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Chris Brandner’s diary on the visit of David and Judith Barry
22.05.2015. Following months of research by Mag. Florian Kotanko and weeks of preparation by members of the “Stadtverein” and also by a dear friend Lee Thomas in the US, finally our guests David and Judith Barry from Marblehead, Massachusetts, are about to arrive. Even the “Boston Globe” picked up our story on how the whole project developed and had a telephone interview with us, before Tom Farragher (columnist of the “Globe”) interviewed the Barrys for their article. Florian and I had a very open discussion with Tom by phone on May, 8th. It went very well we thought. We spoke for about 45 minutes with each other. Tom posed a number of interesting questions. First of all he tried to understand, why we are doing all that. Within a relatively short time we hope we could make it clear to him why we are involved and what our issues are. People tend to forget and families tend toproduce sagas and most politicians are opportunists. This is a very unhealthy basis for crazy youngsters to start again with similar or even the same idiotic and scary slogans of the Nazis. Therefore it is one of the goals of the Verein für Zeitgeschichte , the Stadtverein Braunau and the duty of our generation to do their best to keep the memories, good and bad, alive and do not allow grass to grow over our Nazi past, as so many do wish.
For men who felt and thought like my father, the end of the war surely was welcome, but for them it was difficult to accept to call their total military defeat liberation as we, from the next generation, easily can do now. Many Austrians were victims but many also were perpetrators. Sometimes it is very hurtful to remember honestly and to learn from the past.
The first day of the visit May, 13th
Flughafen München, Erich Marschall waiting for David und Judy
Flughafen München, David und Judy arrived
Please, a smoke
Ingo (li.) and Christian welcome (re.) David und Judy in Braunau
David und Judy with Barbara Doppler, Palmpark Braunau
David und Judy with Elisabeth, Palmpark Braunau
Tom has sent his article in the “Globe” to us. It is written very well. We are happy to get this support in the States. Erich and I went to Munich to pick-up the Barrys. They arrived without problems. David surprised me already at the airport when we by passed some old timer planes like the Super Constellation, when he pointed out inclear German - and this is a Junkers 52 called the “Tante Ju”. We had a very intensive and cordial day learning to know each other quickly: no difficulty considering their open, cordial and modest personality. Lee’s preparative work for both sides was decisive for an easy start. The Barrys only had good words for her. During lunch at the "Gugg Lounge” they met with Ingo, president of our association. After David and Judy had left for a short rest, Erich, Ingo, some helpers and I celebrated Ingo’s birthday to come next day. Dinner was taken at the Schnaitl’s Stadtwirtshaus where Florian and Elisabeth also joined us. Erich, Florian and Elisabeth took David and Judy along to a session of boule in the Palm Park. Here they happened to meet Barbara Doppler - the diary of her family gave the first hint at the fate of one American soldier who died when crossing the River Inn in May 1945. This made Florian starting his research and opened the way to Dave and Judith.
The second day May, 14th
David and Judy, Braunau
David and Judy, Braunau
David and Judy, Braunau
David and Judy, Braunau
David and Judy, Braunau
David and Judy, Braunau
David and Judy, Braunau
David and Judy, Braunau
David and Judy, Inn-Salzachblick
David and Judy, Inn-Salzachblick
David and Judy, Burghausen
David and Judy, Burghausen
David and Judy, Burghausen
David and Judy, Burghausen
David and Judy, brewery Bogner
David and Judy, brewery Bogner
David and Judy, Helmut
Thursday morning Florian, Erich and I met David and Judy at ten for a sight-seeing stroll through Braunau. At lunch time we left for Burghausen. On the way we showed them the location of the POW camp, Inn Salzach Blick and then the magnificent view of Burghausen and the castle. Weißwurst for lunch and then the one mile walk through the longest castle of the world. We were surprised how well David managed to walk all the way. The weather also was ok.
The evening at Bogner’s (our local pub) was wet of beer and tears. Florian, Elisabeth, Gitti and Oliver, Erich and his sons and Heidi and I attended. Bogner as there presentative of the local veteran’s association gave Judy and David a small present that moved them very much. Brass music played like crazy around our table in the garden, so we escaped into the inn for dinner where we were encountered with a group of people celebrating with very intensive harmonicaplay and hefty singing. So after the meal we finished the evening off in another more quiet room. David and Judy simply were overwhelmed with all the info, people and sights. It will need some time for them to digest. So tomorrow we will have the official programme. Let’s see ..
