Elisabeth Burmeister née Selitzki (*1918), Eggestr. 52, D-32758 Detmold

Expulsion from Gross Tuchen, Kreis Buetow on August 4th, 1946

- Translated by Heinz Radde, Kuettigen / Switzerland -

The Polish police woke us at 4 o'clock in the morning. They struck with the rifle to the windows and called: "Today behind the Oder!" A Pole with a horse and cart was ready in order to drive us into the village. Everything had to go very quickly. The policeman stood outside and waited, the other one was in the room and hustled us. So we could not even dress correctly. We were allowed to take along 80 pound of baggage. So we tied the beds together and loaded them onto the car; but the Pole flung it down again. Thus we had to leave our house and home with a bag in the hand and half a bread only.

Arrived in the village, farmer Emil Trapp took us in receipt. He had a list with the names of the people, which had to leave Gross Tuchen. When all were present, we were brought by the Poles to the railway station of Buetow. After long waiting a train came at last. It was a freight train. We cleaned ourselves the freight cars and could then enter in a cattle wagon. Again long waiting. Finally the train left. Route for Rummelsburg - Schneidemuehl. There were many interruptions. Poles came and plundered, the police made their beats. After three days travel we then arrived in Stettin-Frauendorf. At first customs inspection. There one did take away our bankbooks, other valuable articles we had no more. We were deloused and registered and came then into the camp in Scheune. We were driven to Stettin each day. There we had to clean dwellings and to make clearing work; sometimes privately with Poles also.

Transportation went to Luebeck after about three weeks on. There we were one day and one night and came then to Uelzen. There we were several days. On September 10th, we then arrived in Detmold. We were distributed into the surrounding villages. I came with my parents, Gustav and Therese Selitzki, and my son Siegfried to Pivitsheide. The parents meanwhile passed away but my son and I still live there.

1995, sgd Elizabeth Burmeister née Selitzki