Hans Richter, on leave, just returned to the small town of Geltersburg. He had just completed a segment of training as a submariner-seaman at the Neustadt U-boat training center. Geltersburg was located between Bremen and Hannover. Despite its proximity to larger cities found in the German interior, Geltersburg, somewhat isolated except for the rail line, maintained its own unique identity as a small town. Geltersburg was surrounded by rich farmland which supplied grain, meat and dairy products to the nearby cities of Bremen and Hannover. Of course, he must first see his parents, but his major objective was to see Marta Koch with whom he had been in love with since his first days as a kindergartner. While in school and shortly after leaving school, Marta and Hans had spent considerable time together reading, going to plays performed by the local thespian group, seeing films at the local cinema, hiking and gardening. Hans did not particularly care for gardening, but that didn’t matter as long as he was with Marta. It was expected that one day they would marry. All that was now on hold since Europe was becoming unsettled. Hans elected to join the Kriegsmarine and volunteered for U-boat service. Marriage could wait, world conditions would not.

As Hans approached the home where he had grown up, he was overcome with a strange feeling. Should he turn the door bell knob on the door or simply burst in as he had always done when growing up. “I really don’t live here any longer. Perhaps I’ll just turn the door bell knob.” The familiar ring was soon followed by the door’s opening by Gerde, Hans’s thirteen-year old sister.

“Hans,” she cried, stepping forward, throwing her arms around his waist and giving Hans a big hug before quickly turning and running back into the house yelling, “Mother, Mother, its Hans.”

From out of the kitchen stepped Frau Richter while removing her apron before also giving Hans a big hug. “Hans, why didn’t you let us now you were coming home so early? I would’ve made one of your favorite meals and the apple pie you so love.”

“That’s alright Mother, I wanted to surprise all of you. Besides, I was able to catch a ride which didn’t give me enough time to call Father at the office.”

Hans’ father Karl was a well dressed good looking man, with a square chiseled face, graying hair and a small mustache to match. He was a local civil servant at the municipal building. He had suffered the effects of mustard gas during the war when a wind shift brought released gas back across the German lines. In addition, he had been shot in the leg during one of the many offensive charges on the western front. As a decorated soldier, his bureaucratic job was a partial award for his service. He was now content with his station in life and each evening looked forward to spending quiet time with his family. Hans would have had an older brother Artur had he not been taken during the 1918-19 influenza pandemic that occurred shortly after the war.

Hans’ mother Ilsa was a woman of uncommon beauty, who was beginning to show some plumpness along with slightly peppered gray hair. She occasionally entertained the Richter family in the evening with the piano. Ilsa’s only objective in life was to maintain a well kept home with all the trappings provided by a dedicated wife and mother.

Gerde was a typical thirteen year old trying to cope with and adjust to the changes her thin body was experienc-ing. Hans was her hero. Growing up under the protection of big brother, she now longed, although no longer needed, for the security he had provided. She missed Hans, but it was worth it to have bragging rights in the League of German Girls, of a brother in the Kriegsmarine, especially in the U-boat service.

Hans father Karl was a municipal civil servant-administrator since his return from the war. He was employed through the efforts of the then existing bürger-meister of Geltersburg, Franz Hoffman. Bürgermeister Hoffman and Karl’s father had been school mates and lifelong friends, which was undoubtedly how Karl got the position. The Richters, with the exception of the death of baby Artur, had survived the world economic disaster despite unemployment as high as thirty percent of the work force, stifling inflation and years of political unrest and government instability.

The Versailles Treaty forced Germany to accept blame for the war, pay large reparations to the victors, give up her overseas colonies in Africa and Pacific islands and cede parts of Germany such as Alsace and Lorraine on Germany’s western border. The most extensive concession was that of transferring West Prussia to Poland thereby creating the Polish Corridor and cutting East Prussia from greater Germany. In addition, the Rhineland was de-militarized and Danzig, even with a predominantly German population, had been declared an open city.

In 1933, the Nazification of Germany commenced with the selection Adolf Hitler as Chancellor of Germany by President von Hindenburg. In 1934, President von Hinden-burg died. Hitler further consolidated his control by assuming the office of President. As the Nazi Party extended its control over all segments of Germany’s society, bürgermeisters were to be appointed by local Nazi governors. Bürgermeister Hoffman probably could have continued as Bürgermeister of Geltersburg, but he refused to join the Nazi Party and was relieved of his office. It was rumored that Franz Hoffman was sympathetic with the communists. Upon bidding farewell to the municipal functionaries and leaving the municipal hall, Franz Hoffman was never to be seen again.

In 1933, the Law to Re-establish the Civil Service was passed. This law instituted a nationwide civil service and eliminated from civil service those of non Aryan decent and those against the Nazi regime. More importantly to Karl Ritter, it also eliminated the security of tenure.