The House by the Lake

by Thomas Harding

  6 ‘Her [Cordula] father and uncle had advised …’ On 21 October 1995, Klaus Munk (Cordula’s uncle) wrote to Frank Harding (Elsie’s son). In this letter, Klaus Munk makes it clear that, as far as he is concerned, the lake house still belonged to the Alexanders, describing it as ‘your house’. Yet despite his appeal for an ‘exchange of information’ and an appeal to learn the ‘view’ of their former neighbours, Klaus Munk never heard back from the Alexanders. Believing that they were attempting to repossess the house, Klaus Munk assumed that the family was busy fighting with the German legal system and did not have time to respond to him.

  7 ‘One of Kaminski’s first acts …’ The Groß Glienicke council first decided that the area near the lake should be a public area on 20 June 1990. It took some time for this decision to become part of the local plan.

  Chapter 29

  1 ‘She was accompanied by six of her grandchildren …’ There were eight of us on the Berlin trip: my cousins James, Alexandra and Deborah, my sisters Amanda and Kate, my fiancée Debora, myself and Elsie. I recorded the visit on a video camera, but lost the tape on my return. Twenty years later, while researching this story, I found it.

  2 ‘she had soon returned to work …’ Elsie’s customers were sent over by Globetrotters, a Hamburg-based travel agency. That they were mostly elderly Germans gave her great satisfaction, partly because she had power over them, partly because she was making money off them, and partly because she could spend endless hours telling them how proud she was of her adopted country, of Britain’s religious and cultural tolerance, of their long respect for democracy, and how they had generously given her and her family refuge from Nazi Germany. When asked how it was that she spoke such wonderful German, Elsie would tell them, ‘I went to school in Berlin.’ When they invariably asked, ‘Aren’t you homesick?’ she would say, ‘You can only throw me out once.’ About halfway between London and Edinburgh, Elsie liked to stop off at Coventry Cathedral – where the locals called her the ‘Rabbi of Coventry’ – and lecture her German audience on the terrible bombings that had destroyed this city, and of the stoicism its people had showed in rebuilding their lives. Whenever one of the Germans made the point that the British had laid similar waste to Dresden and Berlin, Elsie would pounce, reminding them of the tyranny of the Nazi state and the millions who had been murdered in the Holocaust. Another perk of the job, given that her customers were typically elderly men and women, was that by talking incessantly into the microphone at the front of the coach, Elsie was able to delay the passengers’ toilet breaks. In this small way, she wreaked revenge on the German tourists.

  3 ‘The end to the British rule at Gatow was marked on 27 May 1994 …’ On 27 May 1994,The Times ran a feature under the headline PRINCE’S BERLIN PARADE MARKS BRITISH RETREAT. According to the article, the British had taken over Gatow when Berlin was ‘still a labyrinth of bombed streets’, and for the British soldiers now leaving, ‘the withdrawal is no great tragedy’. But the closure of the base was significant, the article concluded, because ‘some vital connection between Britain and Berlin is being severed. The old names and buildings were the hallmark not only of an occupying but also a protecting power, most apparent during the Berlin airlift of the Cold War years.’

  4 ‘Over the next few years, the NVA barracks …’ Established in 1992, the Panzerhalle became a haven for artists, sculptors and illustrators. The studio comprised five hundred square metres of floor space, a vaulted ceiling that was two storeys high, and enormous doors which could accommodate even the largest artwork. In 2008, the tearing down of the artists’ squat provoked considerable protests and attracted wide coverage from local and national media. A smaller artists’ studio and exhibition space now exists, situated in one of the brick buildings at the former barracks. In 2015, it was announced that some of the remaining barracks would be used to house refugees from Syria.

  Chapter 30

  1 ‘Inge Kühne decided to move out …’ In August 2014, Sylvia Fiedler, a long-time resident of Groß Glienicke and local journalist, sent me an email arguing that the local residents should be forgiven for not taking better care of their properties and pointed out that life was in some ways better before reunification. ‘In DDR we could not buy building materials, pipes, pins, planks, taps and so on in a shop,’ she wrote. Despite the problems, ‘most houses and properties looked good until 1990’. After reunification, the villagers found it hard to maintain their homes, given that many of them lost their jobs overnight. ‘Certainly it was not the deliberate will of the former residents of the lake house to destroy the house.’ She added that to many, the DDR offered real benefits that West Germany did not have, including free childcare and healthcare, cheap food and full employment.

