User talk:Seidorf

Land-Year-Camp Seidorf - By Gertrude Kerschner

Book translated and retitled "Through Innocent Eyes" by Cynthia Sandor (daughter)

In 1939, my mother, Gertrude Kerschner-Sandor, was forced to leave her home in Kleinzell, Austria, and live on a farm in Poland, formerly called Seidorf. Today, the name of the town is Sosnówka and is located near Jelenia Góra (formerly called Hirschberg). During this time, she hand wrote a book which accounted her one-year stay on this farm. She was born on December 9, 1927. This is her story.

The little girl pulled back the heavy down quilt and picked her baby sister out from the straw crib. Even though Anita was dressed warmly, the baby was not. Wearing only cloth panties, the child shivered at the cold chill that consumed the daytime air. Anita did not realize how deadly sick the child was. Diagnosed with tuberculosis the child did not have long to live.

Anita gently held her dying sister in her arms and tip-toed to the front door. She reached for her red wool hat, turned and placed it on her head. Anita took a tiny step forward, stopped and for a moment she stood there looking at the wooden floor. She sifted her weight back and forth and contemplated whether or not she should leave her father alone, even for a moment. She gazed towards her father’s body which rested peacefully in the bed next to the warmth of the fireplace. The luminous glow from the amber flames lit the darkened log cabin as the shadows danced upon her father’s unshaven face. This young middle-aged father of five children appeared old and brittle. Once a brave, strong, handsome and independent man now lay in ill health breathing his last breaths. A large white embroidered down quilt covered his frail body.