The Jew

The Jew1

“Juden! Juden! Juden stinker!” The cries grew louder as Natalie approached, the mob swarmed around her like bees to honey. Only Hana stood watching. “Jude Mädchen, Natalie ist ein Jude Mädchen!” they chanted laughing.2

Finally, much to the taunting crowds delight, Natalie broke free and ran, tears streaming down her face. Hana stood there unsure what to do, was she supposed to feel sorry for Natalie? 3

Before long though, she was deep in conversation with her friend Suze, who wanted to know why Hana hadn’t joined in the ‘fun’ as she’d called it. Hana shifted uncomfortably ‘I guess I felt a little sorry for her…’ she muttered ashamed. Her friend sighed impatiently “Hana she’s a Jew a dirty little Jew remember?”4

“Who says Jews are dirty?” Hana wondered aloud. Her question seemed surprisingly childish for a thirteen year old, Suze thought.5

“Everyone; Mum, Dad, Hitler... they’re stealing our jobs, taking our money robbing our banks, cheating us out of what is ours …” she trailed off. 6

“But, but, Hana faltered surely, surely Natalie’s never done any of those things?”7

“Of course not, but I’ll bet her parents have; that’s not the point anyway. I don’t know what you’re so bothered about Hana; after all it was just a bit of harmless fun wasn’t it?”8

The signs were everywhere: ‘No Jews’ ‘Jews banned’ Shops, Pubs theatre’s cinema’s, clubs. There were new laws too:9

Jews banned from owning businesses10

Jews banned from cinemas theatres concerts, circuses e.t.c11

Jews denied the right to German citizenship12

Jews had to attend Jewish schools.13

Mixed marriages between Germans and Jews or Gypsies banned.14

The list was endless. Strictly speaking Natalie should have been banned from Hana’s school a long time ago. Unfortunately though, there were no Jewish schools in the area, the nearest one being 20 miles away and Natalie’s parents couldn’t afford a private tutor, so the school had been forced to let Natalie stay on, for the time being anyway.15

It was a chilly November night when she heard them. She was lying awake in bed when she heard banging shouting, the stamping of feet, the smashing of glass, the screams of women and children. The noises were coming closer and closer they were getting nearer and nearer. Natalie shivered trembling with fear. Quickly she leapt out of bed and dashed to her parents’ room. She looked outside, in the distance she could see a fire burning, the air felt hot despite the icy November winds, it smelt, dusty and smoky the intense heat and the smell of smoke was so strong Natalie felt almost dizzy. Then came the pounding of feet, Natalie could hear men hammering on doors and guards shouting orders.16

Suddenly she heard the pounding louder than before, thump thump, thump, it was them this time, they were hammering on the shop-door downstairs. Natalie could hear Papa running down to open the door - too late. She heard the sound of breaking glass and guessed they’d smashed the front window of the shop open. She could hear raised voices, Mathias crying and Mama trying to comfort him. 17

She peeped over the banister they were charging around breaking anything in sight Mama’s best china…toys, books, crockery… to her horror she watched one of them upturn the huge grandfather clock which had always stood grandly in the hall. It fell with an almighty crash narrowly missing Papa, shards of glass flew everywhere one of them cutting Papa’s cheek and making it bleed. Petrified, she came half way downstairs to get a better look.18

‘Out of the way girl!’ Natalie was pushed roughly aside as they trampled upstairs she tripped fell and groped desperately at the banister before tumbling down the rest of the stairs and landing painfully on her ankle. The last thing she heard was a shout of protest a struggle and then silence.19

“Natalie, Natalie are you alright?”20

“My ankle, it hurts…”21

“I know, you had quite a nasty fall when they pushed you like that, here, let me look at it for you.”22

Natalie sat up stiffly and let Mama examine her ankle.23

“It’s alright, just a sprain, I’ll bandage it for you and you’ll have to try not to walk on it for a few days…”24

Natalie nodded and slowly looked about the toyshop, the porcelain dolls that had once stood proudly on shelves along one side of the wall, now lay broken on the floor their faces smashed and their eyes sunken into their heads. Pieces of model ships aeroplanes lay scattered about the floor. 25