  2 ‘One favourite was “Dark Place” by Böhse Onkelz …’ The rock group Böhse Onkelz drew considerable controversy, particularly in their early years. Founded in 1980, they were associated with the skinhead culture and accused of promoting violence and nationalism. During the 1990s, they were banned by the large German retail stores, Media Markt and Saturn. By the end of the decade, the group repaired their image by repeatedly denouncing extremism. To date they have produced over twenty gold-and nine platinum-selling songs.

  Chapter 31

  1 ‘Someone drew a hammer and sickle and the letters YPA …’ The Yugoslav People’s Army was the military services of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, founded in 1945 and disbanded in 1992 with the break-up of Yugoslavia.

  Chapter 32

  1 ‘When he had mastered the loop, Chris …’ Chris Grunert continues to participate in motocross championships. He hopes to compete professionally some day.

  2 ‘It was around this time that a few of the original lakeside homeowners …’ On 15 July 1996, members of the expanded Bundestag passed the Mauergrundstücksgesetz, or the Wall Land Law, enabling owners to purchase the land that had been taken from them at 25 per cent of the market value. Some Groß Glienicke landowners chose to purchase the land back. Many did not even know that they could. Some of those who had lived at the lake the longest now complained that they had purchased the land twice, once in the 1930s and again in 1996.

  3 ‘A few took more aggressive action …’ One such resident was Peter Daniel, a lawyer who lived two hundred metres south of the lake house. A few days after he blocked the lakeshore path that ran behind his house, a group of protesters gathered outside waving placards, with slogans that read ‘Blocking the way is violence’ and ‘Free the shore at Groß Glienicke Lake’. Daniel was nervous enough to call a security company who stationed a couple of guards by his fence next to the trail. The following week, on Easter Monday 2010, over three hundred protesters gathered outside the Daniels’ house. This time there was a police presence to witness a local politician shouting ‘With the lake we have a pearl’ through his megaphone. Peter Daniel then came out to speak to the protesters. It’s unclear what happened next, although Daniel believes he was struck on the head with a hard object, perhaps a bottle. Injured, he was taken to hospital where the doctors diagnosed concussion. The suspect, whom the police had arrested, was cleared of charges by a local court. After that incident, the protests became less intense as the issue moved from the lakeshore to the courts. Daniel removed his barrier, although he would continue to tell those walking or cycling by that they were trespassing.

  BIBLIOGRAPHY

  Agee, Joel. Twelve Years. American-born writer describes living in Groß Glienicke from 1948 to 1953.

  Alexander, John. A Brief Measure of Time. A self-published history of the Alexander family.

  Anonymous. Woman in Berlin. Brutal description of life during Soviet occupation.

  Applebaum, Anne. Iron Curtain. A landmark work detailing the history of Eastern Europe from 1944 to 1956.

  Ash, Timothy Garton. The File. A powerful personal investigation focusing on the author’s own Stasi file.

  Biddiscombe, Perry. The Denazification of Germany: A History 1945–1950. Overview of den
azification process by American, French, Soviet and British powers.

  Clare, George. Berlin Days, 1946–1947. Memoir that covers post-war Berlin and includes a passage on Clare’s time working for the British denazification commission on Schlüterstrasse.

  Clark, Christopher. The Sleepwalkers: How Europe Went to War in 1914. Ground-breaking history of the lead-up to the First World War.

  Falada, Hans. Alone in Berlin. Brilliant fictional account of life in Berlin during the Second World War.

  Fesel, Anke, and Keller, Chris. Berlin Wonderland. Pictures of Berlin after the fall of the Wall, from 1990 to 1996.

  Fontane, Theodor. Wanderungen Durch die Mark Brandenburg. Classic recollections of travels through Brandenburg by one of Germany’s best-loved writers. The third volume describes his visit to Groß Glienicke.

  Fulbrook, Mary. The People’s State: East German Society from Hitler to Honecker. A useful introduction to life in the DDR.

  Funder, Anna. Stasiland: Stories from Behind the Berlin Wall. Introduction to world of East Germany’s security service through the eyes of an outsider.

  Gerber, Rolf. Recollections and Reflections. Self-published memoir by a friend of Elsie Harding.

  Gilbert, Martin. Churchill: A Life.

  ——. Kristallnacht: Prelude to Destruction. What took place on 9/10 November 1938 in Germany.

