Chapter 85 Chapter Eighty-Four

A Jew's Journey (from Ellen Jastrow's manuscript) A day of "dress rehearsal" on June 22, 1944 left me exhausted.Tomorrow, the Red Cross will come.The cleaning and painting teams were still at work under the floodlights, although the town already looked much prettier than Baden-Baden.Freshly painted pavements, manicured lawns, lush flower beds, well-groomed playing fields and children's playgrounds, as well as various art performances and well-dressed Jews on vacation at a happy spa in the Peacetime, It all came together in a completely unreal musical comedy in the open air.The Germans, who have no idea what humanity is, have painstakingly produced a clumsy parody of humanity.Those who are not prepared to be deceived will not be deceived by it.

Rabbi Beck, the wise and urbane old scholar from Berlin, arguably the spiritual father of the ghetto, had high hopes for the visit.He was sure that the Red Cross men would not be deceived; they would ask tough questions, go behind the scenes; The change.He reflects the prevailing optimism.We in Theresienstadt really rock.The prison of thought, the overcrowding of living conditions, the constant fear of the Germans, the substandard nutrition and medical care, and the painful intermingling of Jews from many countries with little in common other than the yellow star sign , all of which fueled bouts of unrealistic emotion.With the Allied landings in France, and with this imminent visit from "outsiders," the mood is at present feverish.

But I struggled to hold on to reality.The Allied attack on Normandy had in fact come to a halt.The Russians did not actually attack in the east.Is there anything treacherous that Stalin could not do?Is the devil determined to let both sides be exhausted in a life-and-death struggle in France?After that, he can sweep across Europe at his leisure.I am very worried that this will be the case. Three years ago today, on June 22, the Germans fell on the Soviet Union.The Russians love theatrical gestures on anniversaries, and today, if anything, their Tolstoy counterattack should be unleashed.No sign of it at all.The BBC's evening newscasts were dour and slurred. (Here people always secretly listen to the BBC program and spread the news quickly, although the punishment for listening is the death penalty.) Berlin Radio is arrogant again, boasting that Eisenhower's army is all trapped in the jungles and swamps of Normandy, and saying Rommel would soon drive them to sea, and said that Hitler's new "amazing weapon" would then deal a terrible blow to the Anglo-Americans.As for the Russians, said the Germans.They have spent "a sea of ​​blood" in their offensives in Crimea and Ukraine, and are now exhausted, so they have stopped for a long time.Is there any truth in these words?Not even the German Home Front tolerated nonsense in war communiqués.Unless the Russians get serious about attacking soon, we'll get another taste of hope turned to despair.

What a disgusting farce the whole day has been!Some petty German bureaucrats from Prague played the part of the guests.Only Ram was in uniform.Watching Heindel and the rest of the SS thugs in ill-fitting goggles, ties, and fedoras, bowing down to us elders, helping us up and down chauffeured cars, in cafes It was almost like a dream to smile and step aside to give way to Jewish women in the streets, in the corridors.The whole rehearsal went on like clockwork.As the visitors went here and there, the hidden messenger boy rushed forward to announce an order for a chorus, a performance in a cafe, a string quartet in a private house, a ballet practice, a A children's dance and a football match.Everywhere we went, we saw well-dressed, well-mannered festival-goers smoking cigars and smoking cigarettes. "As accurate as a clock," was the phrase.The Jews played their proper little part with the rigidity of a living doll.As soon as the "guests" had passed, their movements ceased, and they froze again, poor trembling prisoners of Theresienstadt, awaiting the next signal.

Three squashed packages Byron sent via the Red Cross were piled on the floor next to me.This evening, trucks rolled through the Jewish Quarter, piled high with packages that the Germans had been holding back for months.That way, guests would see the ghetto filled with Red Cross supplies.The Germans are very thoughtful.From the warehouses in Prague where looted Jewish goods were stored, they procured a wealth of finery for the Jewish inhabitants to be exhibited.Even at present I wear a suit of the finest English serge, and two gold rings.A women's beauty salon was also opened.Cosmetics were also distributed.The beautiful Jewish women, with neat yellow stars on their elegant clothes, are all like queens today, leaning on the arms of their well-dressed companions, and strolling in the squares surrounded by flowers.I could almost believe I was back in peacetime Vienna or Berlin.Poor woman!They bathe and dress up, put on perfume, comb their hair, and wear gems, and they can't help but glow in this short-lived joy.Their condition was as deplorable as the cartloads of dead bodies.The carloads of dead bodies kept passing day and night until all the sick were sent away.

At the kindergarten, Natalie wore a gorgeous blue silk dress.Louis was wearing a dark velvet suit with lace trim at the neckline.It was a joy to watch him play.The SS fattened up the dolls like Strasbourg geese.They were round and rosy-cheeked and full of life, just like Louis.If there was anything to lull visitors, it was the lovely kindergarten that had just been completed a few days ago.It's as pretty and elaborate as a dollhouse, with delightful children playing on the swings, on the merry-go-round, or splashing in the pool. Natalie just came back with news that the Russians are finally attacking] They tuned in at midnight to news broadcasts from two different stations: a jubilant bulletin from the BBC and a long Czech broadcast from Moscow .The Soviets described the attack as "a general attack in which we cooperate with our allies fighting in France to destroy Hitler's bandits." As she broke the news to me, I whispered the Hebrew blessing for the good news words and sentences.Then I asked her if the plan for Louis was going ahead.Who knows, I said—with a sudden frenzy myself—whether Germany will collapse soon now?Is it worth the risk?

