Guest-writer: The history of a ball
Homage to a glass-maker
By Werner Holzhausen
For many years it is almost unnoticed in the living room. Few recognize their purpose, and wonder just calls her production date. It is one of the few pieces of inventory, which in April 1945 looting and destruction in the small settlement house between the two main battle lines in the vicinity of the Neisse survived.
The father, a skilled glass makers, they sometimes looked gedankenversunken. The following night he dreamed hard. His screams were heard throughout the house. Once, I had to kick ball exercises in the garden abused lüftete he Geheimniß her. He told of the serious work of the mouth glass maker and the few pleasures during and after strenuous work.
In 1893, he was in a Lugknitz with the horses shared residential buildings in the stall Raetsch smelter born. He was one of nine children of the coachman of the glass factory Raetsch family. With 13 years he was hired out in the cabin, and to 1913 when he entered military service, he led a work station for the production of "Greater stuff." Here was our ball (paperweight) also originate.
The turn of the century (19th to 20th century) drew the flourishing glass industry with its rapid growth workers from the vicinity, but also from distant parts of Europe. Supporting and Anlernkräfte came mostly from the domain-speaking villages in the environs of white water and Muskau. The necessary professionals from Bohemia, Hungary, the Alsace, and the black-and Bavarian forest.
A Bohemian glass maker, it was, on the way to Argentina Station in Lugknitz made to get the money for the trip to Buenos Aires to earn. He was a skilled glass craftsmen, young and full of energy. It came, as it so often is not planned, he fell in love with a young seamstress from Muskau. You, the daughter of a shoemaker and a seamstress, was handsome and flirtatious. For them, Wally Krueger, as he made the souvenir paperweight with the initials WK 1914. When he, his goal is not losing sight of, to Bremen to war, he also had a living proof of his skill. This was a smart, sporty talented young man, the great war swallowed. Wally was not alone long. The glass maker from Raetsches Coachman family had found her liking. They gave birth to him in the war year of 1915 is a girl. Only 1917, lost in the midst of war, could be married. With two young children WK still had a long wait for years, always in fear of the black rimmed letter. The glass maker returned with some Blessuren, but work from the genocides. The following world economic crisis beutelte the glass industry, with all its corollaries. The glass maker has been temporarily unemployed and looking for another job.
On 19 April 1928 was the family a second daughter was born. She grew up on the care and was the favorite of the family, especially her father. Over all these years graced the paperweight part of the glass showcase in the good room.
New Work existed in the Sallmann smelter, in the manufacture of tanks and battery boxes (mouth blown). Then, after the 1939 and mobilization military short time, the glass-maker and Others (Indispensable) and now produced in the OSRAM drug and specialty glass flask. The last working day was the 15.04.1945. Then it to the "Heldenklau", and the Volkssturm should he senseless fighting in space Niesky the army Wenk. His knowledge from the World War No. 1, and his common sense made him a heroic death to escape. The escape led him to Tetschen / Bodenbach (now CS). In the attic of the hospital where he spent many days and nights. From there, he watched the invasion of the victorious powers. The home was adventurous.
When he was on 25.05.1945 home heimkehrte, he was from the Russian town commander, after interrogation, immediately employed as a protective husband. (Richard had since 1909 in the glass workers' union, and not a member of the NSDAP).
Here he also learned of the tragic death of his wife Wally (WK), and his beloved daughter. Exactly at its 17th Birthday they were a Russian air raid on the flight at Kiekebusch (Cottbus) to the victim. You are in a mass grave buried. His house was looted and dirty, but it was weeks in the battle zone between the fronts. In the remaining mess was also the paperweight. It was obvious no one use.
After seven years of service had the former glass makers acknowledge his police service. His glass-maker past it had obtained. As a very heavy smoker and by the formal If he had venous legs, came cardiac asthma so bad that he could move. He learned in the last two years of life still write typewriter, and I had to break him and teach bill percent.
Richard N. Died aged 64 ¾ on the day of the launch of the first Sputnik. A brain stroke put his life in the middle of the city on the road to an end. That is almost fifty years ago. In all that time, the "ball" is always an exposed position in the living room. Only a few have opted for it and its history.
P.S. Of the five brothers of Richard N. Four also went into the "glass". The youngest worked for several years in Hungary and took away his wife and their entire family. Of the descendants living today is not in the glass industry.
(2004)
More about paperweights on
www.kulturpixel.de:
German Paperweights about 1900
About the production of paperweights
Of a glass maker and his paperweight
Of a glass maker and his paperweights
Of a glass engraver and his paperweight
About the "ironing" with paperweights
Paperweights from Lusatia/ Germany before 1945
Paperweights from Lusatia/ Germany after 1945
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