Lotte stared at her in disbelief. “Tell me, where exactly do you live? Don’t you ever read the news or is all your information coming from Böhm?”
Marlene shot her friend a furious glare. She shouldn’t have confided in Lotte that she and Werner had been a couple for several months now. Thankfully, Julian was too enraged to even notice Lotte’s slip up.
“What I see is a coward, Lotte. Isn’t it a very convenient time to bring up a mysterious boyfriend nobody has ever seen?” Julian said scathingly.
“You’re a pompous asshole! Nobody has seen him for the very reason that the bloody Russians have kept him prisoner for the past two and a half years,” Lotte yelled and sprang to her feet, almost colliding with the pacing Julian.
“Calm down,” Georg’s deep voice interrupted the fight. “We need to present a united front. Because it’s only in solidarity that we can drive a change. Nothing will happen to any of us.”
Lotte turned around to give Georg her full attention. “Look, I have learned the hard way that sometimes it’s better to keep my mouth shut. And now is one of those times. I, for myself, am not going to endanger Johann’s life by signing this petition.”
“The Russians aren’t like the Nazis, Lotte,” Georg replied softly. “There’s no need for you to be so afraid of them.”
“Oh? There isn’t? Tell that to the hundred thousand who’ve been abducted, beaten, harassed, threatened and sent to camps during the election campaign last year? Are you all blind, deaf and dumb? Don’t you read the newspaper? Don’t you know about the nightly social visits by the Markgraf police? And how the visited people either disappear without a trace or are never the same again? Do you all really not know about this? Or do you just close your eyes?” Lotte was talking herself into a rage.
“Of course, we know.” Georg stood up, as if he wanted to prevent Lotte from physically attacking Julian. Or maybe from storming out of the room. “But this is the very reason we have to stand united. Only in great numbers are we strong.”
Lotte shook her head. “I’m sorry, but I just can’t. Not right now.” Then she left the room, leaving the other three looking after her. Julian furious, Georg sad, and Marlene worried.
“We don’t need the spineless worm,” Julian said and returned to the table. “Now, what are we going to write for the petition?”
Marlene looked at the closed door through which her friend had walked seconds before and wished she could have left with her. But she stayed, because she didn’t want to disappoint Georg and Julian.
The two of them barely noticed her as they drafted the petition, meant to change the lives of the students in Berlin.
“There comes a time when we must do what our conscience tells us is right,” Julian said, putting the last sentence on a piece of paper.
“Those in power may try to ignore us, but if there are enough protesters, then they will be forced to address our requests,” Georg said.
She listened to the men spout their rhetoric, but she had a bad feeling about all of this. The SED-dominated university leadership had dismissed their requests the year before, why would they now be open to them?
Chapter 26
Werner took Marlene on a trip into the outskirts of Berlin, where they could spend time together without being seen by anyone. He felt shoddy for hiding her, but convinced himself it was for the best – his and hers. As long as the stubborn woman didn’t join the SED it wasn’t sensible to be seen with her in public.
Politics never left them alone and while walking along the lake, Marlene complained about the arrogant dismissal of the students’ petition. Werner had heard about the thing and sympathized with the students. None of their requests were unreasonable. They simply wanted less Soviet influence on their lives and studies.
But that ship had sailed a year ago. Now, in summer 1947, Gentner had tightened the rule and tied his party even closer to Moscow. In fact, the true rulers of the SED, the Soviet occupied zone, and by extension Berlin, was the Soviet Military Administration. The task of the German government was simply to explain and defend the Russian decisions to the people.
He couldn’t tell her that, though. Instead he said, “If the Culture and Education department can’t fulfill your requests, then I’m afraid nothing can be done, since the officials have their directives to follow.”
“You and your directives,” she said.
“Darling, please, as much as I can understand your frustration, it’s time to stop engaging in this useless fight.”
She glared daggers at him. “Actually, it is exactly the time to continue. If we give up now, the Russians will steamroll over us and we’ll never see the light of day again.”
He gave a deep sigh and stopped to take her hands into his. “Openly opposing the reigning power is never a good thing.”
“Ah… now it isn’t? But two years ago, your people damned us for not openly opposing the Nazis!” Marlene spat out the words with such a fury, it was like a punch to his gut. A well-deserved one.
“This is completely different…” His defense was as lame as they came, because in fact nothing was different. Had he not secretly applauded the few valiant comrades who’d dared to stand up to Gentner? Had he not rooted for the old Bolsheviks who’d formed the illegal resistance in Germany? And had he not hoped their indominable fighting spirit and independent thinking would bring a fresh wind into the party?
Having come to Germany with the highest hopes of an individual way to socialism, one that omitted the mistakes made in Russia and didn’t submissively implement everything Stalin said, he now stood in front of the woman he loved with all his hopes shattered.
But his brain, indoctrinated with the principles of Stalinism and party discipline for half a lifetime, wouldn’t let him break free. Therefore he lied to Marlene, “…it’s just a transitional period. Soon, when the after-war chaos is resolved, there’ll be more liberties for everyone.”
“You are full of bullshit,” she said and took up their walk again. After a few minutes of silence, she added, “Let’s not talk about politics, shall we?”
“I promise,” he said and placed a kiss on her lips. “This day is much too beautiful to ruin it. What do you want to do now?”
In the evening Werner dropped Marlene off at her place and then returned to his apartment in Pankow. His roommate and good friend, Horst, greeted him with the words, “Comrade, you’re lucky that you’re not assigned to the university anymore.”
“Why that?” Werner responded in his most blasé voice, despite the fact that his heart had just plummeted into his boots.
“You won’t believe it. I’m sure the Americans are behind all of this, but this stupid student board just announced that they’re not going to accept our dismissal of their requests and are going to demonstrate against the influence of communist propaganda in their subjects.”
Werner felt all the blood drain from his face and he had to put a hand against the wall to steady himself. Marlene hasn’t said a word. Doesn’t she trust me ? The thought stabbed deep into his heart but at the same time he had to suppress a bitter laugh. He never told her anything, either.
“That is a very grave disregard of the authorities. What will happen now?” Werner asked as nonchalantly as he could muster. Not even Horst knew Marlene’s identity. He only knew about the existence of a German girl.
“Oh man, Gentner was furious. You know him, his voice could have cut an iceberg into pieces. He literally said, that once students think they can get away with such anarchy, they will strike whenever they please. The university will become a hotbed of political activity and this is certainly not the objective of this prestigious academy. Then he promised grave consequences.”