16 years hidden!!!

[ocoleanui]

http://www.evz.ro/articole/detalii-articol...ldatului-Anton/

[Alexei2102]

Fascinating story... the human nature is so hard to understand...

[LeCCa]

wow, fantastic!

[New Connaught Ranger]

Now only if there was a translation for the benefit of our Non Romanian reading / speaking members.

Kevin in Deva.

[ocoleanui]

CA in the film. A peasant family in Vrancea hid a German soldier in the house for 16 years, at the end of World War II.

A story
unheard of took place in Vrancea Mountains brains with over 60 years ago. Anton Rodewald, a German soldier lost his army in the last part of the Second World War, was hidden in his house in Nea Ion Stancu for 16 years.

Precise reasons for these unique happenings were lost in time, just as all the heroes of the story went far from God. The only evidence of the events is very grateful German, unwavering decades thereafter: returned to their native place, year after year Anton sent packages and letters to Uncle John.

A single yellow epistle rufos and lasted until today and is written in Polish, as a final irony of life in a story with the Germans, the Romanian Communists, Nazis and that, in fact, borders between countries and the Language melted as would be counted again.

"What killed Franz?"

Autumn 1944, Vrancea. Romania turned arms against the Germans and helped the Russians, the Germans pushed them westward. Stray from their troops, some German soldiers wandering through the woods, terrified of the possibility of being caught by Russian forces who came down to Bucharest. I know that once they arrived last, will have little chance of survival. Revenge on Russian occupation is underway.

"There were five. Woe to their head ... these people were innocent! And scared ... we have built in the forest aicea behind a hut and went to eat them, "says Nea Costache Wheel, now aged 84 years
, As were the few soldiers near shield their little village hidden in the forests.

Unimaginable, cut off from the world and terrified with fear, Germans remained so into the woods for nearly two years! The silence was broken but after a shooting guard, Babis, strolling the woods, he saw smoke coming from the hut.

He called the squad at Focsani, following an ambush, killed one of them. "Franz ... What killed on Franz? Cursed be what it was! "Frowned Nea Costache with Babis mind, as if Franz would have been any closer.

About three other German soldiers heard then that would have run together for Casin Monastery and that they were lost track. The last, Anthony, had something else to happen ...

Fear of death

"One night, Anthony came down from the hill in our yard and told my father-in-law:" I would hide from you zidouă one that kills me! I do not go! ".

Nea Ion Stancu, man in the prime age and about the same years that Anthony, not stayed too far ahead and took the house. That if that were done 16 years ... It's hard to say how they reached that incredibly long period in which an alien could lurk in the house of a householder who lived among the community and participate in all natural events in the village.

Survivors of those remaining few years. He died and Uncle Stancu, by '88, died and his wife and children have died and, in fact is certain that died and Anton, who today would have to be about 110 years.

The one who walked in the footsteps of the story is the daughter of Uncle Ion Stancu, flower lady who lives right in the house
in which Anton and who died hiding in various drawers envelopes of letters sent to Anton after returning home to Poland. Why there and not in Germany?

Because it was ethnic German Rodewald vicinity land, after the war he was awarded the Slavic state. The letter only one remains, in Polish, in which no one understands anything.

Bearded ghost

No flower lady not caught on Anthony in the house for his married son of Uncle Ion Stancu about a year after his departure. "I told the house about what he did. The house, in a wood cutting, but also paint or pray with the family. Told that he and his family and three children, one of which was in the belly of his mother when he went to war. Home to him was the postmaster, "says the woman, showing us an icon of the Neamt.

People say that once was everything, and realized why the Uncle John was always the door closed, but Nea Costache boast that he knew German, but he said to no one.

"Their garden bordering the mine and one night I saw a man with a beard and I realized it was him. After the walk we recognized. He fled the house when I saw "said the old man.

Benefactor. Ion Stancu (left), the German hidden risking his life and his family

Borta under the bed

Nobody knows how to say it came as German soldier to remain hidden so many years. But the village elders, the then very young, say they were a few explanations: if the first years of Anton He was afraid for his life, then never ran to not harm his Uncle Stancu.

They were the '50s, the years of terror in the joint property security kill thousands of "enemies of the people". If the former soldier had been caught trying to flee from Romania, had been sick the whole family to the shelter.

Aunt Flower said, the bed of the big room, Ion Stancu bort dig a fit as a man. If he felt something on the street, Anthony immediately jumped into it.

Daughter just had a wedding

In the summer of 1960, history had begun to brighten the eastern Europe in May. A driver in Gura Valley, traveled the world and knowing that Rodewald hiding, came to Uncle Stancu and said: "Enough! Any offense is barred after 16 years and, therefore, Anton can leave the world ".

Took, led him to Bucharest, at the Polish Embassy, which sent him back but in Gura Valley to have time to do some checks. "He came back one night, alone. He stopped a man and asked him where is the church. It was part or because he knew his way home Uncle Stancu. Had stood 16 years and did not know the hidden village ", says Uncle Costache.

