Return to Dresden, Continued (Revised)

Photos
The Zwinger & Fine Art Museum
Semper Opera House
The cemetery
The New Synagogue
Speaking at Hatikva

Monday was the first real day of the tour and a very hectic one. I met Suzanne at breakfast in the hotel buffet and at 9 o’clock we were on a bus for a city tour. Our guide was Mr. Matthias Lerm, City of Dresden officer of sustainable development and member of the UNESCO World Heritage Foundation for the Dresden Elbe Valley. It was a great tour; first to the Semperoper (the opera house originally designed by Otto Semper, a famous Saxon architect, who also designed the original Dresden synagogue) and the adjacent Zwinger, the fine arts museum. Then it was across the Elbe and through Neu Stadt to the Weissen Hirsh (White Deer) a hillside area overlooking the Elbe valley. I remember that it was at the Weissen Hirsh, that my Mother took me skiing at age 5 or 6 and I cried a lot, hating the cold and the wet and the snow. The guide told us that due to climate change there was no longer enough snow to ski on the Weisse Hirsch – good! We were told that Dresden has 40,000 vacant dwellings.

Next was a visit to the Fiedlerstrasse Jewish Cemetery. The cemetery staff was very well organized and I was taken to my Grandfather Leopold’s large double grave (row 4, grave 7) Obviously he had expected his wife Selma to join him! Suzanne and I each placed a stone on his grave; a Jewish custom to indicate that we had been there. By the way, there was a concrete urn full of stones near the entrance so that one did not have to look for a stone! I also found the grave of Felix and Francesca Berlowitz (new section, left 26, grave 26) the parents of Roy Calder of Marin County and formerly of Dresden. Then it was lunch at “Carolaschlossen” (Carola, little castle) a rather fancy place beside a lake in the Grosse Garten. Lunch was delicious and a bit of a disaster since the restaurant was not really prepared for our group of about 34.

We arrived at the New Synagogue about an hour late. First we visited the synagogue where Nora Goldenbogen, President of the Dresden Jewish Congregation welcomed us, gave us a tour and explained the building. Then it was to the Community Center where Heinz-Joachim Aris, of the Jewish Community Center, welcomed us. Over coffee and cookies Mr. Aris showed us the “Gedenkbuch”, the book of memories, which lists about 7,000 names of former Jewish residents of Dresden and what became of them. The book is in 17 volumes plus a summary. My Mother, Father, Grandmother and I are listed and there is a picture of me in the summary. We were told that 5000 school children visit the new synagogue and community center each year. From the new synagogue it was back to the hotel for a rest. Later Suzanne and I walked down to “A Ha” the organic restaurant where Lilli took us on our first day. The restaurant was crowded with only one large empty table upstairs. As a German couple walked in Suzanne asked them to share the table with us. I asked them if they were from Dresden or were visitors and so started a most delightful conversation. The couple were in their 50s; she was Susanna and I don’t think he gave his name. They were from Frankfurt, had come by train to Dresden and then rented a car. He was an investment advisor and worked with some non-profit groups including the Catholic Diocese. We spoke mostly German with some English. I told them that I was born in Dresden and went to England on the Kindertransports. I was surprised at my openness and the easy conversation that we had. Dinner was very good; I had a noodle and vegetable “Auflauf” (casserole), very organic and delicious plus an organic beer. Then back to the hotel and to bed.

On Tuesday morning I spoke at “Hatikva” (10 Polsnitzer Strasse in Neu Stadt) a Jewish educational organization and a partner with Friedman Bringt’s group arranged by Friedman and Nora Goldenbogen. I was welcomed and introduced by Friedman and Nora and Alex Lorenz, a volunteer. There were 14 students aged from 18 to about 22; some were connected with ‘Rotenbaum’ (Red Tree) a communist organization. None of the students were Jews. I spoke in English and they listened politely. I felt that they were engaged however when it came to Q and A they were very reluctant. I checked frequently if they understood me. Two or three of them asked all of the questions. Their interest was mainly political. Did I think that Germany should have remained divided? I said, that I was not in a position to answer that. I should have asked them what they thought! Was I aware of the difference between the East and the West today? Yes, I had some idea and they filled me in. Today unemployment is much higher in the East and the wages are only about 60%. Retirement benefits are also lower in the East than the West. I felt the meeting was very productive and I was presented with a small book about the Dresden Jewish Community.

From Hatikva I went by taxi to “Gansedieb” (Goose Thief) to meet the group for lunch. This was one of the better meals in Dresden. I had Sauerbraten (a very fancy pot-roast) with red-cabbage and dumplings; dessert was a kind of latkes (potato pancakes) served with applesauce. After lunch there was another reception, this time in Der Rathaus (City Hall) with Herr Lehman, another deputy mayor. The original Dresdeners from our group sat round a very large table and this time it was our turn to speak. The meeting became very emotional as we each told our story of being forced out of Dresden and being scattered around the world. The deputy mayor hoped that we could, one day be able to return to the city as ordinary visitors. I told him, for me ‘no’; Dresden would forever remain the city that forced me out. Andreas Rentsch a freelance reporter for the Sachsische Zeitung interviewed me and the following day there was a nice article about the group with a picture. In it I was correctly quoted as saying, “one of the main reasons for accepting the City’s invitation was to show them that I was still alive.” I asked Suzanne to address the meeting and she spoke very well saying that I had neglected to say that my Father died in Auschwitz and my Grandmother in Theresienstadt. After the reception many people congratulated Suzanne and me on our presentation.

From the reception it was back to the hotel for a short rest and then the bus took us to the Semperoper for “The Marriage of Figaro” by Mozart. The opera house is a small, gold leaf and red plush jewel box with no balconies and 4 tiers of boxes lining the walls. Some of Wagner’s operas and many by Richard Strauss had their first performance here! The production was very modern with abstract scenery and singers in modern dress. But what singers? Of the 10 main characters all had magnificent voices and the ensemble singing was breathtaking. The Dresden Staats Oper (State Opera) is a repertory company so they are much used to singing together. When my Mother used to go to the opera in San Francisco, her highest accolade would be, “In Dresden it could not have been better” and now for the first time I understood exactly what she meant!

Friedman Bringt is with the Kulturbuero Sachsen, an organization supported by the State of Saxony whose main purpose is information on right-wing extremism and daily racism in Saxony. Hatikva is an organization for Jewish Culture and History, which works with a group for Christian – Jewish cooperation and is funded by the City of Dresden.