Alphabet House
Page 51
Those found unfit for military duty were further classified according to the reason for rejection under the designations ‘vU-fehlern’ (ailment) and ‘L-’ and ‘U-fehlern’. vU-ailments, plus U 15,2 and U16 meant unconditional rejection from military service. After treatment the rest could often be designated fit for ‘g.v.H-’ or ‘a.v.’ duty. A large number of these designations dealt only with physical ailments. The designations for psychogenic ailments, such as those suffered by the patients of the Alphabet House, were basically classified as follows:
w.u.: Unfit for duty (although suited to joint the reserves from the fall of 1944).
A15,1: Inherent elated nervous agitation.
A15,2: Low intelligence.
A15,3: Psychologically deviant (usually considered fit for active duty).
Z15,1: Temporary nervous exhaustion caused by external circumstances.
Z15,2: Alcoholism or other ailments caused by habitforming drugs.
L15,1: Neuropathy (nervous condition), psychasthenia (phobia or anxiety symptomized in particular by tiredness, which in turn could be symptomized by loss of sleep, concentration and memory, and the increased feeling of pain). A condition where normal bodily functions that are usually automatic and unconscious become consciously irritating, symptomized by pounding heartbeat or shortness of breath, for example. The patient is often also anxious, unsure of himself and likely to evade difficult or demanding situations.
L15,2: Mental retardation to a lesser degree, debility (often considered fit for duty).
U15,2: More advanced mental retardation, imbecility.
U16: Mental retardation and epilepsy.
vU 15,1: Designation for both past and current mental disease.
vU15,2: Severe mental retardation, idiocy.
vU15,3: Deals with morbid, extreme mental deviation, like compulsion neurosis, extreme congenital depressions or phobias.
L,U/vU17: Suffering from chronic brain and spinal marrow conditions with effects such as continued paralysis following infantile paralysis.
A18: Minor chronic paralysis in the peripheral nervous system.
k.v.U/vU18: Serious chronic paralysis in the peripheral nervous system.
A19: Healed cranial fracture, or concussion without after-effects.
Z19: Same as A19, before possible after-effects have been established.
L19: Abnormal cranial shape, including bumps and indentations, tissue damage and past concussions that make the use of a helmet or other headgear difficult, whose effect is otherwise limited to stupor or dizziness.
U/vU19: Deals with the same kind of case as L19, but with occasional effects of dizziness and approaching unconsciousness.
These are some of the letter/number combinations that gave the nickname Alphabet House to the ward in which this novel’s two main characters were hospitalized.
Appendix II
SS rank comparison to British Army rank
SS Rank British Rank
SS-Schütze Private
SS-Oberschütze N/A
SS-Sturmmann Lance Corporal
SS-Rottenführer Corporal
SS-Unterscharführer Sergeant
SS-Scharführer Platoon Sergeant Major
SS-Oberscharführer Company Sergeant Major
SS-Hauptscharführer Battalion Sergeant Major
SS-Sturmscharführer Regimental Sergeant Major
SS-Untersturmführer 2nd Lieutenant
SS-Obersturmführer Lieutenant
SS-Hauptsturmführer Captain
SS-Sturmbannführer Major
SS-Obersturmbannführer Lieutenant Colonel
SS-Standartenführer Colonel
SS-Oberführer N/A
SS-Brigadeführer Brigadier
SS-Gruppenführer Major General
SS-Obergruppenführer Lieutenant General
SS-Oberstgruppenführer General
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Biographical note
Jussi Adler-Olsen (born 2nd August 1950) is a Danish author, publisher, editor and entrepreneur. Born in Copenhagen, he was the youngest of four children. His father was the successful sexologist and psychiatrist Henry Olsen, and he spent his childhood with his family in doctors’ official residences at several mental hospitals across Denmark. In his late teens, he played in a couple of pop groups as lead guitarist. After finishing school he went on to study medicine, sociology and film making. Over the course of his career Adler-Olsen has worked in a number of different sectors of media. He made his debut as a non-fiction writer in 1984 and in 1997 he turned his hand to fiction. His novels have been sold in more than forty languages. His name has appeared frequently at the top of the bestseller lists in many countries, including on the New York Times paperback bestseller list.
Copyright
Published by Hesperus Nova
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First published by Hesperus Press, 2014
This ebook edition first published, 2014
First published in Danish © 1997
This edition © JP/Politikens Hus, Copenhagen 2014
English language translation © Steve Schein, 2013
Typeset by Sarah Newitt
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