Further
Newspaper
Articles
Translation
by: Claudia Möller, U.S. Veterans Friends Germany, Weimar
Bob’s
special birthday
(TA, Tuesday, April
12th, 2005)
APOLADA (Ah) Yesterday, on exactly the same day as the
liberation of Apolda took
place by American troops in
1945 a group of American
veterans paid the town a visit yesterday reminding it of the 60th
anniversary of this geat event. Among
them is Bob Harmon, celebrating his 80th birthday today to whom
this date , April 12th , means even more by evoking personal
memories dating back 60 years ago when turned 20.
Being a Private First Class then he and 20 others of his fellow soldiers
serving in the 319 ID of the 3rd US Army were in charge of
granting Colonel Castello ‘s jeep protection en route from Troistedt to Weimar where the document of Weimar’s
surrendering to the US Army
was signed. ‘Moreover, our
task was also to secure the area’, Bob said. Whether, he, however, was
celebrating his 20th birthday in Weimar or not belongs to the
things he can’t recall any longer. ‘Still quite vivid in my mind, just
as though it happened yesterday’, the veteran continued, ‘ is another
interesting incident which I experienced after having left Weimar.
Together with 50 of my fellow soldiers I went to Austria where we found 10
thousand art treasures stored in a salt mine there in order to avoid any
destruction by bombs. Among the treasures were works by Rembrandt and Rubens’.
The paintings were taken to Munich, finally, and it was
Bob Harmon who escorted the convoy.
12.04.05 Copyright: ‘Thüringer Allgemeine’
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TA/13.04.05
By Michael BAAR
Weimar.
‘In Commemoration of the US soldiers, liberating Thuringia from the
National Sozcialist Dictatorship in April 1945’. This is what the
letters made of brushed high-grade steel at the blocks of Muschelkalk read.
The monument at the base of Sebelius Street right at the corner where the
Fuldaer Street and Swanlake Street cross each other commemorates
the Americans in Thuringia. At least it lasted 60 years before Weimar
commemorated those who risked and lost their lives there not only in
Archives. According the exclusive request of the Thurigian Chancellery
Weimar’s Lord Mayor,
Volkhardt Germer in the presence of Eleanor Fox, US Consul,
devoted the monument to the liberators of the entire Federal State
Thuringia. ‘In it’s kind it is unique and the only one in Thuringia’,
Eric Reilinger, a veteran having served in the 80 ID, realized. ‘It does
not make a difference between the Divisions’. Mr Reilinger recalled his
time of being there: ‘During the last days of the war the Nazis sent their
unexperienced members of the Hitler Youth into the battle and we, too,
were young men far away from being professional soldiers. The establishing
of the monument is to be owed to Hans Stadelmann’s persistence in
keeping on this idea for which Mr Reilinger particularly thanked him.
Stadelmann has been involved in commemorative places in Weimar and six
further ones in the vicinity since 1998. Based on that the Head of the
town consideres Stadelmann’s ambition and engagement as a prove the the
ciitizens of the town suppport the monument. ‘There isn’t a grace of
the late birth’, the mayor sais. When Weimar refers proudly of
his great poets than the town has simultaneously take responsibility for
the sanity having taken place on German ground 60 years ago. The
establishing of the monument is an evidence that remembrance never fades.
Finanzing the monument was partly done by donations collected by Hans
Stadelnmann as well as by sponsorship. As to the Town of Weimar own
funding were contributed by the Planning Department and Building Control
Office which will continue being responsible for the green area. The
biggest sponsor was the bank
Sparkasse Middle Thuringia. Next to that further firms , such as ‘Ihle
Scenery Architects’, Weimar, Lindenlaub Inc., Weimar-Legefeld, Finne
Naturestone Roob Inc. & Co KG, Hardisleben, Trend Schrift &
Werbung, Weimar, Viso-Glas
Inc., Ilmenau and Glas Köhler, Weimar sponsored the monument. It
didn’t happe accidently to chose the place at the corner Swanlake
Street for the monument for it was this street the American troops came
along when going further into Weimar.