After that, Anthony came into the world relaxed. "I called to me. He said he no longer eats the sweet. He was faithful. He had left his beard to avoid being recognized, but because we were old rite as to believe that it is of ours. Very quiet man, good storyteller. He said as he fought in Russia, "Costache quite remember.

After leaving home, in letters, German told how they tested the embassy. I have given several images of women and asked him who is his wife. He recognized one of the first. And they said gave the tears that waited all those years. And the story in letters that he returned to his village when one of her children exactly prepared for the wedding, so I never had more joy in family Rodewald.

The last letter in 1988

Police took statements and his Uncle Stancu, but did not do anything. Years have passed, German May passed through the village when he came with his family on the coast, the Black Sea. Otherwise, it's John letters and packages sent with all sorts of things, as he recalls Aunt Florica.

Last news came in 1988 after Anton Rodewald sign that he must have died. He was then almost 90 years. Stancu and Pan Uncle Anton met up there, and are particularly good companions.

He looked at home in Gura Valley where they state with much of life and deapănă memories or stories you made after they separated. When angry, Lord Commander looked at them and handed them least.

====

Astonishing CASES

A similar story: Japan in Ukraine

Anton Rodewald if not unique. Feeling was the 1974 discovery on an island near the Philippines, the Japanese soldier Hiroo Onoda, for which the Second World War is not over. He was sent there in December 1944 and forgotten, so he remained on duty conscientiously.

It took his former commander brought to cave in! Closer to today, in 2004, another Japanese soldier, who was known to have died in war, turned out to be alive in Ukraine.

Ishinosuke Uwano, aged 83 years, was officially declared dead in 2000. Since 1945, he lived in Ukraine and even its a family name.

"I would like to visit the graves of my parents and I see every
cherry blossom in Japan as "Uwano confessed after his story became public.

"UNDEGROUND"

Kusturica's parable

In the movie "Underground" film director Emir Kusturica also from the deal starts World War II. Story takes place in Belgrade where an underground weapons factory. Blacky and Marko, two inseparable friends, make a plan about during the bombing of the Belgrade: Blacky down in the basement with his family and neighbors to be protected from war, and Marko is still out to sell weapons produced by others underground. Later, black-market arms dealer for many years, Marko not tell others that the war was over.

After 50 years, Blacky and his leaving the basement, but still not come to believe that they were deceived, in a parable about alienation that causes a war on people.

[Imperialist]

Here is my translation, which I think is more readable than the machine-generate text that Ocoleanui posted. The article is pretty long so I will update this post several times to add the other parts.

PART I

Like in the movies. A peasant family in Vrancea hid a German soldier in the house for 16 years, at the end of World War II.

An unheard of story took place in the heart of the Vrancea Mountains more than 60 years ago. Anton Rodewald, a German soldier who was separated from his army in the last part of the Second World War, was hidden in the house of Ion Stancu for 16 years.

The precise reasons for these unique happenings have been lost in time, just as all the heroes of the story have passed away. The only evidence of the events is the gratefulness of the former German soldier, still unwavering decades thereafter: having returned to his native country, Anton kept sending packages and letters to Ion year after year.

A single yellow letter has lasted until today and is written in Polish, as a final irony of life in a story with Germans, Romanian Communists, Nazis, in fact a story in which the borders between countries and languages melted away as if they were never there.

"Why did he kill Franz?"

Autumn of 1944, the Mountains of Vrancea. Romania had switched sides against the Germans and, helped by the Russians, drove the Germans westward. Seperated from their troops, some German soldiers were wandering through the woods, terrified at the possibility of being caught by the Russian forces descending on Bucharest. They knew that once the Russians caught up with them they would have little chances of survival. Revenge for the occupation of Russia was underwsay.

"There were five of them. Woe onto them... these people were innocent! And scared ... we built a hut for them here in the forest and gave them food" Costache Roata, now aged 84, recounts how the few soldiers took shelter near his little village hidden in the forests.

Hard to imagine, the Germans remained cut off from the world and terrified in the woods for nearly two years! Their tranquility however was broken when a forest guard, Babis, strolling through the woods, saw smoke coming from the hut.

He called the platoon at Focsani, which, following an ambush, killed one of the Germans. "Franz ... Why did he kill Franz? Curses on him!" frowned Nea Costache with Babis in mind, talking as if Franz was a relative of his.

Then it was heard that three other German soldiers likely ran away towards the Casin Monastery and they were never heard of again. Anton, the last of their group, had a different fate in store.

PART II

Fear of death

"One night, Anton came down from the hill in our courtyard and told my father-in-law: "Hide me for a day or two because otherwise they'll kill me! I didn't leave!'