The saddest sight of all was Dolphus, a grand rocking horse which had once been the shop’s pride and joy, he lay on his side, his golden mane limp and lifeless; his body lay cracked in two and the rockers had been wrenched off and thrown, it seemed, through the broken window.26

On top of it all lay the curtains which had been pulled down. The vast blue material seemed to cover everything as though it were a blanket of snow.27

She could scarcely take it in. Natalie was just on the point of wondering how on earth they would ever replace all the damage; when she remembered Papa.28

“Papa! She cried desperately Papa where is he?”29

“Sshhh Natalie; it was Mama, I’m afraid they’ve taken Papa…”30

“Where? Where have they taken him?”31

“We don’t know yet, we’ll just have to be patient and wait for news of him.”32

At that moment there was the sound of feet approaching and more guards appeared. Natalie, unsure what to do, ran, she kept on running as best she could, trying to find somewhere - anywhere to hide.33

Hana read about it in the papers the next morning ‘Kristallnacht’ it was called, meaning 'Crystal Night' or 'The night of broken glass.' as most people called it.34

Last night the (11th 35

of November). The 36

Nazi party launched 37

an anti-semitic 38

attack involving the 39

demolishing of homes,
shops and synagogues. 40

It is estimated that 41

around 30,000 Jews 42

were arrested and 43

sent to 44

concentration camps.45

Several members of 46

the public were 47

said to have joined48

in the attack.49

Hana was greatly upset by the news and felt sorry for Natalie whose father she knew owned a toyshop and she felt sure that Natalie had been affected in some way or another. 50

It was about mid-day when she found Natalie; she’d been to the toilet and heard a girl crying. She’d moved along the row of cubicles until she’d found the one at the end ajar, Natalie was sitting there sobbing as though her heart would break. She heard Hana approaching and looked up “What do you want?” she asked fearfully. 51

“I”, Hana paused; “I heard someone crying and came to see if they were alright, what’s the matter?” she asked, gently.52

Slowly, Natalie began to speak. She seemed desperate thought Hana; desperate to tell someone her troubles. She told Hana everything. Hana listened horrified as Natalie recounted her experience of Kristallnacht. She talked about how the shop had been wrecked and how she sprained her ankle and then fainted. She told Natalie about how, when she’d come round again they’d taken Papa. 53

“The worst bit was when they came back, for Mama, Mathias and I.54

I heard them coming, so I ran and hid, at the bottom of the garden, there’s a big oak tree there, and I climbed it. I was up there for nearly an hour while they searched the house for me. When I came down again, after they’d gone, the house was empty. They’d taken Mama and Mathias.”55

Hana gasped. “So you’re alone, they’ve taken your family... what are you going to do now?’56

Natalie trembled “I don’t know, I don’t know I have no idea what to do…”57

Hana looked straight at Natalie and for a split second she felt as though she were Natalie lost completely alone, with no family and no idea what to do next. It was then she realised what she must do, Natalie had come to school not because she’d had to, with her Mama gone she had no one to make her go, besides the school didn’t really want her anyway, as she was Jewish. No, she’d not come to school because she’d had to, but because she’d hoped to find help, refuge, someone - anyone to help her.58

An idea suddenly occurred to Hana, impulsively, she cried “You could stay with us. I mean, well my Mother might not like it, but I could hide you… we have an attic you could sleep in there, no one would think of looking for you at my house…most people don’t even know we’re friends…”59

“I could? Natalie asked incredulously I really could? And we’re friends you’re sure we are?”60

“Yes, yes of course we are.” Hana replied putting an arm around Natalie ‘You’ve nothing to worry about, honest; I hate Hitler as much as you do.”61

The attic was dark, dusty and smelt musty and old. The ceilings were covered in cobwebs and its only occupants were a few dusty old books, a broken deckchair and several boxes. It was, as Hana assured Natalie, rarely used except for storage; she gestured to the boxes. 62

The plan was simple. Natalie was smuggled in while Mrs Richter was out shopping; they had to be careful however, to avoid Alice, Hana’s younger sister. An old camp bed was set up along with a table and a few books for Natalie. Much to Natalie’s relief they had decided that she should no longer attend school, for fear she might be found. Natalie knew she would not miss the bullies or the anti-Semitic teachers who were mean and spiteful towards her. 63

