This might be kind of off topic in some spots, but my family thinks it's my Grandfather's plea to the post-WWII German government to look for his family. His picture is in the "Photographs" section:
Ich wurde als neuntes Kind des Gaertners Matthias Schneider un seiner Ehefrau Margarete Schneider geb. Henzel, am 2. Mai 1906 in Leikwitz Rumaenien, damals zu Oesterreich - Ungarn gehoerend, geboren. Ich bescuhte die deutsche Volksschule in der Gemeinde Schag. Meine Vorfahren waren unter der Kaiserin Maria - Theresia aus dem Westen des damaligen deutschen Reiches ausgewandert und wurden in der Provinz Banat, die der Reichskammer in Wien unmittelbar unterstellt war, angesiedelt. Ich erlernte das Schumacherhandwerk in Schag und arbeitete als Geselle seit 1924 in Hermannstadt. Dort heiratete ich und aus dieser Ehe gingen 6 Kinder hervor. Zwei Toechter sind heute verheiratet und haben die deutsche Staatsangehoerigkeit. Sie leben in der Bundesrepublik und zwar in Hameln/Weser. Ein Sohn ist in Nehren/Stuttgart verheiratet und hat auch die deutsche Staatsangehoerigkeit; zwei Soehne leben als deutsche Staatsangehoerige in Kanada. Das 6 Kind, eine Tochter, ist auf der Flucht von Rumaenien nach Deutschland im Jahre 1945 gestorben. Im Jahre 1937 fing ich von Hermannstadt nach Temesburg zurueck un arbeitete dort in einer Schuhfabrik. Im Jahre 1940 starb meine 1. Ehefrau.
Im Jahre 1943 wurde ich auf Grund des Abkommens zwischen der damaligen Reichsregierung und der koenigl. Rumaenischen Regierung zur deutschen Wehrmacht einberufen und der Polizei unterstellt. Ich bekam in Den Haag (Holland) eine deutsche Polizeiausbildung un blieb dort bis Aug 1943. Danach wurde ich als Polizeiersatzkraftfahrer in Iglau in Boehmen eingesetzt. Im Okt. 1943 wurde ich zur Polizei-Nachschubkolonne (B.D.O.) als Draftfahrer nach Italien versetzt wo ich bis zum Krigsende am 2.5.45 verblieb. Ich kam in amerikanische Gefangenschaft, wurde dann von den Amerikanern als Kraftfahrer in Meran (Suedtirol) beschaeftigt. Am 28.7.45 heiratete ich meine jetzige Ehefrau, geb. Luise Kessler, mit der ich zwei Kinder habe. Meine Ehefrau stammt aus einer Volksdeutschen Suedtiroler Familie und verlor durch die Heirat ihre ital. Staatsangehoerigkeit. Im August 1945 meldete ich mich zur Entlassung, ich wollte nach Deutschland, um dort meine Kinder zu suchen. Statt der versprochenen Entlassung wurde ich aus Rosenheim in die franz. Gefangenschaft nach Metz ueberfuehrt. Von dort versuchte ich durch Flucht nach Deutschland zu entkommen, was mir aber nicht gelang. Beim 3 Versuch hatte ich Glueck zu entkommen und fluechtete nach Italien zu meiner Ehefrau. Sie wohnte in der Prov. Bozen (Lana). Bis 1949 arbeitete ich dort als Schuhmacher und bin dann nach Fondo gezogen um dort ein Schuhgeschaeft zu uebernehmen, dass wir noch heute betreiben. 1952 habe ich das Haus gekauft un ist unser Eigentum. Ich lebe mit meiner Familie in gesicherten Verhaeltnisse. Mein einziger Wunsch ware nur, die deutsche Staatsangehoerigkit zu bekommen, da ich, wir auch meine Ehefrau deutscher Abstammung sind. Durch meine Einberufung zur deutschen Wehrmacht ist es mir nicht mehr moeglich gewesen nach Rumaenien zurueck zu gehen und habe da durch meine Heimat verloren. Waere ich nach Kriegende nach Rumaenien gegangen, waere ich mit Sicherheit, genau so wie es anderen Volksdeutschen ergangen ist, nach Russland deportiert worden und haette meine Angehoerigen nicht wiedergesehen. Aus diesen Grunden, bitte ich das Konsulat, mich als Heimatvertriebenen anzuerkennen und bitte gleichzeitig, mir die deutsche Staatszugehoerigkeit zu geben, da ich sonst Staatenlos sein wuerde. Fuer Ihre Bemuehung danke ich im voraus,
mit hochachtung
Ferdinand Schneider
Ferdinand Schneider's "Lebenslauf"
Moderator: John W. Howard
Hi
here goes:
I was born as the 9th child of the gardner Maathias Schneider and his wife Margarete Schneider (née Henzel) on 2 MAy 1906 in Leikowitz Romania, then part of Austro-Hungary. I attended the German Volksschule in the Schag district. My ancestors had emigrated under Maria-Theresa from the west of the former German empire and had settled in the province fo Banat which was then under Vienna. I learned the cobbler's trade in Schaga and was apprenticed in Hermannstadt from 1924.
