Happy Birthday: My Opa's Story

My Opa (my mother's father) was born on this day, April 23 in 1911.  I wish I could talk to him now - as the middle-aged adult that I am - and ask him about all the details that I want to know that never occurred to me as a child, when I spent over 2 months with him each summer.

I am thankful I have memories, and I am glad my mother can still share many things she knows and remembers about her father ... but I am still curious about him as a young man.  I know a few basics:  he was born near Frankfurt, Germany, the oldest of 7 children.

The earliest picture I have of my Opa is from his confirmation, which happened at age 13 or 14 in German Lutheran churches.  So I am guessing this photo is from 1924 or 25:

I don't know much about my Opa's formal schooling or any training.  From pictures of him and knowing the history of Germany from the time, I assume he joined the German National Work Service called Reichsarbeitsdienst (RAD).  Starting in 1935, it was mandatory for men ages 18 to 25 to serve at least 6 months in the RAD.  It was intended to instill an appreciation for hard work into the youth and to combat unemployment.  My Opa was stationed in Poland in 1936 because that is the date on the back of this picture of him (on the right) with a comrade.  

Here is where I don't know all the details ... I am assuming my Opa remained in the RAD because he always said he was on a labor force during the war - and I have this picture of him on his horse (Hansi) that is dated 1939/Poland:

The RAD played an important role in Hitler's plan to invade Poland.  These construction troops built roads, cleared obstacles, dug ditches, and created fortifications; they also kept the supplies running smoothly to the front lines.  They were not combat troops ... at least not until the very end months of the war in 1945 when some RAD units were trained for the infantry and as anti-tank units.  For most of the war, the RAD remained an independent, support force.  My Opa spent a short time as a prisoner of war, but again, all the details are somewhat uncertain as to the time line.

The female version of the RAD was called the RADwJ (Reichsarbeitsdienst weiblichen Jugend / National Work Service for Young Women).  I am assuming that is what my Oma was a part of in her home of East Prussia, and how she met my Opa.   The RADwJ provided support for farming communities with domestic help or teaching school initially before World War II.  After September 1939, it also became mandatory for young women between the ages 20-25 to service for at least 6 months; girls who served longer were then honored and paid as employees.  Eventually, these young ladies also began to fill the jobs the men had left behind at factories and ammunition plants as well as serving in hospitals, postal services, being conductresses on trains and public transport, and many other now-vacant positions.

Back to my Opa:  after the war, the family first had to find each other again - my Oma having fled her home in East Prussia from the Russians with her little boy (my uncle) in tow.  Finding jobs, housing, and making a life in war-ravaged Frankfurt was the next step.  Thankfully by the late 1950's, times were easier:

My Opa with my mother, ca Summer 1959

By the time I was born in the earliest of the 1970s, my Opa had retired medically due to a bad heart, but was still so very full of life and fun:

My Opa and grandmother from my father's side admiring me as a baby, Christmas 1970

As my often babysitter and later who I spent my summers with, my grandparents became a huge part of my childhood.  My Opa in particular enjoyed being outdoors and had a little "garden," which we could escape to, not far from their apartment.  We took long walks, rode bicycles, wandered through the near-by Taunus Mountains.  My Opa told me stories, read to me, and sang his favorite marching songs (probably military cadences).  

My Opa loved to travel, and most summers, he planned for us to go by train to at least one city or sight or relatives' home further away.  Occasionally, he'd come to the States and spend a few weeks with us as well.  

In the Summer of 1986, early July to be exact, my Oma, Opa, and I traveled to the city of Köln (Cologne) for a little getaway; we also had a friend to visit there.  After going to the famous cathedral in Köln, we headed to the train station to catch our train back to Frankfurt.  We ended up on the wrong train platform and had to hurry across the station to another to get the correct train.  On that platform, my Opa reached over to touch my Oma's arm and collapsed.  He had his third (and fatal) heart attack there on that train platform.  Medical personnel came to help immediately, of course, but he was never revived.  Sadly, my Opa passed away that day ... but I like to think he died while doing what he loved with people around him that he loved (and we loved him so very much).  I will never forget that day, and though that was almost 33 years ago, I still miss my Opa often and am thankful that I had 15 years to spend with him.  

Happy 108th Birthday, Opa!

PS You can read my Oma's Story by clicking HERE:  My Oma's Story