again to Anita, née Laude, and her husband as well as to Edith Lübke, who made the special trip to Bad Polzin/Groß-Krössin so that we could see each other again and embrace after 65 years. We had so much to tell one another.
I very much look forward to our meeting and journey to the Neustettin region from 22.05.–28.05.2011.
Walter Michaelis