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"Military Personnel Knocked on the Local Residence"

Writer Uwe Timm Discusses the Conclusion of Conflicts

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City of Hamburg in March 1945, just two months before the war's conclusion. Uwe Timm recalls in an...
City of Hamburg in March 1945, just two months before the war's conclusion. Uwe Timm recalls in an interview, 'The men were incredibly weak, the women extraordinarily strong.'

Childhood Memories: Uwe Timm's War-Time Tales

"Military Personnel Knocked on the Local Residence"

Eight decades ago, when World War II came to an end, German author Uwe Timm was just five years old. His writings often delve into the war and post-Nazi Germany. In his books like "The Discovery of the Currywurst," he explores the origins of the well-liked German sausage meeting the exotic curry, symbolizing cultural evolution through food. "Red" focuses on the 68ers, the leftists who opposed nationalism and glorification of the Third Reich. "At My Brother's Example" endeavors to understand why his 16-year-older brother volunteered for the Waffen-SS, and "Ikarien" describes the days of May 1945.In an interview with ntv.de, the 85-year-old shares his war-time memories, bombing raids experiences, liberation days, and opinions on modern-day plans to make Germany war-ready again.

Interview Snippets

Herr Timm, you experienced World War II as a child in Hamburg. What do you remember?

Uwe Timm: As a three-year-old, I remember being pushed through a burning Osterstraße in a pram, covered with wet towels. Trees were on fire on both sides, and there were little flames everywhere. I also remember not being allowed to look at the street due to the dead bodies.

Your family's apartment was destroyed in a bombing raid in 1943.

My father was on vacation during that time, serving in the Luftwaffe. The attack was significant, and he managed to evacuate the apartment's occupants early. Unfortunately, a firebomb hit our house, burning it immediately. My family managed to save a table and some damaged porcelain figurines.

What do you remember about the end of the war?

I was in Coburg, where we had evacuated due to relatives living there. I remember German soldiers digging trenches by the Itz river, and I fell into one and couldn't get out. The Americans eventually thundered at our door and pushed a circus wagon filled with stones onto the bridge as a barricade. They simply pushed it aside with their tanks when they arrived.

Had you ever seen black people before?

No, they were the first. Initially, my family and I were afraid of them due to the rumors we had heard. However, the Americans behaved correctly as the soldiers searched our house. Interestingly, I later observed the adults burying Hitler pictures in the garden.

Politics"I Have Looked into the Abyss" The Nazi Death CampsHow Did People React to the Americans?

The adults embraced the Americans wholeheartedly, but their earlier authority crumbled as they had to confess their ignorance about the atrocities committed during the Nazi era. Surprisingly, the feared local leader of the NSDAP, Feigtmeier, was made to sweep the streets, whereas the women grew stronger, having worked in jobs during the war. The term "Zero Hour" is questionable since West Germany ultimately reestablished the old relationships, where people with properties reconstructed their businesses, and denazification became increasingly lax due to fears of communism and the East-West conflict.

Transitional DaysWhat Was That Country Like in May 1945?

The weather was unusually warm, and many were on the run. People expressed uncertainty and fear. Some were forced to leave their apartments due to the arrival of American soldiers. Looting was widespread, and women were fearful of going into the woods.

PoliticsThe Last Days of the Nazi Regime April 1945 - The Red Army Storms BerlinFederal President Richard von Weizsäcker said in a famous speech in 1985 that May 8 was not only a day of defeat but also of liberation. Is that true?

Absolutely, that's the great aspect of the Weizsäcker speech. It was a turning point concerning the glorification of the Nazi era, as many Nazis still held positions of power within the government and administration.

Interviewer: Volker Petersen

Source: ntv.de

  • World War II
  • History
  • 80 years after the end of the war
  • National Socialism
  • Attack on Ukraine
  • Hamburg
  • Remembrance
  1. The European Parliament may reflect on Uwe Timm's writings, particularly his book "The Discovery of the Currywurst," as it showcases the evolution of relationships and politics through the lens of food, a symbolic representation of cultural change.
  2. In 1945, when World War II came to an end, Uwe Timm was five years old and lived in Hamburg, an experience he recounts in his interviews, such as the encounter with black American soldiers, a extraordinary sight for him and his family.
  3. Uwe Timm's memories of World War II span bombing raids, experiences such as being pushed through burning streets, and the end of the war in Coburg, where he fell into a trench dug by German soldiers and was almost overlooked by the approaching American forces.
  4. In his interviews, Uwe Timm discusses the denazification process in post-WWII Germany, noting that although it started strongly, it eventually became lax due to fears of communism and the East-West conflict, leading to a resurgence of the old relationships and power structures.

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