top sheet was white and bore the heading ‘Registrar’s Copy.’ The second sheet was green. It was headed ‘Applicants’ copy.’ She saw the word genehmigt ‘approved’ on both copies. Max held his breath. He was sure she would notice the blank spaces where the official Reich stamp should be. But she didn’t.
She beamed at him. “I’d like a January wedding.”
“That’s too early, Anna. I won’t be able to take any more time off work until much later, and your employers wouldn’t be happy if you took time off during the winter season.”
“You’re right. The spring, then. March?”
“March should be fine.”
She picked up the telephone. “I’ll ring Mother and talk to her about it. I told her you would prefer to get married in Berlin. Was I wrong?”
“You were not wrong, Anna, but if they want us to marry in Dresden and it’s what you want, I won’t object.”
“A Berlin wedding will suit your mother.” Anna dialed the number, “We should thank Madam Krauss. And Frau Greta. Madam Krauss will know where we can find Frau Greta.”
And Frau Greta will know how I can contact the actress. If only I could remember her name.
#
The next day a major new exercise began in the Reich Labor Service. The head of Max’s department, Gunnar Schnerpf, handed him a bundle of executive orders.
“We’ve had word from Albert Speer’s office. Work on the Chancellery building is to be massively accelerated. They need engineers and an additional 2,000 workers per day for the next 12 months. I’ve identified several other projects that could lose some labor, but you’ll have to find the rest. See to it.” He ran a finger across his moustache and left.
Schnerpf, a decorated hero from the Great War, was short, rotund, with little hair on his head, and a stern look. His waxed handlebar moustache made up for his lack of stature. Without the moustache everybody reckoned he would have been unable to retain any control over the men in his department. His nickname was ‘the bush.’
Schnerpf had identified five construction sites that could lose 300 workers between them. Max got to work.
Schnerpf appeared by his desk again at midday. “How are you getting on, Noack?”
Max was feeling pleased with his morning’s work. He had located 1,500 of the workers required, 1,100 new labor from the camps, the rest from existing building sites. “I have most of the workers, sir. I’m just starting to trawl the records for civil engineers.”
“I have another more urgent job for you. The OKW has made a demand for 50 able-bodied workers for a special secret task overseas.”
“Where are they to be assigned?”
“I do not have that information, and if I did I couldn’t tell you.” Schnerpf scuttled back into his office.
By the end of the day, he had identified 50 workers for the secret job overseas and a list of well-qualified engineers for the Chancellery project. He completed the documentation and left it on Schnerpf’s desk to be signed and approved in the morning, adding a short note to say that he was taking another day from his holiday entitlement. He would complete the labor search later in the week.
#
The following morning he went straight to Kurfürstenstrasss. Madam Krauss opened the door dressed in a housecoat and waved him inside.
“Anna and I are most grateful for your help, Madam.”
“You have the approval?”
“Yes. You’ve made us both very happy.”
“It was nothing, child. Show me your left hand.”
He held out his left hand and she read his palm. “You and Anna will have a long and happy life together, and I see three children.”
Max took his hand back. “I’d like to thank Frau Greta, too. Can you tell me where she lives?”
Madam Krauss fixed him with eyes like rivets. “I don’t know where she lives, but the next time she visits me I will ask her to contact you.”
Chapter 20
October 1938
Next, Max took an Autobus to his
She beamed at him. “I’d like a January wedding.”
“That’s too early, Anna. I won’t be able to take any more time off work until much later, and your employers wouldn’t be happy if you took time off during the winter season.”
“You’re right. The spring, then. March?”
“March should be fine.”
She picked up the telephone. “I’ll ring Mother and talk to her about it. I told her you would prefer to get married in Berlin. Was I wrong?”
“You were not wrong, Anna, but if they want us to marry in Dresden and it’s what you want, I won’t object.”
“A Berlin wedding will suit your mother.” Anna dialed the number, “We should thank Madam Krauss. And Frau Greta. Madam Krauss will know where we can find Frau Greta.”
And Frau Greta will know how I can contact the actress. If only I could remember her name.
#
The next day a major new exercise began in the Reich Labor Service. The head of Max’s department, Gunnar Schnerpf, handed him a bundle of executive orders.
“We’ve had word from Albert Speer’s office. Work on the Chancellery building is to be massively accelerated. They need engineers and an additional 2,000 workers per day for the next 12 months. I’ve identified several other projects that could lose some labor, but you’ll have to find the rest. See to it.” He ran a finger across his moustache and left.
Schnerpf, a decorated hero from the Great War, was short, rotund, with little hair on his head, and a stern look. His waxed handlebar moustache made up for his lack of stature. Without the moustache everybody reckoned he would have been unable to retain any control over the men in his department. His nickname was ‘the bush.’
Schnerpf had identified five construction sites that could lose 300 workers between them. Max got to work.
Schnerpf appeared by his desk again at midday. “How are you getting on, Noack?”
Max was feeling pleased with his morning’s work. He had located 1,500 of the workers required, 1,100 new labor from the camps, the rest from existing building sites. “I have most of the workers, sir. I’m just starting to trawl the records for civil engineers.”
“I have another more urgent job for you. The OKW has made a demand for 50 able-bodied workers for a special secret task overseas.”
“Where are they to be assigned?”
“I do not have that information, and if I did I couldn’t tell you.” Schnerpf scuttled back into his office.
By the end of the day, he had identified 50 workers for the secret job overseas and a list of well-qualified engineers for the Chancellery project. He completed the documentation and left it on Schnerpf’s desk to be signed and approved in the morning, adding a short note to say that he was taking another day from his holiday entitlement. He would complete the labor search later in the week.
#
The following morning he went straight to Kurfürstenstrasss. Madam Krauss opened the door dressed in a housecoat and waved him inside.
“Anna and I are most grateful for your help, Madam.”
“You have the approval?”
“Yes. You’ve made us both very happy.”
“It was nothing, child. Show me your left hand.”
He held out his left hand and she read his palm. “You and Anna will have a long and happy life together, and I see three children.”
Max took his hand back. “I’d like to thank Frau Greta, too. Can you tell me where she lives?”
Madam Krauss fixed him with eyes like rivets. “I don’t know where she lives, but the next time she visits me I will ask her to contact you.”
Chapter 20
October 1938
Next, Max took an Autobus to his
Similar Books