"Let him go," she said. "It's not going to change anyway." I put down my pen and thought of poor Udam's song: "Ah, here they come, here they come at last! From the East, from the West..." May God help them succeed! Excerpted from Holocaust by Armin.Feng.On the night of June 22, 1944, the third anniversary of Operation Barbarossa, the Russians attacked us from the east with great force.Partisans became active all over Belarus, blowing up bridges, derailing and overturning our troop trains.Reconnaissance and espionage went right into the central and northern armies, from the Baltic to the Pripyat Marshes.The next day, in some places, a roaring net of some hundred thousand cannons, one atop the other, in all, turned the four hundred and fifty miles of front into hell.Subsequently, infantry, tank and mechanized divisions attacked under the dark sky full of Soviet aircraft.The Luftwaffe had no fighters in the air to intercept them.The Russians are attacking us with 1.2 million men, 5,000 tanks, and 6,000 planes.This is the other side of the Roosevelt vise's teeth, and it is pounding viciously to the west to meet the eastward advance of Operation Overlord.

Bagration!Revenge on Barbarossa! Like us, the Soviets adopted the name of an important military leader, the hero of Borodino, for their June 22 offensive.Like us, their goal is to quickly capture the entire territory of Belarus and encircle all the German corps stationed on that vast forest plain.To be sure, Bagration was a spine-chilling reflection of Barbarossa, as it appeared on our High Command maps, and our horrified faces reflected the Soviet military lessons. From the bloody winter campaign to liberate Leningrad, from the desperate defeat of Manstein's forces by Ukraine and Crimea in the spring, we see their amazing resilience, and Stalin's continued waste The cruel determination of life.But this time in Belarus, something new happened: our own most sophisticated tactical concepts were skillfully used against us.To make that image intact, Adolf.Hitler repeated Stalin's foolish order in 1941 - "Stand where you are, don't retreat, don't maneuver, hold" - only to be met with the same disastrous blow from the opposite direction. defeat.

The Soviets even achieved the same prominence. In 1941, they expected that Hitler would seize the granary in Ukraine and the oil fields in the Caucasus, so they concentrated their troops in the south.Accordingly, our main body advanced through Belarus and soon broke their central front.This time, despite the mass concentration of the Red Army in the centre, the infallible Hitler "knew" that the Russians would use their prominent positions in the south to launch an offensive against the Romanian oil fields and the Balkan states.He concluded in his usual unrealistic fashion that the concentration of the Red Army in the center was a bluff, and so concentrated our troops against the Soviet lines in Ukraine.

Worrying warnings from Busch, Commander of Army Group Center, and his letters calling for reinforcements were ignored.After the Russians struck and the front collapsed, Hitler, of course, removed Busch for his own stupid miscalculation.But the new commander, General Model, was equally damaged by Hitler's interference, especially after the rapid onslaught of the Russians, and his insistence that our divisions be dormant in some "strong positions" - some of the remnants behind the lines. Isolated cities: Vitebsk, Pobrusk, Orsha, Mogilev, etc., without ordering them to break out.This folly broke the battle lines.Those "strong strongholds" will all fall by then, and all divisions will be completely lost.There are huge gaps in our lines; from these gaps the Soviets are swarming in inexhaustible leased tanks, shouting like Tartars.