The third day May, 15th
Corp. Clifford Barry
press conference
David and Judy, press conference
David and Mayor Waidbacher, press conference
David and Mayor Waidbacher, press conference
David And Mayor Waidbacher, press conference
Letter from city of Marblehead to the mayor of Braunau
David signatures in the book of honour
Judy signatures in the book of honour
Bgm. Mag. Waidbacher signatures in the book of honour
the book of honour
Florian signatures in the book of honour
David and Judy, members of city of braunau
Commemoration on the bridge
Commemoration on the bridge
Commemoration on the bridge
Commemoration on the bridge
Commemoration on the bridge
Commemoration on the bridge
David dropped a bouquet of flowers into the river
Interviews to the Austrian national TV
Interviews to the Austrian national TV
Interviews to the Austrian national TV
ceremony in front of Hitler’s birthplace
District governor Georg Wojak
Mayor Hannes Waidbacher
ceremony in front of Hitler’s birthplace
ceremony in front of Hitler’s birthplace
David and Harry Buchmayr
ceremony in front of Hitler’s birthplace
Hr. Schinwald, Hr. Bogner, veteran’s association, David und Judy
David and Judy, Mahnstein in front of Hitler’s birthplace
The official parts of today also went very well. David and Judy at times fought their tears, but at the end everyone was impressed and happy, a memorable day. It started at the city hall with a welcoming message by the mayor Hannes Waidbacher to the press, dignitaries of the local government and us from the “Stadtverein”, then Florian held his presentation on his research and its outcome. The following questions of the press showed a lot of interest but they were considerate and not too inquisitive. Most went in English so I did not have to say or translate too much. David gave very good answers and statements on his pilgrimage, as he calls it, signatures were given in the book of honour. The page was designed by Ingo, the president of our society, who could not attend due to private obligations. The book was signed by the Barrys, the mayor, the districtgovernor and on an extra page by all present guests.
Then we went out to the River Inn, to the middle of the bridge to commemorate David’s father’s death. David did not mind the press and TV team to follow. A short ceremony, prayers etc. was held by our local priest Jan Lange, he found some very nice words for David and Judy, all in English, a minute of silence, then David dropped a bouquet of flowers down into the again very fast flowing river, he obviously and understandably was very moved. The bouquet floated very well with flowers up, so we could watch it nearly all the way down to the railway bridge. The fast flowing current let us easily imagine how these soldiers had to fight in 1945 to keep this feeble pontoon bridge intact, not designed for an alpine river.
Interviews were given to the Austrian national TV at the near end of the bridge, lunch with the mayor in Wolfgruber's Altdeutsche Weinstube, one of the oldest inns in Braunau followed. David was not very impressed as he himself lives in a house built at about the same time, very remarkable for America we remarked.
In the late afternoon the commemoration ceremony in front of Hitler’s birthplace took place. It seemed to be easy on David. I introduced him and Judy to all the dignitaries present and they were welcomed warmly as guests of honour. One hour of speeches and chorales followed. David’s father and the decisivepart Americans played on our way to democracy and freedom was mentioned several times. The evening in the very crowded Ober’s inn with some 100 delegates from the Austrian UN peace keepingforce who also attended the commemoration service earlier, was ok.
The fourth day May, 16th
Trip to Salzburg
Mirabellplatz, Judy in the Zwergerlgarten
David and Judy, Schloss Mirabell
David and Judy, horsedrawn carriage
David and Judy, horsedrawn carriage
David and Judy, horsedrawn carriage
David and Judy, Augustiner Müllnerbräu
David and Judy, Train Salzburg-Braunau
Our trip by train to Salzburg went well and even the weather was perfect. Erich’s wife Doris and son Florian and also Heidi attended the tour to give it a more personal touch. Again and again David surprised us with his in depth knowledge of history and even with the knowledge of some basic German! After a while of sight-seeing in Salzburg both David and Judy did show signs of exhaustion. We hardly managed to coax them up into the Stiegl Bräu for lunch. There we enjoyed good goulash and a magnificent view down to the inner town of Salzburg. Considering David and Judy’s signs offatigue we decided to send them off on a romantic tour of the city in a horsedrawn carriage and on their own. We made sure the coachman we selected did speak English to explain if needed. The day was finished off at the Müllnerbräu, an ancient brewery of a monastery. Even though both are no beer drinkers, we thought it to be an interesting place for Dave and Judy to see and a good excuse for us to have a couple of beers. On the railway trip home we all realised how exhausted we were so we did let David and Judy retire as soon as we arrived in Braunau.
The fifth day May, 17th
Florian, Hannes, David, Judy, Erich, Christian
Kommentar Monika Raschhofer, OÖN, 21.05.2015
Erich and I took David and Judy back to Munich airport. During checking out at the hotel also Florian and the mayor Hannes Waidbacher showed up to say good bye. There were some long hugs…
We sincerely do hope that our visitors take home with them good memories of their pilgrimage to Braunau. We tried to give our best and in return we got the very good feeling that we could do a little bit for a very very nice couple to come to grips with their past and that they hopefully also understand more about our struggle with ours.
The next few days we will be going through all photos made and other info to print it on a DVD. Also a copy of the Austrian National TV broadcast of the interview with David (it went extremely well) will be included. We will send a copy of the DVD to Chris Johnston, to Lee and to Tom and of course to the Barrys.
I guess also we are ready for a rest and to attend to other duties which we neglected during the last five days. It was great that Erich and I shared duties from the first hour to the last.
Chris Brandner
