The audience followed the fate of the French prisoner of war Viktor, who was almost considered a member of the family in the Döppertsmühle, was looking forward to returning home as the end of the war approached, celebrated his 30th birthday and died shortly afterwards in a hail of bombs during fire-fighting operations. They accompanied Hella Döppert into the sheltering cellar, on her dangerous forays into the village and back, and saw the flames and destruction in the village with their own eyes. They felt pity for the young soldiers who were forced into a senseless defense and had to give their lives for it, and anger at the lieutenant who prevented the women from surrendering under threat of being shot. They witnessed the American invasion and the occupation, which lasted several days, as well as the resulting decision by German airmen.
Former mayor Bernhard Brückner placed the text in a wider context and explained the photos that the members of the association had compiled with the help of archivist Elisabeth Cieply and Gerhard Döppert. Ten civilians, two French prisoners of war and 15 German soldiers lost their lives in the fighting around Obernbreit from April 2 to 5, 1945. Contemporary witnesses from Obernbreit and the surrounding area supplemented and corrected the accounts. Albrecht Grießhammer from Feucht, a regular guest at Haus Döppert in the 1940s, contributed his perspective. Association chairman Jürgen Scherer remembered the late honorary chairman Friedrich Heidecker, who had initiated the reading.
The conversations continued long after the official end of the event. Many people viewed the exhibition that archivist Cieply and Galen Vinson had prepared.
Beate Krämer