Ion Stancu, a man in the prime of his life and about the same age as Anton, did not think for long and took him in his house. He remained there for 16 years. It's hard to say how that incredibly long period in which a foreigner remained hidden in the house of a sociable villager that took part in all of the village's natural events could have been reached.

There are little survivors from those years. Stancu died around 1988, his wife and children have died too, in fact it's a certain thing that died Anton died too since he would have to be about 110 years old today.

The only one who followed this story is the daughter-in-law of Ion Stancu, Floarea Stancu, who lives right in the house where Anton took shelter and who found in various drawers the envelopes of the letters that Anton had sent after returning home to Poland. Why there and not in Germany?

Because Anton Rodewald was an ethnic German from a land that was awarded to the Slavic state after the war. Of those letters only one remains, written in Polish, a letter no longer understood by anyone.

Bearded ghost

Floarea did no see Anton in the house as she married the son of Ion Stancu about a year after Anton's departure. "The family told me what he did here. Milling around the house, chopping some wood, but also painting and praying with the family. He told them that he had a family too and three children, one of which was yet to be born when he went to war. Back home he was a post-office master," says the woman, showing us an icon that the German had painted.

People say that after everything was revealed in hindsight they realized that's why Ion always kept the door closed. However Costache boasts that he knew about the German but he kept it to himself.

"Their garden borders mine and one night I saw a man with a beard and I realized it was him. I recognized him by the way he walked. He fled inside the house when he saw me" said the old man.

PICTURE CAPTION Benefactor. Ion Stancu (left), hid the German, thus risking his and his family's life

PART III

Borta under the bed

Nobody is able to say how the German soldier managed to remain hidden for so many years. But the village elders, who were very young back then, say there are a few explanations: while in the first years Anton feared for his life, later on he no longer ran away so as to avoid harming Stancu.

Those were the 50s, years of terror in which the Securitate was killing thousands of "enemies of the people". If the former soldier had been caught trying to flee from Romania, he would have harmed the family that had sheltered him.

Floarea said that Ion Stancu had dug under the bed located in the main room a hole big enough for a man to fit in. If he would've heard something on the village road Anton would immediately have jumped into it.


Daughter just had a wedding

In the summer of 1960 history began to brighten across Eastern Europe. A driver from Gura Valley, well traveled and knowing that Rodewald was hiding there, came to Uncle Stancu and said: "Enough! Any offense is erased after 16 years and, therefore, Anton can come out of hiding".

He took him to Bucharest at the Polish Embassy which sent him back in Gura Valley so as to have time to do some checks. "He came back one night, alone. He stopped a man and asked him where the church is. The church was his landmark because he didn't know his way to Stancu's house. He had stayed hidden for 16 years and did not know the village!", Costache says.

After that, Anton came out into the world relaxed. "I invited him at my place. He said he was fasting. He was religious. He allowed his beard to grow in order to avoid being recognized, but also because we were of old religious rite and he wanted to pass off as one of us. He was a very calm man, a good storyteller. He told me how he fought in Russia," Costache recounts.

After returning home, in his letters the German wrote how they tested him at the embassy. They showed him several photos of women and asked him which one is his wife. He recognized her immediately. And they told him that she had waited for him all those years, bringing tears to his eyes. And he also wrote in the letters that he returned to his village exactly when one of his children was preparing her wedding, so the joy in the Rodewald family had never been so great.


The last letter in 1988

The police took statements from Stancu too but did not do anything. The years passed and the German stopped in the village from time to time when he came with his family at the Black Sea resorts. Other than that, he kept sending Ion letters and packages containing all sorts of things, as Florica recounts.

The last letter came in 1988, a sign that Anton Rodewald must have died afterwards. He was then almost 90 years old. Stancu and Anton must have met in Heaven, and most surely are good companions.

They probably look back at the house in Gura Valley where they lived a good part of their lives and they probably recount shared memories or what they did after they parted ways. When angry, Mister Commander takes a short look at them and his anger passes.

This post has been edited by Imperialist on December 17, 2009 09:36 pm

[contras]

A great and very emotive story. Thank you for revealed this. But were many other stories in our times and our history.
One of them, is the story of Iro Onoga, the last ww2 warrior, a Japaneese, who surrender in an island in Pacific Ocean, in 1974, I think.
Back to us, in 1976 was captured Ion Gavrila Ogoranu, at Cluj Napoca, one of the last partisans fighters, who was sentenced to dead in contumancy in 1950, by the tribunal of Brasov, that time, Orasul Stalin. He leaded the one anticommunist group of armed resistance, he fought against Securitate's troops between 1948-1956, and after all his commarades were caught and executed, he was hidden 21 years in a village near Alba Iulia by a widow, whose husband, friend of Ion Gavrila, was murdered in Gherla prison. Later, he and Ana Sabadus, the widow, become married. Gavrila spent 21 years hidden by Ana and their close relatives.
All story is avaible in Ion Gavrila Ogoranu memories, Brazii se frang, dar nu se indoiesc.