My operational analysis of Bagration (known as the "Battle of Belarus") is exhaustive, because I believe that this little-studied event, even beyond the much-vaunted D-Day landings, was the second most The turning point in the final collapse of Germany in World War I.If there was a veritable "Second Stalingrad" in this war, it was Bagration.The Russians advanced about two hundred miles in less than two weeks.The forceful pincers approached Minsk, encircling 100,000 German soldiers, and we probably lost 150,000 in this battle.The remnants of Army Group Center retreated west across Minsk, its corps being overrun and cannibalized by the Soviet armored forwards.By mid-July, Army Group Center had virtually ceased to exist.Small groups of dejected and ragged German prisoners of war paraded through Red Square again.The Red Army recaptured Belarus and marched into Poland and Lithuania.It was threatening the frontiers of East Prussia; Army Group North was in danger of being cut off by the advance of the Red Army towards the coast.At this time, the British and Americans were still struggling to get out of Normandy. At this time, Adolf.Hitler also kept his eyes on the West!In our debriefing meetings, he always dismissed the growing crisis in the East with impatience and abrupt and hasty judgments.Our controlled press and radio stations have covered up this catastrophe.As for the Americans and the British, they were preoccupied (as their historians are today) with military operations in France.The Soviets cite only the simple fact of their advancement.After the war, when Stalin aged and became madly murderous, all their military historians were frightened into silence.For a long time not much useful material was written about the war by that unfortunate country. Thus Bagration became lesser known.But it was this battle that irretrievably broke through our Eastern Front, pulled Finland out of the war, and set the politicians of the Balkans in conspiratorial treachery.The perfidy of those politicians led us to an even bigger defeat in Romania the following month.And Bagration was the real fuse that caused the bomb to go off at High Command on July 20. English translator's note: In recent years, the Soviets have provided more and better books about this war.The memoirs of Marshal Zhukov describe Bagration in detail.These books, though rich in information, are not necessarily faithful by our standards.In Russia, the communist government owns all the printing houses, and all materials that do not praise the party cannot be printed, and the party, like Hitler, never makes mistakes. At dawn on June 23, Natalie got up, got dressed, and was ready to receive a visit from the Red Cross.Her bedroom was as good as a room in a good hotel in Europe: pale yellow wooden furniture, an oriental rug, fancy flower-painted wallpaper, armchairs, lampshades and even several vases of fresh flowers, all of which had been made before. It was delivered by the gardeners one evening.The Jastrow house was a stopover during the visit.The famous writer would show the guests around his rooms, treat them to cognac, and accompany them to the synagogue and the Jewish library.So Natalie cleaned up the house as if it were going to be inspected by military authorities before rushing out.There are still many things to do in the kindergarten.Ram ordered the furniture to be rearranged at the last minute and a few more cutouts of animals to be pasted on the walls. The sun is just rising.Small groups of women were already out in the street, scrubbing sidewalks on their stomachs in the yellow, slanting sunlight.These shabby clothes and scrawny people coming out of the crowded tower gave off a stench that polluted the early morning breeze.When they were done with their work, they had to hide; perfumed beauties in fancy dresses came out.Natalie's senses were too dull to detect the irony of the beautification movement.During this month, a recurring nightmare kept her from sleeping well—Heindel swayed Louis by the legs and slammed his head on the concrete floor.By this time, the vision of the child's brain bursting and bleeding was as real to her as the basement of the SS in her memory, and it was more or less familiar, because the brief panic was followed by a blurred moment. She had seen this terrible vision more than a dozen times before.Really, Natalie has become a lost soul, and there is nothing quite right in her head.One thing that cheered her up was the desire to get Louis out of the ghetto. The Czech policeman who delivered Banriel's message said the attempt was scheduled for the week following the Red Cross visit.Louis got sick first, then went to the hospital and disappeared.She could no longer see him, except to hear that Louis had died of typhus.From now on, she could only hope that one day she would hear that he was safe.It was like sending him to the emergency room for surgery. No matter how great the risk, there was no way. A cart was parked outside the Danes' barracks.The gardener was unloading the rose tree full of flowers from the car, moving it into