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Memoir by Connie Braun
The Steppes are the Colour of Septia; a Mennonite Memoir.
“In a memoir that is historically faithful to documents, letters, old
photographs and personal testimony, Braun offers a lyrical second-generation
witness to her family members and to all other Canadians who have suffered
displacement in history’s disasters, and whose obscure stories must be
told. In doing so, she honours the spirit of resilience embodied by the
refugees who have created and transformed Canadian society.”
(http://www.ronsdalepress.com/catalogue/sepiasteppes.html)
Growing Up in Turbulent Times, Waldemar Janzen, CMU Press, 2007
When Waldemar Janzen retired from teaching, he decided to write his
life story as an “experienced story” rather than a researched history as
his sub-title says: “Memoirs of Soviet Oppression, Refugee Life in Germany,
and Immigrant Adjustment to Canada.”
His timelines are similar to so many who escaped the Soviet Union
during WW II: from Ukraine to Prussia to Germany to Canada, and the section
headings reflect this: “Childhood in Ukraine”; “West Prussia and Mecklenburg”;
“Bavaria and Wurtemberg”; “Early years in Canada.”
Janzen’s story puts flesh to so many of the themes from this era
that we are familiar with: loss of home and freedom, arrest and imprisonment
of fathers, strong and stoic mothers, deprivation, flight. Too young to
be fully aware of the weight of oppression and injustice, he remembers
a tasty treat during the famine years: salted bread dunked into sunflower
oil. He also remembers happiness, anticipation and the thrill of
travel, which must have been arduous and frightening for the adults. He
recalls a trip from Moscow to the Crimea: “I sensed distance and
yearning, feeling that through these ribbons of rail I was linked to what
seemed the farthest ends of the earth. It is a feeling that has followed
me into later years and other lands throughout my life.”
In the Ukraine during the German occupation and at the tender
age of ten, Waldemar became aware that Jewish children were being poisoned.
Having been raised with countless stories of revolution, anarchy, arrests
and death, he was not traumatized by this knowledge, but accepted it as
a normal part of life. “A world where such things happened was the only
world I knew.”
Through the trials of the German occupation, the train journey
west to Prussia, and a truck crossing into safer German territory, and
later, having to bribe Russian guards with an alarm clock to avoid
repatriation, Waldemar remains alert and optimistic, recalling
also beautiful mountains, the majestic Marienburg fortress, the trees in
spring. He especially enjoyed the school years in Bavaria, the hikes
and outings in nature, the friendships and loyalties. In contrast, the
early years in Canada were full of loneliness and homesickness for this
carefree time with many friends. The adjustment was not easy.
Although most post-war immigrants concentrated on getting established
economically, Waldemar spent seven years studying in Waterloo. He funded
his studies with summer jobs at a bank and as a warden in various mental
institutions. Eventually he graduated from the Mennonite Seminary in Chicago
in 1956, and accepted a position at the Canadian Mennonite Bible College,
from which he retired 46 years later.
I found this memoir very interesting to read for its honesty in
recounting a wartime childhood. Those who grew up in this period will especially
relate to his memories, and this book will be of great interest to his
colleagues, family and friends. It is the story of a boy reaching
manhood during perilous times, while retaining his sense of optimism and
wonder.
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