The hills around Besenhausen on the border between East and West Germany were veiled in sunlit haze one afternoon last week. On the Soviet side of the crossing point, a tired horde of D.P.s moved forward as the barrier pole swung up. On the British side, British officers and customs controllers, German border guards, police, priests, nuns, nurses and refugee administration officials looked at the sad group facing them.
From the British loudspeaker a voice began: "Achtung! Bitte Melden! Elizabeth Schmidt, mit zwei Kindern" Frau
Schmidt stumbled through the crowd with her two small sons by the hand. The boys carried...
To continue reading:
or
Log-In