the courtyard, and planting it in the hole dug in the grass.The rich scent of roses perfumed the air as Natalie walked by.It is clear that something very special is going on among the Danish Jews.But that has nothing to do with her.All she cared about was getting the day right, not pissing Ram off and endangering Louis.Kindergarten is the last stop in the prescribed tour route, and it is the most eye-catching place. It is a very important day for Danish Jews to be honest.They were a small 450 out of 35,000 Jews, but a very special 450. The whole Danish Jewish experience is amazing.All but this few went free and safe to neutral Sweden.The Danish government got word that the German occupying forces were about to round up the Jews, and secretly put the population on alert.Overnight, an impromptu flotilla of small boats by Danish volunteers transported some 6,000 or so Jews across a narrow strait to hospitable, neutral Sweden.Therefore, only this small group was captured by the Germans and sent to Theresienstadt. Since then, the Danish Red Cross has been asking to visit Danish Jewish citizens in Jewish Paradise.The Danish Foreign Ministry has also repeatedly made strong demands.Strange to say, the Germans, faced with such unprecedented spiritual courage on behalf of the Jews in this small country (but not in any other country), hesitated and did not shoot a few Danes to suppress this annoying demand go down.Although they repeatedly postponed the time of the visit, they finally gave in in fact. Four people formed the visiting group. Although they are unknown in history, their names are still on record. Franz.Hervas, the Danish diplomat who has been pressing Berlin for a decision on the Theresienstadt issue. Ur.Dr. Henningsen, member of the Danish Red Cross. Dr. M. Russell, member of the German Office of the International Red Cross in Berlin. Eberhard.Feng.Taden, a German career diplomat.Taden handles Jewish affairs at the Foreign Office.Eckermann sent the Jews to their deaths; Taden exhumed them from the countries in which they were citizens and handed them over to Eckermann. The visit started at noon and lasted eight hours.The whole beautification campaign, which was a huge project and took six months to implement, was designed to impress the two Danes and the two Germans during these eight hours.It turned out to be well worth it.The reports written by Hervas and the Red Cross member are still there.The report overflows with acknowledgment of the extremely satisfactory situation in Theresienstadt. "More like an ideal suburban society," concluded one, "than a concentration camp." "Why not?" The four guests followed a long line of high-ranking Nazi officials from Berlin and Prague, and walked smoothly through the route arranged by Ram according to the timetable.Their arrival evokes one very charming scene after another—the charming farm girl is singing and walking towards the vegetable field with a rake, and piles of fresh and fragrant vegetables are unloaded at the door of the food shop, and the Jews are happy. There were endless queues to buy, a chorus of eighty robed choirs burst into a rousing hymn, and just as the guests arrived on the field, a football goal was cheered by the jubilant crowd. The hospital looked and smelled as fresh as heaven, the sheets were white, the patients were comfortable and happy, and all questions were answered with great praise about the treatment and food.Wherever the guests went—slaughterhouses, laundries, banks, Jewish administrations, post offices, ground-floor apartments of famous people, Danish barracks—they found a welcome sight of cleanliness, well-fed and well-fed.The Danish Jews raced to assure Hervas and Henningsen that they were doing well and being treated generously. The outdoor scene is all so pleasant!On the street, the quaint signboards decorated with glass look very beautiful.Well-dressed Jews strolled leisurely in the sun in a way few Europeans were able to do in the harsh wartime conditions.The entertainment program in the café is first class.The brioche is delicious.As for the coffee, Von.Mr Taden commented, "Better than what you can drink in Berlin!" Finally, what a wonderful impression the kindergarten makes!The slender, pretty Jewish girl in charge, the niece of the famous writer, seemed so happy at work and always answered yes to questions posed so quickly!It was obvious that he had an extremely friendly