August 15, 1944
Introduction to the content
In the poem Even If I Mention It Myself … Curt Bloch takes a rather critical look at the exploits of Cornelis Drebbel (1572–1633). The Dutchman is known as the inventor of the submarine, with which he could stay underwater for several hours. Bloch doesn’t consider that a remarkable achievement because he has been living in hiding for almost two years now.
Heinrich Himmler (1900-1945) held a position of power during World War II that was second only to Adolf Hitler’s. He directly or indirectly controlled the German police, the security service, the Gestapo, and many other organizations. He was one of the main architects of the Shoah, responsible for the murder of millions of civilians and numerous other crimes against humanity. Therefore, he deserves his own poem by Curt Bloch. In it, Bloch describes in detail the terror spread by “Heinrich Himmler’s warriors.” But he also knows: “Very soon, he will face the court, very soon, he will face revenge” – Himmler went into hiding after the war but was captured and placed in British captivity. He avoided a trial by committing suicide on May 23, 1945.
The Case of Marion Stankovich is a curious fraud incident in the United States that Curt Bloch comes across in a small newspaper report. Bloch turns the story into rhymes. It is about a woman who has been married a total of fifteen times – but never got divorced. In this way, she obtained allowances for her husbands who were in wartime service. Curt Bloch suspects that the woman, who is now in prison, will even “marry her jailer …”
According to a press article, Wehrmacht soldiers and volunteers from other European countries who were incorporated into the Wehrmacht remained convinced of German superiority and “faith” even in captivity. Allegedly, they repeatedly said, Hitler is “the Greatest Man in the World.” Curt Bloch mocks this unwavering dedication to the leader: compared to Hitler, the great German poets and thinkers are “nothing more than a zero”; he is worshipped as the messiah and hero, and no one can match him. However, this unshakable belief of loyal soldiers “it’s very unfortunate, the whole world doesn’t believe in it.”
The Hitler Salute in the German Army replaced the traditional salute that had been customary in the military, where the right hand is brought to the headgear. In his satirical verses, Curt Bloch initially considers this homage to Adolf Hitler an excellent idea. The outstretched arm would have a positive effect on the course of the war and diminish the morale of the Russians. “It‘s as if a traffic policeman, raises his hand for stop.” In case things on the Eastern Front don’t go as planned, Bloch gives the German soldiers advice: “Then don’t just raise just one paw, but both in the air!”