Gotta go, maybe more later if no-one eklse finishes it off.
Cheers
here goes:
I was born as the 9th child of the gardner Maathias Schneider and his wife Margarete Schneider (née Henzel) on 2 MAy 1906 in Leikowitz Romania, then part of Austro-Hungary. I attended the German Volksschule in the Schag district. My ancestors had emigrated under Maria-Theresa from the west of the former German empire and had settled in the province fo Banat which was then under Vienna. I learned the cobbler's trade in Schaga and was apprenticed in Hermannstadt from 1924.
Gotta go, maybe more later if no-one eklse finishes it off.
Cheers
Regards
Howard
Howard
The document is Ferdinand's curriculum vitae, which he sent in to ask to be given German citizenship.
Both Ferdinand and his wife are Volksdeutsche. In 1937 he went to Temesburg (Romania) to work in a factory and was then drafted into the Wehrmacht where he was trained as a policeman. After the war, in 1945, he married his second wife, Luise, who is a Volksdeutsche from northern Italy. He wishes to get German citizenship because both him and his wife are Volksdeutsche, and he is not able to return to Rumania and is therefore without a country.
That's the gist of it, anyway.
Both Ferdinand and his wife are Volksdeutsche. In 1937 he went to Temesburg (Romania) to work in a factory and was then drafted into the Wehrmacht where he was trained as a policeman. After the war, in 1945, he married his second wife, Luise, who is a Volksdeutsche from northern Italy. He wishes to get German citizenship because both him and his wife are Volksdeutsche, and he is not able to return to Rumania and is therefore without a country.
That's the gist of it, anyway.
Re: Ferdinand Schneider's "Lebenslauf"
Hi SchneiderSchneider wrote: Beim 3 Versuch hatte ich Glueck zu entkommen und fluechtete nach Italien zu meiner Ehefrau. Sie wohnte in der Prov. Bozen (Lana).
Thanks for the CV of your grandfather. It was interessting to read for me.
Your grandfather managed to flee from a French POW-camp and came back to his (second) wife to Italy. At this time she lived in Lana (http://www.exinet.com/lana/)(southwest of Meran/Merano).
Lana is a lovely village in Südtirol. I have been there last year and about 8 years ago and liked it very much.
http://www.panzergrenadierregiment63.de.vu
http://www.3ss.totenkopf.de.vu
Die Dummheit des Menschen und das Universum sind unendlich; wobei ich mir beim Universum nicht ganz sicher bin! (Albert Einstein)
http://www.3ss.totenkopf.de.vu
Die Dummheit des Menschen und das Universum sind unendlich; wobei ich mir beim Universum nicht ganz sicher bin! (Albert Einstein)
2 things:
What does he mean by "Polizei-Nachschubkolonne (B.D.O.)"? That's not the Bund-Deutscher-Offiziere, is it? Also, does it say he was captured by an American unit, or he worked with the Americans before being placed in the camp in Meran? I already tried translating with Babelfish, and I already got the gist of it, but I was looking for more detail.
What does he mean by "Polizei-Nachschubkolonne (B.D.O.)"? That's not the Bund-Deutscher-Offiziere, is it? Also, does it say he was captured by an American unit, or he worked with the Americans before being placed in the camp in Meran? I already tried translating with Babelfish, and I already got the gist of it, but I was looking for more detail.