relationship with Commander Ram and Inspector Heindel.Here's a deceptive coda to the visit: healthy, beautiful kids swinging, sliding, dancing in circles, splashing in pools, riding the merry-go-round as they linger on the playground grass in the last rays of the setting sun They cast funny and Gu Chang's shadows, and their laughter was as sweet as light music.Young and pretty nurses tended the children, but not one of them was half as pretty or half as happy as the one in blue silk.With the commander's permission, the member of the Berlin Red Cross took some pictures, including one of Natalie holding her son.Her son is a lively and mischievous little doll, and it hurts to laugh.Mr. Russell suddenly had a good feeling in his heart, and told her to send a photo to her family in the United States. After the war, when the Danish Parliament asked Franz.When Hervas explained how he had been deceived by the Germans, he replied that he had not been deceived at all.He could see that the visit had been arranged in advance.He delivered a commendatory report in order to ensure that Danish Jews would continue to be treated better and food parcels would continue to be delivered to them.That was his mission—not to expose German treachery.Still, Hervas admitted to parliament that the visit had given him a lot of relief.He had been a little apprehensive, given the horrific reports of German concentration camps already in the hands of the Red Cross, lest he see dead people lying in the streets, Mohammedans reeling in an atmosphere of filth and death.Despite the German pretense, nothing like that has yet emerged. The world has always wondered that the International Red Cross — and, for that matter, the Vatican — had remained silent even though it did know about the secret massacre during the Great War.The barely acceptable explanation is always Franz.The one by Hervas: Accusing the Germans of crimes that could not be proven during the war will only make things worse for the Jews who fell into the hands of the Germans and are still alive.The Red Cross and the Vatican knew all too well about the Germans.Perhaps they have a point, although the next question is: "How could things get worse?" The success of the grand beautification campaign gave Berlin's superiors an idea.Why not make a film in Theresienstadt showing how well the Jewish people lived under the Nazis, thereby turning the increasingly vicious propaganda of the Allies about killing camps and gas chambers into a hypocritical lie?They immediately issued an order to prepare such a film.The title of the film is: "The Führer Grants a City to the Jews".Ellen was appointed to the script writing committee.Dr. Jastrow, and the Kindergarten will be filmed as important close-ups. Excerpted from "Military Leader Hitler" July 20th - The plot to assassinate Hitler... The debriefing meeting was held in a wooden barracks, as the Russian army approached Rastenburg on the front line, and the solid concrete bunker headquarters was advancing further. Fortified against air raids.This shot saved Hitler's life.Had we been in the bunker, we would have all been wiped out by that limited explosion. Before the bombs went off, meetings were a familiar and tiresome scene.Hausinger was talking darkly about the situation on the Eastern Front.Hitler bent over the map on the table and stared through thick glasses.I stood beside him, in the usual group of staff officers.At this time, only a cracking bang was heard, and the room was filled with yellow smoke.I found myself lying on the floor in agony, with an involuntary moan in my throat.I thought we were bombed by planes.My first thought was to get away with my life and not to be burned alive, for now the flames crackled and there was a great smell of burning.Although a leg was blown off, I struggled to get outside, and in the smoke and darkness I stumbled over the bodies of several fallen people.The moaning and screaming all around was horrible.On the ground outside, I slumped down.I saw Hitler leaning on a man's arm as he escaped from the smoke.There was blood on his face, and his hair was standing on end with plaster.I could see his bare legs through the torn black trousers.Those two spindle-shaped white legs and those two round knees made him look for a while like a poor ordinary man, not like the fierce and cruel military commander. In recent years, there have been many works extolling those conspirators.I