Helen Patton-Plusczyk’s presence, the lengendary General Patton’s grand-daughter, and her addressing the attendees with her grandfather’s farewell words to his soldiers ‘You were dubt in blood and fire and became steel in it’ was a surprise of a special kind. The general passed away shortly after his leaving the Army in 1945.
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Vetera
Former US soldiers at commemorative events
WEIMAR (rd). Approximately 40 former US soldieres, having been
stationed in Weimar and the vicinity in April 2945 are visiting the town
of Weimar in the frame of the 60th anniversry of the liberation
of the Former Concnentration Camp Buchenwald. Their stay from April, 9th
till 16th was organisied by the Association ‘US
Veterans’ Friends Germany, Weimar.
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(TLZ
(Thüringer Landeszeitung) April, 12th
2005)
To
the country of the dearly beloved potatoe
Special exhibition on the Potato Cultural Country USA
Heichelheim. (tlz) A special exhibition informs about the Potato Cultural
Country USA at the Thuringian Dumpling Museum in Heichelheim from tomorrow
onwards. The reason of it’s opening is the 60th anniversary
of the liberation of Heichelheim and Weimar by American soldiers. Veterans
from New Jersey, Fliorida, Oregon and Ilinois having been involved in the
liberation 60 years ago are opening the exhibition by celebrating the
German-American Potato Friendship in a cultural culinary way.
Students of the Thuringian International School in Weimar also
contribute to the opening ceremonies by
presenting a cultural program in which the development of the
potato is displayed.
Potatoes have become a ritual and are considered as cultural assets in
the United States of America: The country not only belongs to the five
biggest potato producers all over the world , but next to that worships
this vegetable enormously. In particular it’s the population of the
Federal State of Idaho being very proud of
the potatoe for each number blade of vehicles reads ‘Potato State
Idaho’ and shows the potatoes next to the letters. Moreover, the USA is
known for the invention and cultivation of plenty of potatoe dishes that
range from chips up to the backed potato.
The exhibition, however, provides even a further survey on this beloved
plant and it’s significance in the USA as well as the ‘Potato
Friendship’ between Germans and Americans.
Opening scheduled for tomorrow, 11 am
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Thüringer
Landeszeitung (TLZ), Thursday, 14th April 2005
From
the Potato farmer to multimillionaire
Lines below the picture:
The plant potato connects peoples and generations: Based on that the new
special exhibition on the ‘Potato Cultural Land USA’ at the Thuringian Dumpling Museum in Heichelheim was opened by
US veteran Eric Reilinger as well as the two students Kyley and Aaron
attending the Thuringian International School Weimar
Heichelheim
Everything is ‘Great’ in America. Not only potatoes of the size of a
football which easily feed a family of four at dinner exist in this contry,
but also the fields where the potato is planted cover huge acres. The USA,
however, to which this kind of vegetable has been taken from South America
to Europe by a circuitous route belongs with a yearly production of 460
million hundredweight to the world’s biggest potato producers.
Yesterday’s opening of the special exhibition at the Museum which
dedicates a show on potato traditions to another every year took place
next to that for further second reason – the liberation from war and
fashismn of this Northern community, Heichelheim, by American soldiers 60
years ago. Eleven of these
soldiers dwelled in the frame of the 60th anniversary of
liberation from the Nazi Regime in Weimar again these days and enriched
the opening of the exhibition by their presence.
It was Eric Reilinger, who pointed out that the Spanish conquers’ owe
their discovery of the potato to the Southamericans’ natives as they had
to make the tiresome experience the best part of this plant doesn’t grow
above, but below the soil.