Natalie stretched and yawned awakened by the bright sunlight coming from a small skylight in the roof. She lay quietly for a minute; expecting to hear her mother’s voice calling her. Nothing. The room was silent. She sat up, gazing around taking in the dusty carpet, the panelled walls, the piles of boxes… with a jolt she realised where she was. Her instinct was to run to the door and shout for Hana, then; just as suddenly she remembered that she wasn’t supposed to be there. She was in hiding. 64

‘Breakfast.’ A tray was pushed quickly through the door, just as Natalie heard a woman calling Hana. She moved over to the door and picked the tray, on it was a small bowl of porridge, yoghurt, some fruit, a milk bottle filled with water and a packet of sandwiches labelled ‘lunch’.65

Hiding; Natalie discovered was much more complexed than it seemed, every noise every movement from below startled her. Her senses seemed more alert than ever, bored, she picked up a book and glanced at the title ‘Geheimnisse’. Secrets. Another bore the title ‘Das Mädchen im Dachboden’. The girl in the attic. With a start; she shoved the books into an open box and lay panting her heart hammering against her chest. A terrible guilt swept over her, she knew she shouldn’t be in the attic, she knew she shouldn’t. Yet she knew she had no choice.66

The rest of the day passed peacefully enough, Natalie suffered form nothing except boredom. She spent some time rummaging through the contents of the boxes. However after a few hours she found nothing of much interest. Most contained dusty old volumes or photographs of people she’d never met. Once or twice she spotted Hana and Alice in some of them, though that was all. One box contained a collection of old toys some broken, some simply discarded. Natalie attempted to amuse herself with some of these but to no avail. You could hardly amuse yourself for long with an old Rag-doll and some ancient building blocks, she discovered. 67

Needless to say, she was glad when Hana returned home. Hana asked her how her day had been and she told her that she had been fine if a little bored, though she was, Hana noted, extremely grateful for her hospitality. Natalie confessed to her that her main difficulty had been using the toilet with out being seen, though fortunately she had managed to slip down to the first floor whilst Mrs Richter was out or else, busy downstairs.68

Hana, in an effort to keep Natalie cheerful, congratulated her friend’s endurance whole heartedly. She promised to give her some paper to draw on and games to play whilst she was out. As it was, that evening, after Natalie had helped her with her homework and Hana had brought Natalie some tea (a slice of pie saved from Hana’s own tea as well as a few sandwiches) they occupied themselves in a quiet yet thoroughly enjoyable game of scrabble.69

Hana did not stay long after that however, it was getting late for it was nearly nine o’clock. Hana crept out quietly, closing the door softly behind her and making her way down the stairs that led up to the attic. Natalie heard the faint click as she closed the second door which led from the landing to the attic stairs. She hesitated for a moment before she switched off the light and the little attic was plunged into darkness.70

She could hear screams the pattering of feet, the sound grew louder approaching footsteps again she heard hammering on the door, guards burst in hundreds of them and this time they wanted Natalie… two of them seized her dragging her away as she kicked and screamed desperately shouting for help. Then one of them pointed a gun at her as Natalie screamed “Nooooooo!” She awoke with a jolt shaking and sweating. Thank goodness, it wasn’t real, only a nightmare. She sat up hoping that no one had heard her scream. Then all of a sudden she heard a footstep on the landing below someone was coming. Instinctively she dived behind a pile of boxes hoping she would not be discovered. 71

The door flew open “Natalie?” It was Hana.72

“I heard someone scream. Are you alright?”73

“Yes it was just a nightmare, did anyone else wake up?”74

“No, well Alice did, she came into my room and asked me who screamed; I told her it was me.”75

The two girls sat in silence for a while on the edge of Natalie’s bed.76

“I…” Natalie faltered77

“I…” Hana began; Natalie smiled weakly then let her friend go first. 78

“I was wondering if you think the guards will come back and search for you again?”79

Natalie sighed and confessed her inward fears and entrusted to her friend the details of her nightmare. Hana stared at her feet, wondering what sort of consolation or help, she could possibly try to offer her friend; unable to think of anything, she simply said 80