can't get emotional for those people myself.The fact that I was almost killed was irrelevant.Feng.Count Stauffenberg passed the strict gate control and the security check of the wolf den, and put the briefcase full of explosives under the table. Of course, it was brave and resourceful, but what was the use?He was already a handicapped man, blind in one eye, broken in one right hand, and missing two fingers in his left hand in North Africa, as we all know.Why didn't he sacrifice it all?True, he was the mastermind of the plot, but the whole purpose was to kill Hitler.The only surefire way is to walk in front of him with a camouflaged bomb in hand and make it explode.It appears that the Count's vague Christian idealism did not include martyrdom.As luck would have it, he only lived a few extra hours anyway.Because that same night, he was arrested and executed in Berlin. I knew nearly all of these conspirators in the armed forces.It astonished me that some of them were involved.I could have guessed that some people would join because they had tried me out early on.I refuted those who came to tempt me, and no one came to me after that.Assassinate the head of state to end the war - no matter how obvious the head of state is to us behind the scenes What are the obvious faults--this concept seems to me to be outrageous, violating our officer's oath, and perverse.Today, I still think so. On July 20, 1944, the armed forces were everywhere still deep in enemy territory, their numbers amounted to nine million, and despite their erratic leadership they fought remarkably well.The homeland remained intact despite heavy air raids.At the heart of German politics, for better or for worse, was the close relationship between the German people and Hitler.Assassinating him would cause chaos.Himmler, Goering, and Goebbels, still in control of the entire state apparatus, were bound to unleash an unexpected revenge pogrom.Every German's hand will be turned against his fellow man.Our army without a leader will crumble.Bad as the military situation is, it does not demand such a solution, in fact it is not a solution at all: to plunge ourselves into anarchy, to bring in Bolshevik savages, to loot and loot all the way to the banks of the Rhine! In fact, the July 20 bombing incident contributed to the second Congressional arson attack.It gave Hitler the excuse he needed to kill every living opposition figure.At least 5,000 people died this time, most of them innocent.The personnel of the General Staff and the independent, good intellectuals - statesmen, labor leaders, missionaries, professors and remnants of the old German aristocracy - were all but cut off.My opinion is that the events of July 20 may have prolonged the war.We were on the brink of the August catastrophe, which might force the Nazis to rid themselves of Hitler and surrender in an orderly manner.On the contrary, Germany was shaken by the events of July 20, and the whole country united around the Führer.This continued until nine horrific months later when he shot himself dead.Among the German people there was little support for the clumsy assassination attempt.The conspirators were cursed; once again Hitler was cocky. I can still vividly recall Hitler sitting less than ten feet away from me in the infirmary at Wolf's Lair talking to Goering as the doctor treated his shattered eardrum. "Now, these guys are getting me where I want them to be," he said, or roughly. "Now, I can take action." He knew that the failure of the assassination would only allow his regime to survive. Hitler's defenders say he didn't watch the films he ordered to execute generals, but I sat next to him when they were shown.His smirks and comments at the time were more suitable for watching Charlie.A Chaplin comedy, not for the hideous, transfigured look of my old comrades-in-arms, naked, dying, with nooses around their necks.I couldn't respect him at all after that.Looking back on it today, I also cannot honor the image he left behind. As far as I am concerned, the events of July 20 were a total catastrophe.Since then, I have been walking badly, completely deaf in my right ear, and often have bouts of dizziness and fall over.Also, it ruined my chance of leaving the High Command.Coming from a conservative landowner family, like most of the people involved in the events of July 20, I was a likely victim of Hitler's absurd suspicions and executed by