Following the devise ‘The potato connects accross borders and generations’ the young generation, the students of Thuringian International School Weimar, contrubuted their part to the opening and displayed in little scenes the history of the potato in the finest English language. In the frame of that the ‘Potato Song’ experienced its
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Realization
of what happened here
Monument
for US veterans – General Patton’s grand-daughter visiting Weimar
Weimar. (tlz/bük) When commemorating the liberation of
the former Concentration Camp Buchenwald in these days US soldiers are an
(untrennbarer) linked with these historical moments. Within only two weeks
they have ceased the rule of the Nazi-Regime in Thuringia by reaching
Buchenwald on 11th April and invading via Swanlake Street into
Weimar a day later. Since yesterday right at this place a monument reminds
of the killed soldiers during these days of April 45.
The veterans’ attendance in the commemorative events
at Buchenwald was organized by the Weimarer Association ‘US Veterans’
Friends, Germany. Among the guests dwelled Helen Patton-Plusczyk,
grand-daughter of the ledgendare and controversial US General Patton
who’s 3rd Army reached Buchenwald. Helen living in Käshofen,
Rheinland-Pfalz, has never met her grandfather who died in Austria in
Winter 45 in Austria from his injuries of a car accident.
Helen’s knowledge of these days is based on her grandfahter’s
diary and talks. ‘I’d prepared a bit, read in his diary before I came
to Weimar’, the 43-year-old woman married to a German doctor said.
She’s aware the fact that her grandfather was considered as one of the
most important creatures of WWII,known in particualr for his controversial
political atitudes. However, to judge about this she leaves to others. The
general, in 1945 at the age of 60 seemingly
had seen everyhing in his life. ‘But’, so Helen, ‘when entered
through the gate of Buchenwald he had to vomit caused by the agony having
encountered on there.’ Extremely shocked by the cruelty of the Nazi
Regime Patton commanded the military police to guide the citizens of
Weimar through the camp. 60 years later his grand-daughter visits the
Former Camp Site the very first time. ‘One attempts to realize what
happened here’, she reports. ‘but you can’t, it’s impossible even
though you seem to feel the blood and the goose skin makes shaking your
entire body ever and ever again, but in vain.’
The Monument in commemorance of the unforgettable
merits of all those American soldiers killed in WWII established at the
corner Fuldaer Street - Swanlake
Sreet represents the utter Staate of Thuringia. Initiated by Hans
Stadelmann it was partly financed by private sponsorship.
‘Thank
you, Hans Stadelmann. We can commemorate our killed comrades. They will
never be forgotten’, Eric Reilinger (85) said. He marched alongside
Swanlake Street today 60 years ago
‘Now we can honor our killed comrades which will never been forgotten’, said Eric Reilinger (85) who exactly on that day 60 years ago marched through Swanlake Street.
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Keeping
spinning the threats of the past
Yesterday Weimar’s High School students devoted an entire project day
to the liberation of the Former Concentration Camp Buchenwald
Weimar’s High-School students reminded of the liberation of the
Former Concentration Camp Buchenwald 60 years ago by conducting a project
day. The Lord Mayor Dr. Germer tributed deep respect to the students for
their suphisticated program.
WEIMAR (paw).
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60
Years
By Michael BAAR, Thueringer Allgemeine
That’s the way how ways cross, how times change. Next to
representatives of the Town Council and numerous citizens of
Weimar also a group of US veterans, staying in Weimar on invition
of the Association ‘US Veterans’ Friends, Germany,
took part in the dedication of the monument in the afternoon
yesterday. Among the veterans
is Bob Harmon, the last survivor of that legandary crew of four jeeps,
which rolled with Commander Colonel Normando A. Costello on the Market
Place in Weimar on April, 12th 1945.
The yesterday’s speech of Weimar’s Lord Mayor was translated into
English by Alexander Letetzki. Not having been born in 1945 he is linked
to that special date, 12th April by his profession as a
translator with the Russian military (civil official). After the ceremony
was over a elderly citizen of Weimar’s
approached the Americans and the Lord Mayor yesterday and pulled a
picture our of his pockets. ‘This was him in 1945, dressed in a uniform
and wearing a steel helmet. When in Weimar the war was over he still was
lying in the trenches in the Netherlands.
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