You are my God!
My time is in your hands.
Save me from the hand of my enemy
And from those who pursue me.

The people of Bulkes fleeing
(Source: Bulkes homeland book).

          Our wagon was the first which left.  It was followed: on the 10th and 11th of October 1944, 53 people with Jakob Engel and Karl Baner, on the 12th of October 1944 about 11 with Valentin Beck and on the same day another 264 people with Peter Thuro.  On their own and without relatives about 10 – 15 of my school comrades joined the withdrawing German troops.  Of the over 2600 inhabitants who lived in Bulkes before the war therefore only about 350 civilians (13%) of the village left.  In other villages nearly 100% fled (see remarks).

          Families from Bulkes: Stephan, Frank, and Neidhofer in Schlesien, Gehlsdorf near Haynau, January 1945, in front of their accommodations: house of a DRK – sister, who used the front part.

(DVHH publishers note: images are not included but information is provided for reference)

Small picture from left to right/ Upper row: NIEDHÖFER, Christine, house no. 180a (born HARFMANN); DIENER, CHRISTINE (Christina in Saxony) house no. 180a (born NIEDHÖFER); HARFMANN Katharina, house no. 180a (born HARFMANN); BECKER, Jakob House no. 260 (born BECKER); STEPHAN, Heinrich House no. 260.

Standing in front: NIEDHÖFER, Richard, house no. 180a; WEIMAR, Elisabeth House no. 260 (born STEPHAN).

Large picture from left to right/ Upper row: FRANK, Katharina HOUSE NO. 324 (born BECKER); Weimar, Elisabeth, HOUSE NO. 260 (BORN Stephan); NIEDHÖFER, Richard, HOUSE NO. 18a; STEPHAN, Margarete, HOUSE NO. 260 (born BECKER); HARFMANN, Katharina (Got in Saxony) HOUSE NO. 180a (born Harfmann),

Seated below: BRUNNER, Elisabeth, HOUSE NO. 324 (born FRANK); BECKER, Jakob, HOUSE NO. 421. He came to the German capitulation in May 1945 in civilian clothing from the Silesian east front unbothered through Czechoslovakia into the west Sudetenland to my mother and my sister.

Exit permission of the Czechoslovakian People’s Council of Vernerove: “I acknowledge that Mr. Stefan Heinrich, Ms. Stefan Margaretha, and 1 child can depart in their homeland in Bulkes, Hungary / Yugoslavia.  Vernerov, on this day of the 17th of May 1945.  For the Czechoslovakian National Council.  signed Wilhelm Flanger”

Remarks:

   To the small readiness to flee by the people of Bulkes

    About the foundation of the SS-Volunteer Action