him.Perhaps, though, my wounds make my innocence seem self-evident.Or else, maybe the secret police knew that I was not suspected.Anyway, I was the "good Almin" again, unlike the "others" who received Hitler's courtesy more than almost any other general except Model and Guderian.As a result, I was forced to witness his decline step by step.Until that tragic end in the Berlin bunker, listening to him utter the most obscene abuse against my colleagues and my class every day. .Translator's Note: This small group of conspirators may be said to have the skills of the Keystone police.They keep dropping bombs that don't go off, planning actions where their own people make mistakes, and generally messing things up themselves.But they were heroic people, and their actions were complex and moving.Long dismissed them, a view not common in Germany.I got the impression that Long was exaggerating in his dissent because he felt guilty for not joining. Excerpted from "A Jew's Journey" Today, July 23, Ram led the Dutch Jew who directed the film to inspect the district.The script of the movie stipulated that a big scene should be filmed in the kindergarten.Natalie knew they were coming.She told me that by the time the two cars arrived, she was so nervous that she almost collapsed.But when Ram heard the news of Louis' death, he didn't take it seriously. ""It's too unfortunate.Then use one of the other little guys. "That's what he said." Pick a lively one and teach him that French song your kid sings. ' From his point of view it was only reasonable that the boy should die of typhus.He didn't comfort him, and naturally he didn't suspect him.Of course, we'll have to wait and see.He might look into it too.Right now, I feel great relief. Perhaps none of Natalie's miserable precautions were necessary: ​​Louis's urn in her bedroom, candles for mourning, consultations with rabbis about mourning procedures, going to the synagogue to say prayers , and whatnot.But these things calmed her mind.She doesn't have to dress up!The constant uncertainty made her a little bit overwhelmed.三星期过去，没有进一步的消息，只有那份正式的死亡通知，以及火葬场的那个听来可怕的提议：叫她出一笔代价去领骨灰。娜塔丽房间里放的也许真是路易斯的骨灰，谁知道呢？当然，我们并不相信，可是这件事自始至终一直太叫人相信了。 （啊呀！这些骨灰究竟是谁的呢？） 战事新闻变得令人鼓舞。人们每天醒来，总急切地探听最新的消息。从党卫军营房偷偷传递进来的德国报纸，大家现在总热切地互相传观，因为这种报纸成了振奋人心的源泉。凡是戈培尔的报刊承认的，一定总是真实的，而新近有些报道使人惊异快乐得两眼放光。德国将领中的一个干部设法想杀死希特勒，这是千真万确的事情！我在新闻贫乏的《人民观察报》上看到一篇详细的记载，他们对那个“疯狂的叛徒小集团”沸腾着道义上的愤慨。显然，德国军队的士气正在低落下去。在遥远的太平洋上——又是英国广播公司播出的消息——我们的海军在攻占马里亚纳群岛时取得了另一场胜利，这使日本进入了美国B －29轰炸机的航程，日本政府倒台了。 同时，疯狂的美化运动狂想曲又在全部上演。排练，修改，兴建更加虚伪的特莱西恩施塔特娱乐场：河畔的一片公共“河滩”、露天剧场以及天知道还有些什么别的。这部影片是天赐的一个苟安时期。准备工作需要一个月，拍摄又需要一个月。德国人全力以赴，就象他们对待美化运动那样。倘使柏林正在土崩瓦解的政权中没人想到取消这部影片的话，那么俄国或美国坦克闯进波胡索维斯门时，摄影机可能还在愚蠢地拍着。 因为英美人终于从诺曼底的桥头堡突破出来。德国报纸上提到了一个新地名圣洛，说在那一带发生了激烈的战斗。在东线，随着苏联军队深入波兰东部，德国公报中充满了我青年时代所熟悉的老地名。平斯克、巴拉诺维济、捷尔诺波尔、利沃夫——重要的犹太居民城市、著名的犹太教法典学校以及显赫的哈西德教派的乡土——全被红军重新攻克了。 由利沃夫按直线计算，到特莱西恩施塔特大约只有四百英里。 过去三星期中，俄国人推进了两百英里。三星期中。 这是一场竞赛。由于这部影片，我们有了一个机会。纳粹爱好粗制滥造的欺骗行为，这一回为了这个，可得感谢上帝！八月六日我被选中了去撰写这部电影剧本，因此这份记载中出现了这个空隙。我提议采用一个简单、生动的连贯性主题——犹太区进进出出的流水——心想某些聪明的观看人也许会理解“水闸”象征的意义。导演一语不发就领会了这层意思；我从他的眼睛里看出来了。那个笨蛋拉姆予以批准。他对这项拍摄电影的计划象幼儿那样高兴，尤其在为河滩场面挑选游泳的姑娘这件事上。 路易斯仍然没有消息。一点儿消息也没有。他一住进医院就失踪，到昨天为止已经一个月了。娜塔丽在云母工厂干了一天的活儿后，沉重地缓步走到幼儿园去排练这部影片。她不吃东西，始终不提路易斯，人显得瘦削憔悴、若有所思。几天以前，她在万分绝望中走到医院去，要求跟开路易斯死亡证的那个大夫谈谈。她被很粗暴地打发了回来。八月十八日拍摄开始了。我跟四个合作人一起，日日夜夜在改写那部笨拙的剧本，经常不断地受到那个蠢材拉姆的干涉。没有喘息的时间，不过为了这部影片，还是得感谢上帝。艾森豪威尔的军队已经冲了出来，云集在法国，并且在一个叫作法莱斯的地方包围了德国军队。英国广播公司讲到一个“西方的斯大林格勒”。这时候，盟军也已经在法国南部登陆了；那儿的德军正在惊慌失措地撤退。“法国南部燃烧起来了，”自由法国电台说。俄国人已经到了维斯杜拉河。他们的重兵集结在华沙对岸的普拉加。波兰人正举行起义反抗德国人。华沙市内发生了血腥的巷战。人们的希望越来越光明了。 八月三十日路易斯安然无恙！巴黎解放了！ 这是我一生中最快活的日子。 今天在图书馆摄制影片时，一个捷克摄影师——老实说，我并不知道是哪一个，因为在闪亮的弧光灯下，一切发生得那么迅速——把班瑞尔和那个男孩的一张不很清晰的照片塞进了我的口袋。他们在强烈的阳光下，站在一个干草堆旁边。路易斯显得胖乎乎的很健康。在我写下这些字句时，娜塔丽就坐在我对面，还对着照片快乐地淌眼泪。 战场上传来的好消息正在变成一道奔流。美国各兵团那么迅速地越过法国，以致巴黎没受到损害就被攻下了。德国人仅仅撤了出去，向后逃走。罗马尼亚突然倒戈，对德国宣战。这似乎完全出乎纳粹政权的意料之外。据莫斯科电台说，在进攻的红军和倒戈的罗马尼亚部队之间，德国人陷入了一个巨大的巴尔干陷阱。他们在各条战线上都遭到毁灭性的打击，这是无可怀疑的。据《人民观察报》抱怨，盟国空军的轰炸是有史以来最恐怖、最残忍的。多么高兴啊！戈培尔的社论有一种《诸神的末日》那种刺耳的腔调。这场战争随时都可能结束。九月十日结局现在还会有多久呢？保加利亚对德国宣战了。艾森豪威尔的各兵团正向莱茵河奋力前进，简直没遇到溃逃的德国武装部队的任何抵抗。华沙的起义仍坚持着。俄国人不知怎么并没设法渡过维斯杜拉河去支援波兰人。当然，那些闪电式的推进，使他们的供应线过于紧张。这无疑是这一暂时停顿的原因。 经过不少干扰和拖延之后，拉姆现在忽然下令把影片结束掉。什么解释也没有。我只想得出一个解释来。苏联人攻占卢布林时发现了一个犹太人大集中营，叫作马伊达内克。他们发现了毒气室、焚尸炉、万人冢、成千上万个活骷髅以及倒在四处的无数具尸体，一切和班瑞尔叙述的奥斯威辛情况丝毫不爽。俄国人邀请了三十名西方记者去，让他们亲眼目睹一下那种恐怖情况。这些细节正由莫斯科电台一遍又一遍在报道。最糟糕的报道和传说，竟然全是确切不移的事实。 这样，这个可怕的德国花招就被揭穿了。《元首授予犹太人一座城市》，犹太乐园的一部田园诗般的、长达近两小时的纪录片，大概永世不会放映了。在卢布林这件事暴露出来以后，这部影片成了一个不言而喻、拙劣无比的虚构材料。我们苟延残喘的时期再有五天就将结束。接下来会怎样呢？现在谁也不知道。 这件事是很奇怪的。