September 16, 1944
Introduction to the content
With a title illustration depicting Adolf Hitler as Charlie Chaplin, Curt Bloch refers to the first poem in this edition: German Tragicomedy. In it, he addresses the German people, who took their leader seriously and worshipped him as a “godsent hero.” The world, on the other hand, considered him mad and ridiculous. This turned out to be a mistake – Adolf Hitler, as a psychopath, was extremely dangerous. Fortunately, his “crazy clownery,” which led to countless deaths, is coming to an end quickly. “And if it wasn’t so sad, it would be almost comical.”
In the Nazi press, Frenchmen fighting alongside British troops for the freedom of their country are denounced as “mercenaries.” Curt Bloch believes that a double standard is being applied here. The word “mercenary” is never used in connection with the Cossacks who are serving the German Wehrmacht on French territory.
General Kurt Dittmar (1891–1959) worked as a radio commentator at Reichssender Berlin, and his analyses of the problems facing the German troops on the Eastern Front are the subject of a newspaper article. He attributes the obvious difficulties to the sabotage by those involved in the assassination attempt on Hitler on July 20. Curt Bloch believes that with such statements, Dittmar belongs to the inveterates; they do not attribute the “great German failure” to strong enemies but rather to traitors within their own ranks. Now that this world war is also being lost, they can always try a third time.
In the poem One day peace will come, Curt Bloch dreams of the “day of our dreams,” when the hidden ones will leave their hiding place and move freely in the world – as “humans among humans.” However, the scars of the inflicted pain will stay with them throughout their lives.
A press article reports the cessation of theater and concert activities in Germany on September 1, 1944. All artists are to be sent to the war effort or employed as laborers in the armaments industry. In the poem Goebbels’ Cultural Demolition, Curt Bloch speaks to the Germans: except for the greatest need, there is nothing left, so now they must even endure cultural loss. He envisions a prima ballerina as a factory worker or comedians at the front. The dismantling of the “last shabby remnants of German art” reflects the reprehensibility of the Nazi system.
This OWC edition was published on September 16 – four days earlier, the south of the Netherlands was liberated by the Allies as part of Operation “Market Garden.” Curt Bloch is pleased with the positive developments – and also with the fact that members of the Dutch Nazi movement are now filled with fear. He observes: The NSB members tremble. Their leader, Anton Mussert, calls for the evacuation of the families of his followers to the northeast of the Netherlands. In his verses, Bloch suspects that it will only be weeks before all of the Netherlands is liberated. However, he will have to wait more than half a year before he can leave his hiding place.
