Read Online Children to a Degree - Growing Up Under the Third Reich by Horst Christian - Free Book Online

months from now.” Karl got up with a heavy heart. It would be so nice if he could talk with his grandfather more often.
    When he got home he saw that his mother was busy marking his clothing with a water proof laundry pen.
     
     

Six
    Karl’s travel destination was the seaside resort Heringsdorf on the island of Usedom by the Baltic Sea. The Berlin school authorities chartered a riverboat with the name of Wintermaerchen (Winter tales), which traveled from a pier in the Havel River by Berlin through the Havel-Oder Canal and then downstream on the Oder river to Stettin. The island of Usedom was then reached by steamboat to the town of Swinemuende.
    The day before the departure, Karl had to visit the local HJ office to obtain last minute instructions. The remainder of the day was filled with the packing and re-packing of two suitcases. Karl’s mother had so much clothing laying on the beds and chairs that it would have taken five koffers (suit cases) to transport all of it.
    When Karl’s father arrived home from work in the evening, Karl had unpacked his cases for the third time. “Papa, help me. I am going bonkers with all this stuff.” Karl was standing in socks and a turnhose (gym shorts) helplessly in front of the disorder on the bed. His brother did not help at all by sitting on the bed and throwing Karl’s clothing willy-nilly in the air.
    Herr Veth did not waste any time.
    “Uniform?”
    Karl had two matching summer uniforms and was required to wear one during the trip. He handed his father the other one.
    “Next, sport shirts.”
    Karl had about five and his father packed three of them on top of the uniform.
    “Next, shorts and regular underwear.”
    Within no time at all Herr Veth had finished packing the first suitcase. In the meantime, Karl’s mother came to the rescue and packed the other suitcase with a pair of turn (running) shoes, socks and the remainder of underwear. There was even some room left for Karl’s favorite books. This was actually the whole dilemma in his previous packing efforts. He did not give a hoot about his underwear or the new swim shorts. It was his books that gave him problems. He needed the HJ manuals and instruction books, so they had to come along. Next he did not need, but wanted, the advanced school books for all the remaining grades up to the final school year. This amounted to a whole bunch. When his parents had realized how serious Karl was in his effort to enter the Napola they bought every school book available.
    Karl’s father came through again. “Your German grammar is excellent. You might need one dictionary for your writing. Your arithmetic is also outstanding. Take one book for algebra. History is your favorite subject, so take one you have not read. That’s all. Write me if you need any of the remaining ones and I will send them to you. Your birthday is coming up in July and next week I will send you a pre-birthday present in the form of some University entry level books. You once told me that you like to study law. Is this still of interest to you?”
    Karl looked at his father and wondered when he had slipped up. He did not remember when he had this conversation with his father but he had to agree that the laws of different countries were of great interest to him.
    “Yes, Pappa, I know a little bit about German law. I also read a book on British law. But my real interest is in international maritime law.”
    Herr Veth looked at his son in surprise. This really was news to him. He did not even know that there was such a thing as maritime law.
    “Alright, if I find something of this subject I will send it to you.”
    He closed the cover of the second suitcase.
    “Now make us proud of you. I know that you will write for the HJ and the Jugendburg (school periodical); but these are monthly publications and I can pick up a copy at the school. Just don’t forget Mutti and your brother and sister and me. We will cherish every one of your letters.” He wiped a