GalleryTHE LIFE OF THE LATVIANS IN ESSLINGEN
by Feliks Krusa
Growth of the Centre
The world after World War II resembles a turbulent sea just after a gigantic storm. It takes a long time for the sea level to smooth out all the wrinkles on her troubled brow. Similarly, the world cannot find as yet a solution of how to attain lasting peace and prosperity. Many thousands and millions of people have lost their home countries and are seeking for a place of refuge and the possibilities of building up a new existence in foreign countries. The American Zone of Occupation, and Land Württemberg in particular, is overflowing with such refugees. If for a foreigner it is difficult to remember all the names of the numerous "ingen", "tingen" and "lingen" scattered all over Württemberg just like fallen leaves are scattered on the ground in a wood, every Latvian is sure to remember the name of one small town. This name is Esslingen. The Latvians will always speak of it as that of the biggest centre where they assembled after undeserved persecution and the tempests of the war, where they herded together just like a flock of birds or wild animals terrified by fire. In this town they have already spent many days and months, and they have been observing the characteristic movements of its life. Esslingen has indeed definite characteristics and peculiarities. In winter it endeavours to cover itself innumerable times with a sheet of snow, but without ever succeeding: the white sheet dissolves just like the froth in a glass of champagne. In Summer Esslingen is like a young girl lying deep in a haystack. But strictly speaking, Esslingen cannot be compared with a young girl. He who has scrutinized her features more closely will find that she is very old. Her name is mentioned already in an old chronicle dating back as far as the year 865. For many years the town has been the bone of contention of the Württemberg nobility and at times this town has been more famous than its big neighbour Stuttgart. In Esslingen has been located the Mint of the State. Paracelsus, the famous reformer of the science of medicine has lived here, and King Rudolph, the founder of the Dynasty of the Habsburgs has honoured this little town with a visit and has strolled along its narrow streets and lanes. An anecdote concerning King Rudolph clearly shows how narrow indeed the streets of Esslingen have been. When the King, who had a big crooked nose rode into Esslingen, someone from the crowd shouted out: "What a mighty long nose!" The King turned his head aside and said: "Now you can pass, my lad." In later times the streets of Esslingen have become much broader and you can pass easily and without disturbance.
When before the war a speedy express train dashed past Esslingen and carried along many a Latvian towards Switzerland or still further south, not one of them was ever struck by the idea of getting out and of settling down in this little town. The Latvians arrived here only during the war, when they were deported to Germany for forced labour. Similarly, many a unit of labourers was landed in Plochingen and Reichenbach. Here they were forced to work under very hard conditions in sawmills and other factories. The labourers received their food from the common kitchens of the factories. The food was frugal and insipid, but the working hours were very long. The labourers had to sleep on the ground in unheated barracks. The children in particular suffered very much from cold. In consequence of this they were ailing and in poor health. Also the women had to do hard work. They were often called out in the nights to dig air-raid shelters or to clear away snow from the roads. To wash oneself was a luxury, because it was very difficult to get water. The smallest infringement of regulations was severely punished.
When the Allied Forces were victorious over the Germans, the French Army entered Esslingen and extended immediate help to Displaced Persons. The Latvians, together with Estonians and a few Lithuanians could now avail themselves of the opportunity to live collectively in wooden barracks by the city blocks of houses. Later the building of the Burgschule (Palace School) was placed at the disposal of the Baltics. When the American forces entered Esslingen and the action of concentrating smaller communities into bigger ones was begun, to Esslingen were transferred the Latvians from Gingen, Oehringen, Goeppingen, Heidenheim, Ulm, Bad-Mergentheim, Heilbronn and Stuttgart. Thus in Esslingen on the Neckar, which river has been much sung of by the minstrels, there grew the largest Latvian Assembly Centre in the whole American Zone of Occupation.