  Groß Glienicker Kreis. Jüdische Familien in Groß Glienicke. Eine Spurensuche. History of Jewish families in Groß Glienicke researched by residents of the village. Booklet available from Groß Glienicker Kreis.

  Hass, Michael. Forbidden Music. Review of Jewish composers during the Nazi period.

  Haupt, Michael.Villencolonie Alsen am Großen Wannsee. An introduction to various houses and villas close to the Wannsee; includes interesting photographs.

  Kalesse, Andreas, and Duncker, Ines. Der Gutspark von Groß Glienicke. History of the Groß Glienicke estate, booklet published by the city of Potsdam.

  von Kalm, Harold. Das preußische Heroldsamt.

  Kempe, Frederick. Berlin 1961. One year at the heart of the Cold War.

  Kershaw, Ian. The End: Germany 1944–1945. Details the story of the war’s end.

  Ladd, Brian.The Ghosts of Berlin. Review of changing architecture of modern Berlin.

  Laude, Ernst and Annelies. Groß Glienicke – Geschichte und Geschichten. History of the village by former editors of the Chronik. Booklet available from Groß Glienicker Kreis.

  Lehmberg, Otto, and Toreck, Renate. Groß Glienicke im Wandel der Zeit. A history of Groß Glienicke through the ages. Booklet available from Groß Glienicker Kreis.

  Leo, Maxim. Red Love: The Story of an East German Family. Provides insight into ordinary life behind the Wall.

  Naimark, Norman. The Russians in Germany. A history of Germany during Soviet occupation, 1945–1949.

  Nooteboom, Cees. Road to Berlin. Memoir of Dutch journalist’s return to Berlin.

  Peukert, Detlev. The Weimar Republic. A history of Germany, from 1918 to 1933.

  Richie, Alexandra. Faust’s Metropolis: A History of Berlin. Definitive account of Germany’s capital city.

  Schmidt, Bernhard. Ein Interesse weckt nur noch das Altarbild. History of church in Groß Glienicke by its pastor.

  Schrader, Helma.The Blockade Breakers. Introduction to the Berlin Blockade and Gatow airfield.

  Schroeder, Rudi. 100 Years of Will Meisel. Self-published history of Will Meisel and Edition Meisel, includes CDs with composer’s music.

  Taylor, Frederick. The Berlin Wall. Introduction to life before, during and after the Wall.

  ——. Exorcising Hitler. Description of denazification process, including post-war tribunals.

  Walters, Guy. Berlin Games: How Hitler Stole the Olympic Dream. Useful review of the Berlin summer Olympics and its background.

  Woodhead, Leslie. My Life as a Spy. Memoir by documentary film-maker includes his time as an intelligence gatherer in Gatow.

  von Wysocki, Gisela.Wir machen Musik: Geschichte einer Suggestion. Daughter of music producer Georg von Wysocki provides insight into living in Groß Glienicke from 1940 to 1948.

  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  My research really started with the villagers of Groß Glienicke, and one person in particular, Sonja Richter. It was Sonja who first told me that the house was in poor condition. It was Sonja who helped me find the Gestapo’s files on Dr Alexander which were buried in the Potsdam archives. And it was Sonja who introduced me to the initial village contact that led to a chain of interviews. First, there was Burkhard Radtke who lived behind the lake house, who in turn set up a meeting with Bernd Kühne. From Bernd, I found his mother, brother and sisters, and Roland Schmidt. Through Sonja, I also met the village pastor, who in turn made the phone calls to Wilhelm Stintzing, the hundred-year-old priest who had worked for decades in the village, along with Günther Wittich, the man who remembered playing in the schloss in the 1930s and the day the Canadian parachutist fell near the lake during the war. The chain went on: the village mayor, the president and volunteers of the Kreis, the current editors of the Chronik, the farmer whose house was bombed during the war. The network of contacts and interviewees grew, but none of it would have happened without Sonja.

  Enormous thanks are due to Moritz Gröning. I first met Moritz at his family’s house in Groß Glienicke, which Moritz and his family have beautifully restored and which itself has Denkmal status. Since that time, Moritz has petitioned politicians, architects and members of the community to help protect the house, as well as helping to restore the house himself. Moritz and his wife Friederike, along with their children Ferdinand, Helene and Johann, have welcomed me into their home on too many occasions to count, and have made me feel like I was part of the community. The lake house would not have been saved without Moritz.