“I don’t know what to do, but I promise you I’m with you all the way.”81

Each day in the attic seemed longer than the last; Natalie hated the feeling of being hunted and having to hide away for her own safety. She appreciated Hana’s friendship more than ever, and hated feeling so dependant on her for food and company. She felt guilty and knew that she owed an awful lot to her friend. On Wednesday Alice felt ill and had to stay at home; Natalie knew this as Hana had warned her. Alice was incredibly curious and Hana knew that she had not believed her, when she had told Alice that it was her whom she had heard scream a few nights before. 82

It was not until noon that Alice came to investigate. Natalie fortunately was well ready for her, as soon as she heard footsteps she, tipped the camp bed on it’s side to make it look as if it had been broken and was nothing more than a piece of junk. Having achieved this, she crouched behind the mass of boxes completely concealing herself. All she had left to do was pray, Alice would not examine the boxes.83

She was lucky, the curious ten year old, entered the attic on tiptoe and glanced around briefly taking in the camp-bed and the boxes. Crossing the room she examined the pile carefully coming so close to Natalie that the girl could feel her breath on her face. At that moment there came an angry cry “Alice! Alice you are ill! What are you doing out of bed? Alice where are you? Come here now!”84

Alice; startled by the sound of her mother’s voice ran disappearing quickly down the attic stairs. Natalie breathed a sigh of relief. It had been a narrow escape.85

Natalie had been in hiding for just over a week when Hana told her the news. She came home from school looking anxious and worried. She told Natalie that the headmaster had received information that the storm troopers as they were called were looking for Natalie. Hana told her how he’d read out a description of her in assembly (Tall, dark hair, brown eyes, 13 years of age...) and how he said that if anyone knew anything regarding Natalie’s whereabouts they must report it to him immediately. Natalie felt numb with shock it was certain now, they were definitely looking for her.86

It was late one Thursday afternoon they came, Alice was out shopping with 87

Mrs Richter. Hana and Natalie were alone in the house. They were up in the attic talking when they heard it. The sound of boots tramping along the cobbled street two men maybe, three, were heading for the house. They hammered loudly on the door with their fists they shouted angrily ‘Open up! Open up! We’ve come to search the house.88

Hana, seeing her friend’s terrified glance said quickly ‘Don’t worry - I have a plan.’ With that she hurried out of the attic back downstairs.89

Hana was just on the point of wondering how an earth they could hide Natalie properly… when an idea came to her. She was Natalie’s friend her only, friend. All of a sudden she knew what she must do. She crept downstairs and opened the door to the cellar. It was dark, dingy and damp it smelt of mould and as she hurried down the steep stone steps she could feel cobwebs brushing against her bare skin, she shuddered in spite of herself, she hated cobwebs. She crept into a corner and crouched there silently listening, watching waiting.90

It wasn’t long before, realising that nobody was going to open the door, the men broke in. There was a loud crash and the door flew open, two men stood there one was tall and thin with cold grey eyes and greasy black hair. The other was short stocky and looked a good deal tougher than his companion; both wore Nazi uniforms and red arm bands with swastikas on them. They searched the house thoroughly the short stocky one whose name was Hans, started downstairs whilst his companion, Kurt, searched upstairs. Hana crouched in the cellar praying that she would be discovered before they found Natalie. Her heart thumped against her chest and she was sure they could hear it beating. She heard one of them tramping through the sitting room the study and the kitchen, opening cupboards slamming doors. 91

Finally she heard the creak as the cellar door opened and someone muttering and cursing under their breath as they tripped over the stairs, in the darkness. There was no light in the cellar, the only light came from a tiny window set high up in the wall. More muttering, more cursing he glanced around the room his eyes slowly adjusting to the dark, then quite suddenly, Hana saw him. Her heart stopped, he’d seen her. He lunged towards her grabbing her arm and forcing her across the room and back up the cellar steps, she did not try to struggle there was no need. He dragged her out the cellar in to the hallway which was lit; he stared in to her face for a few seconds taking in her dark, curly brown hair and brown eyes. Then she heard him shout “Kurt! Hey Kurt I think I’ve found her!”92

There was a pounding of feet and another man came into view taller and more serious looking, Hana thought. The second one bent down and looked into her eyes considering her for a moment, and then he spoke, his voice was harsh and cold93

‘Are you Natalie Hautmann?’ Hana stared straight in to his cold grey eyes she hesitated for a moment, swallowed and then said with as much conviction as she could muster, 94

‘Yes.’ ‘Yes I am.’95