Simon Maroko - February 19 & 26, 1986
Reaction to German Invasion
Can we stop you there? What, what did you say to each other when you saw the German Army come by?
I think you asked last time also what did your parents tell you, what, what, like in this case. I don't know whether we really talked that much. We were, in a sense, a quiet, relatively quiet family. We did not do what I--today as a psychiatrist, definitely would, I would want to know what someone else thinks, feels and what opinions that person has. Uh, if I think back uh, I could have known a lot more about my family, about my parents, my sister. I didn't even think of asking, what do you think, what did you feel, what opinion do you have?
What did...
There were some things, we assumed certain things. In other words, I can safely assume that uh, both of us were, we thought it was horrible, it was awful. We had lost the war and who knows what's going to happen to us.
That's what you felt when you saw them.
Right.
Did they, did they see you?
Did they what?
Did they see you?
The Germans?
The German troops.
Yes, we were just standing there.
Standing on...
It was the first day after they entered. They didn't even know that we are Jewish. In fact, that came up later on, that I looked Jewish. According to the farmer, I didn't look Jewish and therefore I was permitted to uh, go and walk and work outside the farm.
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