oldenburg-l - Nachricht 2008-01 00138

[GDiers9488 <GDiers9488(a)aol.com>]

Hello,
I'm quite impressed by your discussion on this subject.
 
I'm still living in Oldenburg and was born in 1935. As far as I know
 
-except for the town of Friesoythe, there was no major military ground -  
combat in the duchy of Oldenburg
-british and US planes dropped a lot of bombs on Wilhelmshaven - one of the  
major sea-ports of the 'Reich'.
-some bombs were dropped on Delmenhorst and Oldenburg.
 
As mentioned by others already, there was a small jewish population, which  
suffered enormously. But it is not true, that the only remaining jewish  
graveyard of Germany is to be found in Wittmund . There are other ones, one of  them 
being in Wildeshausen. 
 
It might not be obvious to Americans, that the population of Oldenburg  (town 
and duchy) grew by approx. 50 % within one year after world war II,  because 
of all the people either fleeing or being expulsed from the eastern  provinces 
of Germany. This also caused a significant mixup in religion. Up to  the end 
of 1945, southern Oldenburg was almost 98 percent catholic, the northern  
Oldenburg 98 percent lutheran. The 'Fluechtlinge' as we called them, reduced  this 
predominance of one religion in either part significantly. 
 
After the end of WW II,  some canadian troops occupied part of our  house. 
The chief of the group had emigrated to Canada in the 1930th. His brother  was 
fighting with the german army.
 
By the way, my father died in Berlin, May 3, 1945. 
 
Gerold Diers