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| * 25.06.1893 Nowo Rudnia, Ukraine + 11.03.1971 Dibbesdorf, Braunschweig, Germany |
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Heirat : 19.10.1919 Dr³ckendorf-Neudorf, Kr, Briesen, West Prussia
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| 3 Kinder. |
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| * 12.12.1920 + 10.01.1921 |
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| * 09.01.1922 Hoeckendort, Kr. Hagen Pommen, German (now Poland) |
Excerpts from Edith's about-to-be published book:
My grandmother Wilhelmine and family came about 1906 from Russia toGermany with her parents Friedrich Wilhelm and Katharina Wiesner. Ibelieve the parents bought the farm in Druekenhof, Kr. Briesen, West Prussia, Germany. And later Wilhelmine took over
the farm. That part ofGermany became Poland after WW 1. My parents lived in that part ofGermany also but they left as it became Poland. We went to my mom'ssister's wedding, in Poland in 1937. I got to know great grandpa Friedrich Wilhelm and really
liked him. He died at aged 92 fleeing fromthe Russians in 1945. It was winter time and very cold, he could not takethat. He always had to know what was going on in the world, read thenewspaper daily.
I got to know August Wiesner, grandma Wilhelmine's brother. My parentsand I lived 6 years in Milwaukee Wisconsin (1926-32). My parents wereout of work and so we went for a visit back to Germany. Hitler took over in 1933 and we were not alowed to come
back to Milwaukee, as we were notfull citizens yet at the time. August lived in St. Paul, Minnesota. Iremember going to visit there.
I am in contact with August's sons, Wiesners with "ie" . Wonder whyWilhelm changed that.
Adolf came to visit in Milwaukee but after disappeared for ever.Heinrich was the only son to stay in Russia. I am in contact with one ofhis descendants. Now a few are living in Germany. They had a very hard time in Russia. Heinrich and his son were
killed by the communists.
Back in 1921 when my parents first escaped into Germany, part of mymother's family had stayed in west Prussia which was now under Polishrule. This included great grand-pa Friedrich Wilhelm Wiesner, my mother's parents, Karl and Wilhelmine Sorge, and her
two sisters, Elseand Hilde, who stayed in Poland. Else and Hilde (still living is 85 butin home - lost her memory) had become Polish citizens but the parentswere exempt. Being of German descent, even though they were now officially Polish citizens, they
were subjected to terrible mistreatment,suffering persecution on every side.
I was told that at one time the hymnals of the German church theybelonged to were burned. The extreme bad blood between the Poles and theGermans had been generated by years of wars and the numerous times the countries changed hands. Because of the hatred
and prejudice, nobodytrusted each other. My Grandfather Karl and Uncle Otto Arndt, Else'shusband, slept with guns under their pillows. Three big watch dogs weretied around the farm house and barn. I remember at the gateway guarding was a big Saint
Bernard.
In 1937, Hilde was married to August Wehrman. I was her bridesmaid. Itwas strange to see German young men in Polish uniforms at the wedding. Irecall, after the wedding we drove with my mother's brother Uncle Willy, in his car into the old part of Poland
where the newlyweds had theirpicture taken. I was surprised to see many people, dressed very poorly,staring at us as we got out of the car. I wondered if they had neverseen an automobile before.
The married couple received numerous wedding gifts and we had some in thecar with us. To disguise the gifts at the checkpoint on the Polishborder so as the Polish officers would not detect them, we hid them in our clothes. We used the sheep fur blanket
they received to cover up, asI do not recall the car was heated. The silverware was hidden in ourcoats. My Aunt Emma stuffed the large soup ladle into her stocking. Atthe checkpoint my aunt showed the young Polish officer everthing she thought he should
see. He was a handsome young man and only had eyes forme so he did not pay any attention to what Aunt Emma was displaying. Thesmitten officer completely missed seeing the ladle protruding from aunt Emma's stocking when she bent down. End result, we
passed inspectionwithout having to declare our booty. We all had a good laugh about thatafterwards!
One day in 1939, Uncle August Wehrman discovered a family in his villagewith their tongues nailed to the kitchen table. This atrocity outragedhim so much he vowed he'd wage a fight to the end for freedom.
Stories about the frightful mistreatment of the German-speaking people inPoland was a factor in Hitler's decision to invade Poland in the Fall of1939 and take back the land lost in World War I. He ordered Poland to hand over the strip of territory across
the Polish Corridor to linkGermany proper with East and West Germany. When the German troopsinvaded Poland, my family rejoiced that now their relatives would be freeagain.
When Hitler demanded Polish territory, Great Britain and France backedPoland and declared war on Germany on September 3, 1939. Uncle Augustwas drafted into the German Army shortly after this as Poland became German territory again. Sad to say, he was
killed in 1943 leaving twoyoung daughters to grow up without their father.
My family had to flee in Oct 1944 from the Russians. My daughter wasonly 6 months old. In January 1945 was our big journey, from Jan 21-Mar28. Winter time with horse and wagons. I kept a dairy all those weeks and wrote my story for my family. I had no
diapers. We all did not havea bath those weeks. Slept mostly in barns or in the wagon. My daughterwas frost bitten on hands and face. She was full of sores and had to beput into the hospital as we arrived in west Germany March 28, 1945. My husband was
3 years in Russian prison camp.
Heirat mit : Herbert Henry Riske
2 Kinder. Karin Ingrid, Evelyn |
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| * 19.03.1934 Robitten, Kr. Heiligenbeil, East Prussia |
Heirat mit : Christa Helga B³hrig
2 Kinder. Simone, Martine Lydia Dora |
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