  It wasn’t easy to find members of the Wollank family. People in the village questioned whether there were even any living descendants. To track them down, I hired a researcher. After some time he discovered a distant cousin who had compiled a family history. It was from this source that I was able to locate Helmut von Wollank, the son of Horst and grandson of Otto von Wollank. Now residing in Kirschroth, a small town in western Germany, Helmut lives alone since his wife died in 2014. In a series of telephone calls, though disinclined to talk about the past, Helmut shared his story.

  A few days later, I met Helmut von Wollank’s son Markus in a small cafe on the northern edge of Berlin’s Tiergarten park. A celebrity reporter, who socialises with the likes of Kylie Minogue, Uma Thurman and Paris Hilton, Markus told me that his family had not returned to Groß Glienicke for decades. ‘Going back there would bring waves of happiness and sadness,’ he said between sips of mint tea. ‘It would make me melancholic.’ Instead, he prefers to live in the present. Despite his own hesitancies about the village, Markus said that he would like to see the lake house restored.

  It was far simpler to make contact with the Meisels. The family business, Edition Meisel, is still going, and the contact information is readily available from their website. Following a series of emails, I met up with the grandson of Will Meisel, Sven Meisel, who is now running the company, from the headquarters in Berlin. From this and other conversations, I was able to construct a family history. Eliza Meisel died two years after her husband, on 8 July 1969. They are both buried in the Wilmesdorf cemetery in Berlin. Their sons continued to run the family music business until their deaths: Peter in 2010 and Thomas in 2014. Sven is Thomas Meisel’s son. Though he has no memories of the house himself, Sven accompanied me on a visit to the lake house with his wife, daughter and dog. He was surprised by its size. ‘It is much bigger than it looks from the outside,’ he said. He and his family are supportive of the restoration of the house.

  Once I learned that Hanns Hartmann had worked for West German Broadcasting, I was able to make contact with the broadcaster, and from there was quickly put in touch with the archivist who manages Hartmann’s personal papers. From those, it was possible t
o reconstruct his life story. The archivist was extremely helpful, sending me a copy of Hanns Hartmann’s short unpublished memoir, as well as letters he had exchanged with Will Meisel.

  Lothar and Sieglinde Fuhrmann still live a mere two hundred metres from the house. After the Wall came down, Lothar worked as a caretaker in a local children’s home and Sieglinde in the post office. Now retired, they spend their days pottering around their garden or visiting their grandchildren. While they worry about the cost of renovation, they would like to see the lake house restored to its former glory.

  I first met Bernd Kühne in the courtyard of the Drei Linden (now called the Hofgarten Hotel). He still lives in Groß Glienicke with his wife. When I spoke to him about the house, he cried, remembering the wonderful childhood he’d had by the lake. He does not wish to return to the house until it is fully repaired, but he supports its renovation and the idea of the house becoming a cultural centre for the community.

  I met his mother, Irene Kühne, now Irene Walters, in her Potsdam apartment. Unlike the untidy state of the lake house when Inge Kühne lived there, Irene’s home was impeccably neat and well organised. Since her second husband, Klaus Walter, passed away, Irene has lived by herself. She is not ready to visit the lake house, worried that it will be too upsetting. Once it is renovated, she told me, she would be willing to visit. It had been her home for over a quarter of a century.

  Inge Kühne is now living in a home for the elderly in Potsdam. She suffers from Alzheimer’s and it is sadly impossible to have a conversation with her. Roland ‘Sammy’ Schmidt still lives in the village. Now in his thirties, he has no consistent job, though he sometimes works in construction. According to his Facebook page he likes to play poker, supports Manchester United and his favourite movies include Rambo, Rocky and Transporter. He still plays football for the village team, SG Rot-Weiß, for whom he regularly scores. Roland introduced me to Marcel Adam, who had lived with him at the house for over a year from 1999 to 2000. I met Marcel at a coffee shop in Potsdam. He told me that he had known Roland since fifth grade, when he was ten years old. Marcel now works repairing boats for competitive rowers at the Potsdam Boat Club. When asked about the freewheeling lifestyle of his late teens, Marcel told me that this was ‘the best period of my life, I would like to do it again, but maybe for not as long’. In April 2015, Marcel took part in the second Clean-up Day at the house, spending hours clearing bushes and weeds from the pond which Wolfgang Kühne had installed decades before.