Hermina Diwald was 13 years old at the end of the Second War. The fighting had stopped and people were heading for home. Living was beginning again. But, not so for Hermina Diwald and her family. Home had stopped being home. They were never to see Werschetz again. They were German. The Banat, where Werschetz was had become east. Hermine, her sister, and family, and many more Donau Schwaben as well were interned.
Camp life was hard. There was Illness, hunger, and hardship. Families were separated. All part of the misery. There was, however, a choice. Stay put in internment and end up in Russia - probably dead. Or, take your chances and run! And, so it was that Hermine, her family, and others, as well, stepped out after dark through a hole in the fence into freedom. Their flight to the west was dangerous and hard. Being barked at by dogs. Being hungry and cold. A journey of permanent risk. Sleeping by day and walking by night. But, they arrived. Happily exhausted. Soon afterwards, Hermine and family found a new home in Vienna.
But people don’t run away from places, it is from people they flee! Home will always be home. And home needed keeping alive.
In Vienna, Hermine and others busily wrote and produced the Werschetzer Zeitung, a journal of essential reading for those who never left Werschetz in heart. But bitterness was never part of its content. The Werschetzer Zeitung was interesting, factual, and entertaining as well. Yesterday was past and the then was the present. Werschetz would always be Werschetz and the Werschetzer Zeitung was there to connect.
Sadly, Hermina Diwald passed away a few years ago. But, as long as was able, Hermine Diwald kept keeping people together. Writing's a gift. Hermina Diwald used it for good.
Hermina Diwald. A lady who stepped through a hole into freedom.
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