November 11, 1944
Introduction to the content
In Adolf Super Bonaparte, Curt Bloch remembers Napoleon’s regret that he failed to unite Europe and his conviction that a “greater” power would succeed some day. Hitler is now trying to fulfill that destiny and conquer the entire continent. In reference to the National Socialist Gestapo (Secret State Police) and its excessive violence, Bloch labels Hitler’s European fantasy “Gestopa.”
With A German to Doctor Saal, Curt Bloch responds to a press note about the “candid” words of a military commentator. Dr. Jos Saal dared to doubt the Nazi propaganda. He argued that the German Reich was in danger and “not out of the woods yet.” In the poem, a German responds with shock and anger: “What Goebbels says is true!” But Bloch remains unimpressed by Saal’s seemingly audacious candor because “everyone and his dog” knows that there will be no final German victory.
German Field Marshal Erwin Rommel (1891–1944) is the title figure of this OWC edition. After his successes in the North African Campaign, he was known as the “Desert Fox” and Hitler’s favorite general. When a Dutch newspaper reported that Rommel died in a car accident, Curt Bloch wrote The Song of Marshal Rommel † with the chorus “One upon a time in Africa …”. Later, it was revealed that after the assassination attempt on Hitler on 20 July 1944, Rommel was accused of complicity and forced to commit suicide.
Razzia! contemplates the fear of death among those in hiding during frequent police checks. While he sat in an attic, Curt Bloch thought of those who had to hide in tunnels, pits, and even coffins. They all sought protection from Hitler, who loved “the bad … the horrific,” and from the German people in the service of this devil, and his rampaging “gang of robbers.” These “Hun hordes” will soon be brought down, and then “a new resurrection” will bloom for those who are hiding.
In response to the Soviet occupation of the Norwegian city of Kirkenes, Curt Bloch wrote a Reprimand for Eisenhower. While the Red Army pushed the Wehrmacht back in many parts of the Eastern Front, Bloch was dissatisfied with the commitment of the Western Allies. He reminds the American general of the conditions in the Netherlands, where “manhunts rage, and suffering prevails.” Dwight D. Eisenhower (1890–1969) should be ashamed, convert words to action, and send liberation forces instead of bombs.
In Naming, Curt Bloch is amused by Mr. Böllermann, a manufacturer of “anti-flatulence remedies,” who was searching for a name for his newborn daughter. The fact that the name should be “Aryan and yet refined” made the fanatical National Socialist’s choice a torment. Eventually, he turned to his “Pastörchen” (little pastor) with a list of Nordic names and many doubts. Apparently, the pastor had a subversive sense of humor. He advised Böllermann to name the child “Siegwinde” …
