Selected text
Until 14th June 1941 Estonians regarded Germans as oppressors and enemies. When in 1939 local Estonian Germans left Estonia as per Hitler’s call, Estonians were happy about it. After the deportation, when 10,000 people were deported from Estonia to Siberia, Russians and Soviets became the enemies. The deportation of Estonian population was a gross mistake of the Soviet regime.
Two of my mother’s elder brothers, Isaac and German, and their families were deported. Only the youngest brother, Pesach, remained untouched. He was single at that time. Isaac and German were married to wealthy ladies and the Soviet regime thought them to be capitalistic parasites, who were supposed to be deported.
When Grandmother found out about that, she rented a car and followed the train from Tallinn up to the Southern border of Estonia. At every stop she gave her sons and their wives money, food and everything she could possible give. After that trip Grandmother came to see us in Tartu. She never went back to Tallinn. A week after deportation we found out about the outbreak of war on 22nd June 1941. We heard on the radio that Germany had attacked the Soviet Union. The war began.
Two of my mother’s elder brothers, Isaac and German, and their families were deported. Only the youngest brother, Pesach, remained untouched. He was single at that time. Isaac and German were married to wealthy ladies and the Soviet regime thought them to be capitalistic parasites, who were supposed to be deported.
When Grandmother found out about that, she rented a car and followed the train from Tallinn up to the Southern border of Estonia. At every stop she gave her sons and their wives money, food and everything she could possible give. After that trip Grandmother came to see us in Tartu. She never went back to Tallinn. A week after deportation we found out about the outbreak of war on 22nd June 1941. We heard on the radio that Germany had attacked the Soviet Union. The war began.
Period
Year
1941
Location
Estonia
Interview
Avi Dobrysh