所有这种种烈烈轰轰的战事发展，就我们说来，只是些遥远的雷声。我们从报上读到消息，或者听到人家窃窃私议某一外国电台的报道。特莱西恩施塔特本身仍然是一个萧条的小监狱城市，夏天的每一个湿热的日子在这儿全都一样；它是一个充满了营养不良、惊恐患病的人们的臭气熏天的犹太区；拍摄影片的胡闹使它稍稍有了一点儿生气，但在其他的时候，它却沉寂得象一个陈尸所。 摘自《世界大屠杀》九月奇迹八月间，在西方某些轻率的记者看来，我们的毁灭似乎“指日可待”。这把东西两面合拢来的老虎钳的钳牙，已经迫近维斯杜拉河和马斯河。在南线，英美两国军队顺着罗纳河流域几乎长驱直入，而在靴形的意大利，他们也远远深入到罗马以北。俄国人浩浩荡荡地大举越过我们在反复无常的巴尔干各国境内的开阔南翼，已经抵达了多瑙河。在所有进行战争的前线，我们的大批部队几乎不是在撤退，就是被包围。 后来，希特勒本人也称八月十五日是“我毕生最不幸的日子”。因为那一天盟军在法国南部登陆，而在北方，冯。克鲁格将军陷入法莱斯袋形地区失踪了。元首在七月二十日以后变得反常地多疑，担心克鲁格的失踪可能是去跟敌人进行谈判；在统帅部里，情况的确显得那么糟。但是英勇的克鲁格很快就设法恢复了同我们的联系。不久以后，他自杀了。到底是因为希特勒愚蠢的指挥毁了他的军队，使他感到绝望，还是因为他当真牵连在炸弹阴谋中，这我并不知道。我承认，自杀的念头在八月间也曾不止一次掠过我自己的心头。 但是九月过去了，还没一个敌军士兵踏上德国的土地！ 蒙哥马利用空降部队在阿纳姆一片狭窄的地区鲁莽地向前挺进，企图通过荷兰包抄西方防线。在伦斯德的部队取得辉煌的战果，击退了蒙哥马利的部队以后，艾森豪威尔向莱茵河的疾进也渐渐放慢了速度。汽油桶全空了，将领们互相争吵，兵力从低地国家分散到阿尔卑斯山山区。俄国人则停留在维斯杜拉河畔，应付我们的一次次反攻，而在河这一侧，武装的党卫军则以炮火与爆炸物夷平了华沙，扑灭了那场起义。敌军从南方对我们发动的攻势全部停顿下来。在最最凶猛的攻击之下，面对着现代历史上最众寡悬殊的形势，德国浑身是血，屹立不动，使四周的一圈敌人无法近身。 假如一九四零年英国的单独抗战值得称赞的话，那么一九四四年九月德国武装部队的这次英勇的奋起迎敌，为什么不应该加以称赞呢？ “九月奇迹”可加分析的要点是很清楚的。西方和东方，我们的敌人在惊人的快速推进中，已经使军需供应跟不上了。同时，在祖国的神圣领土受到威胁的情况下，德国的军纪严格起来，总动员也实行了。不过我们也不能忽视侵略军作战意志的低落，特别是在西方；前一阶段的长驱直入、巴黎的失陷以及暗杀希特勒的阴谋等，引起了一种欣快的感觉，认为“嘿，我们已经打赢了这场战争，我们到圣诞节就可以回家了”。还有，希特勒单方面坚持加强法国各港口的防御，最终也有了收获。艾森豪威尔有两百万人在大陆上，可是通过瑟堡那个遥远的瓶口和一个人造港口，他无法提供必要的军需品去对西方防线发动一次全面的进攻。他需要安特卫普，但我们依然控制着斯凯尔特河口。 战后的军事著作中，有不少对艾森豪威尔发出不切实际的嘲笑。这些作者详细叙述了地图上的距离和部队的总数，却忽略了决定现代战争的顽强、艰苦、复杂的后勤工作。艾森豪威尔是典型的美国军人，在战场上稳扎稳打，但是在组织和供应方面，却多少是一个天才人物。他的谨慎小心和广阔战线的战略，即便不是拿破仑式的，至少不是乖谬错误的。我们还是一个很危险的敌人；他在九月间抵制了一些似是而非的冒险行动，这是值得称赞的。 拥护蒙哥马利和巴顿的人士争辩说；只要有足够的汽油，他们两位英雄中的任何一位本来都可以直捣柏林，迅速结束战争的。勃鲁门特里特将军对审问他的英国人说，蒙哥马利肯定可以办成这件事。我在我的作战分析中将要说明那些决定性的不利因素。简括地讲，依靠拉得过长的供应线来进行这样一次范围狭隘的推进，其两侧都会招致一次灾难性的挫败，一次更大的阿纳姆战役。我和特鲁门特里特很熟；我很怀疑这些是不是他的军事观点。他是在把战败他的人想要听的话告诉他们。即使艾森豪威尔拥有需要的港口设备和交通工具，这件事还是办不到的。他的部队的消耗率是令人震惊的：每一师每一天要消耗七百吨军需品！德国一师人每天靠不到二百吨的军需品作战。 艾森豪威尔经受不起二次大规模的冒险和挫败；有好几百名美国新闻记者紧紧跟随着他，总统选举又不过两个月的时间就要举行，他实在经受不起。敌人的联盟是很不稳固的。在夏季的战役中，英美两国一直地争吵挣扎。而俄国人未能援助华沙的起义——更糟的是，他们甚至拒绝允许英美派空降部队去援助——已经播种下了波兰问题的毒害，到时候将会毁了资本家和布尔什维克的这个奇异的联盟。 不幸，我们缺乏力量去利用我们敌人间的这些紧张关系。希特勒在战场上采取的顽固不化的“死守”政策，使我们损失惨重。在夏季的三次大败——巴格拉齐昂、巴尔干地区以及法国西部——和二十次较小的攻防战中，一百五十万德国的第一线部队被打死、俘虏、包围或者丧失了武器、混乱地溃退。如果这些久经战阵的部队不是奉命死守，而是打上一场灵活的防御战，阻扰敌人前进，同时有条不紊地向祖国撤退，那么我们很可能会从战争中抢救出一些实力来。 事实上，“九月奇迹”并不能改变德意志的灭亡，它只能延迟我们的毁灭。然而，就连希特勒倒下时，他还保有那股催眠力，能够从德国征得具有神经质精力和战斗意志的自杀后备军。八月底，他已经发布了在阿登高原反攻的那道惊人的命令。我们怀着沉重的心情在统帅部制定计划，发布预备性的命令。不论这个人正在如何衰老下去，他的凶残的意志力却是无法抵制的。 英译者按：阿登高原的这次军事行动成为“凸出地带战役”。有意思的是，隆赞扬了艾森豪威尔采用的谨慎小心的广阔战线战略，这是许多权威人士加以谴责的。真正的判断在于阐明霸王行动的很复杂的后勤统计数字。命运支持大胆的人，可是他们要是没有汽油和子弹，那也就无法支持他们。华沙被德国人毁灭掉，隔着河清晰可见，红军很奇怪地按兵不动，这件事仍然引起争议。有些人说，按照斯大林的观点，是一些不正当的波兰人领导着这场起义。俄国人坚持说，他们的军需供应已经到了极限，而波兰人也并不急切地想使他们的起义同红军的计划相互配合。 摘自《一个犹太人的旅程》十月四日拍摄影片结束后的第四次遣送正在装车。我跟尤里。乔舒亚和简最后一次道别后，刚从汉堡营房回来。这是我在特莱西恩施塔特办的犹太教法典学习班的结束。 我们通宵没睡，呆在图书馆里，在烛光下一直学习到天亮。这些小伙子把自己的几件所有物早已收拾好了，他们想学习到最后一刻。我们也正学到一个奇怪，难解的论题：在田野上发现的无名死尸，埋葬这类死尸是大家义不容辞的责任。犹太教法典为了说明这一论点，“走向一个戏剧性的极端。关于仪式纯洁的特别法规，禁止一个高级教士与死尸接触。遵照这些法规，他连自己的父母都不可以葬埋。一个许过拿细耳人的愿的人也是如此。然而一个许过拿细耳人的愿的高级教士——他因此受到双重的限制——却奉命亲手去埋葬一个无名死尸！犹太人对人的尊严，甚至在死后，也是如此尊重。犹太教法典的声音经历了两千年传来教导我的学生，作为对他们的临别赠言：我们和德国人之间是有天渊之别的。 在我把那本旧书合上的时候，乔舒亚，剩下的三个小伙子中最聪明的一个，突然问道：“拉比，我们全将被毒气熏死吗？” 这一句话猛地一下把我又拉回到眼前的生活中来！目前，区里传说纷纭，虽然没有几个人意志十分坚强，敢于正视这种传说。谢谢上帝，我当时能够这样回答：“不会的。你这就要到德累斯顿附近的一个建设工地上去和你的父亲团聚，乔舒亚——你们，尤里和简，这就要去跟你们的哥哥团聚。我们委员会里的人是这么听说的，我也相信是这么一回事。” 他们的脸上高兴起来，仿佛我从监狱里释放了他们似的。他们在营房里，颈子上挂着遣送号码牌，依然精神抖擞。我看得出，他们正鼓起别人的精神来。 我是在欺骗他们地在欺骗我自己吗啪林郊外的佐森建设工地——政府临时办公的棚屋——是一个事实。特莱西恩施塔特去的工人和他们的家属在那儿受到很好的待遇。拉姆曾经向市政委员会坚决地保证，德累斯顿地区的这个劳动工程跟那完全一样。楚克尔主管这次征工，他是一个能干的人，是布拉格的一个老犹太复国主义者和委员会委员，对于应付德国人反应很快。 市政委员会里的悲观主义者往往是一些犹太复国主义者和犹太区里的老难友。他们根本不相信拉姆的话。他们说，征集去了五千名身强体壮的男子，使我们失去了一场起义所需要的人手；万一党卫军决定要来消灭这个犹太区，我们可能要举行一场起义。其他的犹太区也举行过起义；我们听到了报道。影片停止拍摄以后，爱泼斯坦被捕了，这次庞大的征工命令传达下来，美化运动和拍摄影片这件蠢事所带来的虚假的安全感，全都荡然无存，委员会变得灰心丧气。我们已经几乎有五个月没接到过遣送命令了。我听到桌子四周传来反抗的抱怨声，这使我感到吃惊。犹太复国主义者就起义问题举行了几次会议，我并没给邀去参加。但是这次征工按照预定计划已经遣走了三批人，并没什么骚动。 这第四次遣送是极其令人担忧的。的确，他们是已经走了的建筑工人的亲属。但是上星期，党卫军允许亲属自愿报名前往，大约有一千人表示要去。这些人不问愿意不愿意，正被用火车运送走。唯一使人稍许放心的是，这四次遣送确实形成了一个团体——大规模的证工和工人的亲属。拉姆解释说，使家人团聚在一起是上面的政策。这可能是一个安定人心的谎话；可以想象，它也有可能是真实的。 市政委员会就我们可能遭到的命运进行了没完没了的谈论，结果得出了两种相反的意见：（一）虽然战事暂时沉寂。德国人已经战败了，他们也知道这一点。在党卫军头头开始考虑到保全自己时，我们可以指望他们逐渐温和下来。（二）战败成为定局，只会加强德国人想残杀欧洲全体犹太人的欲望；他们会急煎煎地来完成这一“胜利”。如果他们得不到其他胜利的话。 我在这两种可能的趋势之间犹豫不决。一种是明智的，一种是疯狂的。德国人两种面貌都有。 娜塔丽是一个彻头彻尾的悲观主义者。既然路易斯已经安安稳稳地离开了，她过去的顽强意志又恢复了不少。她津津有味地吃着最粗劣的饮食，天天都在增加体重和气力。她说她要活下去，再找到路易斯；如果给送走的话，她打算使自己身体强健，好作为一个劳工活下去。 十月五日第四批人离开以后两小时，他们就下令要遣送第五批：随意地挑选了一千一百人。这一回什么解释也没有，跟德累斯顿的建设工程决无关系。许多家庭都不得不拆散。大批有病的人和有小孩的妇女都得走。要是路易斯还在这儿，娜塔丽大概也得走。德国人干脆又撒谎了。 我决不悲观失望。尽管各条战线上古怪地沉寂，希特勒的帝国却在垮台。文明世界还来得及猛地一下闯进纳粹欧洲这个疯人国来，拯救我们这些残存的人。跟娜塔丽一样，我也要活下去。我要把这个故事讲给人听。 如果我不能这样，那么这样潦潦草草写成的文字会在将来某一时候替我说话。