Hi Schneider,
been offline all week-end with PC problems but here's the rest of the translation for you, maybe it'll help, hope so:
I got married there and there were six children from this marriage. Today two daughters are married and have German citizenship. They live in the Federal Republic in Hamelin on the Weser. One son is married in Nehren/Stuttgart and also has German citizenship; two sons have German nationality and live in Canada. The sixth child, a daughter, died in 1945 in the flight from Romania to Germany. In 1937 I left Hermannstadt and went back to Temesburg and worked there in a shoe factory. My first wife died in 1940.
In 1943 I was drafted into the German Army (police) as a result of the agreement between the then government of the Reich and the royal Romanian government. I received German police training in The Hague (Holland) and remained there until August 1943. I was then sent to Iglau in Bohemia as apolice reserve driver. In October 1943 I was transferred to Italy as a driver (?) in the police logistics unit and remained there until the end of the war on 2 May 1945. I was captured by the Americans and employed by them as a driver in Merano ( South Tyrol) On 28 July 1945 I married my present wife, née Luise Kessler, with whom I have two children. My wife is from an ethnic German family in South Tyrol and lost her Italian citizenship when she married me. In August 1945 I applied for a discharge, I wanted to go back to Germany to look for my children. Instead of the promised discharge I was taken from Rosenheim to French captivity in Metz. I tried to flee to Germany from here but I was unsuccessful. On the thirs attempt I was lucky enough to succeed and fled back to my wife inItaly. She was living in the province of Bozen/(Bolzano) (Lana). I worked there as a shoemaker(cobbler) until 1949 then moved to Fondo to take over the shoe business that we still run today. In 1952 I bought the house and it belongs to us. I live securely with my family. My only wish is to have German citizenship, as I and my wife are of German origin. As I was drafted into the Wehrmacht it is no longer possible for me to go back to Romania and I have lost my home there. Had I returned to Romania at the end of the war I would certainly, like so many other ethnic Germans, have been deported to Russia and would never have seen my relatives. For these reasons I request the Consulate to recognise me 'homeless' and at the same time to grant me German citizenship, otherwise I shall be stateless.
Thank you in advance.
Yors
Ferdinand Schneider
Hope this clears some things for you, although I still have worked out what BDO is. If I do, I'll let you know, but maybe someone else will know.
been offline all week-end with PC problems but here's the rest of the translation for you, maybe it'll help, hope so:
I got married there and there were six children from this marriage. Today two daughters are married and have German citizenship. They live in the Federal Republic in Hamelin on the Weser. One son is married in Nehren/Stuttgart and also has German citizenship; two sons have German nationality and live in Canada. The sixth child, a daughter, died in 1945 in the flight from Romania to Germany. In 1937 I left Hermannstadt and went back to Temesburg and worked there in a shoe factory. My first wife died in 1940.
In 1943 I was drafted into the German Army (police) as a result of the agreement between the then government of the Reich and the royal Romanian government. I received German police training in The Hague (Holland) and remained there until August 1943. I was then sent to Iglau in Bohemia as apolice reserve driver. In October 1943 I was transferred to Italy as a driver (?) in the police logistics unit and remained there until the end of the war on 2 May 1945. I was captured by the Americans and employed by them as a driver in Merano ( South Tyrol) On 28 July 1945 I married my present wife, née Luise Kessler, with whom I have two children. My wife is from an ethnic German family in South Tyrol and lost her Italian citizenship when she married me. In August 1945 I applied for a discharge, I wanted to go back to Germany to look for my children. Instead of the promised discharge I was taken from Rosenheim to French captivity in Metz. I tried to flee to Germany from here but I was unsuccessful. On the thirs attempt I was lucky enough to succeed and fled back to my wife inItaly. She was living in the province of Bozen/(Bolzano) (Lana). I worked there as a shoemaker(cobbler) until 1949 then moved to Fondo to take over the shoe business that we still run today. In 1952 I bought the house and it belongs to us. I live securely with my family. My only wish is to have German citizenship, as I and my wife are of German origin. As I was drafted into the Wehrmacht it is no longer possible for me to go back to Romania and I have lost my home there. Had I returned to Romania at the end of the war I would certainly, like so many other ethnic Germans, have been deported to Russia and would never have seen my relatives. For these reasons I request the Consulate to recognise me 'homeless' and at the same time to grant me German citizenship, otherwise I shall be stateless.
Thank you in advance.
Yors
Ferdinand Schneider
Hope this clears some things for you, although I still have worked out what BDO is. If I do, I'll let you know, but maybe someone else will know.
Regards
Howard
Howard