Open Letter to:
Comment to: Irish Times
Regarding the article:
“Germany faces up to slavery of children in post-war years”
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/world/2009/0218/1224241331302.html
"Dear Madam"
With appreciation, I read the article “Germany faces up to slavery
of children in post-war years” in the Irish Times. So far, the
Irish Times is the only non German Newspaper who addressed the post
war human rights violation.
Beyond being used as slave laborers, the institutionalized, endured
unspeakable abuse. We as the victims of this Nazi hierarchy thinking
society we were pruned as humans 2nd class to support the economical
boom and serve cheep laborers. A proper, sufficient or self chosen education
was denied to most of these institutionalized children. Too many human
spirit were broken by physical, psychological violence and sexual abuse.
It is known that many of these childhood victims were medicated in these
institutions to keep their lively will to be somebody, under control.
We were daily reminded, in many different forms, that we are the outcast
of society and must obey if we would like to receive our ration of food.
However, it was expected that these broken souls become responsible
adult taxpayers und support the same society who treated them with maltreatment.
Either these children were taken from their Mothers shortly after birth
because the were the offspring of an undesirable race. Others newborns
and babies were dumped in orphanages because they were the result of
sleeping with the enemy.
While some of the mothers faced the rearing of their children alone
because their husbands belong to the fallen soldiers other remarried
again. Both faced the increasingly raising stigma of “assozial”,
a term for people who did not fit in the picture of the now booming
German society. The new husbands approached the inherited child with
hostility to a point of rejecting and abusing the innocent child. Beating
a child into submission was the common practice, a leftover of Hitlers
“black pedagogic”.
Others formed new Families, with the same imprinted mindset of their
beloved Hitler. Children were born not out of love more likely to be
hated and used. Respect for a human life in the post ware area, especially
for children, was even then influenced by the parents hierarchical upbringing,
who past on their learned pattern of worthlessness to their children.
Then, these children became an nuisance and ended up in institutions.
The slides disobedience, such as a girl dressed in the fashion of the
fifties, aggravated parents and neighbors resulted in being put away,
to learn decadency and respect. What they really learned in the institutions,
was how little value a human life has.
Some of these children were glad to escape the daily hell at home, believing
their live can not get worse outside their family. What they experienced
then, under the “caring love of Christ” and under the ‘watchful
eye of the new German law”, established in 1949, pushed some of
them on the edge of their sane existence.
Today many of these childhood abuse adults living with PTSD, anxiety
and depression unable to work. In many cases these in distress people
can not claim early retirement because the years of slave laborer are
missing in their social security account. The responsible organizations
and name brand businesses these children worked for, did not paid in
to the social security accounts, as the German law required. Now the
childhood enslaved is felling being the outcast of society again, just
as the imprinted in their childhood suggested.
The German government apologized to the childhood victims and, by forming
a round table, looking at the accusations, brought forth by the formal
childhood abused.
The responsible Organizations declared previously, that is was not child
slavery, rather a therapeutic necessity. I hope the government will
ask the religious organizations not only about their inhuman behavior,
also how they arrived at such wealthy status today, if not from the
enslaved innocent.
Historians on the other hand looking for the “why” such
atrocities could happen under the watch full eye of the newly formed
democratic government.
While the Lutheran Church has acknowledged with shame the pain they
have inflicted in the innocent children the Catholic Church is reluctant
until the last moment to admit any wrong doing. The same responsible
organization are sitting now at the round table and the notion of “controlling
the damage” they maybe held responsible for, is in many victims
mind.
Only a very small percentage of the institutionalized are able to bring
their lifelong pain to the service. Some of them have surrendered to
a depressive silence, or even try to find something good in the years
of abuse. Only a very few were able to write about their memories because
they educate them selves later to replace the missing knowledge.
Somehow, I get the notions that what these today adults experienced
in their childhood will not be efficient acknowledged and the long-term
effect abuse has, not recognized. There was already one official attempt
by Ursula von der Leyen, a politician, who tried to stop the round table.
It would be unwise for all institutionalized victims count on a eventual
compensation. It is possible that the German government will provide
a handout while victims must continue in the cage society build for
them over 40 years ago.
Sieglinde W. Alexander
Administration
Adults Abused as Children Worldwide www.aaacworld.org
Erwachsene Misshandelt als Kinder www.emak.org
Haunting Shadows from the Past www.boxbook.com
P.O. Box 3058
Moriarty, NM 87035 USA
Fri 2/20/2009
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