Gerhard Derbitz

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Gerhard Derbitz (born December 30, 1924 in Stettin , Province of Pomerania ; † September 1, 2004 in Rostock , Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania ) was a German teacher , writer and for more than 14 years the vocational school director of the Rostock Neptun shipyard .

Gerhard Derbitz in front of his last residence, the Rostocker Turkuer Str. In Lütten Klein

As a writer he wrote a. a. Crime fiction and science fiction literature . After his military career from 1942 to 1945, his professional life included activities as a motor vehicle craftsman, fire supervisor, ship mechanic , mechanical engineer , mechanical engineer , graduate social scientist and senior teacher .

Life

Derbitz grew up in poor conditions with his grandparents in the Torney district of Szczecin in the north of Szczecin . According to his own statements, he was admitted to the sixth grade as the only working-class boy as a special school student at Barnim Middle School. In 1938 he witnessed how the synagogue in Szczecin was set on fire by the National Socialists .

After completing elementary school , he learned the trade of motor vehicle craftsman in Stettin , where he a. a. worked on cylinder boring machines and engine dismantling. The doctrine could not be completed because it in December 1942 to Kiel for Navy was drafted. At this point in time he was already a member of the working group “Voluntary Military Radio Group Marine”. He was able to complete his journeyman's examination in Stettin with the help of special leave. Afterwards Derbitz was used in the naval intelligence school in Aurich . In Aurich in 1943, Derbitz dug corpses in a hail of bombs, but also money boxes for business people from the rubble. After that time he was promoted to naval intelligence officer . An on-board mission on the DF and survey boat "Japsand" until the beginning of 1944 followed. From May 1944, Derbitz was in use on board the tracking boat “Dagö” due to the time the “Japsand” was in dock.

The sounding boat ran into a mine. Derbitz was a direct witness of the sinking and survived as one of seven men of the 22-man crew.

Derbitz was released from the hospital after three days and assigned to Neustettin for land and sea surveying. There he wrote a letter to his grandparents in Szczecin , as a visit was planned. This letter was interpreted as a violation of secrecy, a disquiet in the homeland and a disintegration of the military . This fact was reported to the court martial in Gotenhafen (Gdynia) . Shortly afterwards Derbitz was used in a long troop transport via Swinoujscie and Aachen to Mechelen . There he received the war badge for minesweeping, submarine hunting and security associations due to the mine explosion .

From Zwolle he was deployed in Arnhem at the John Frost Bridge as a news troop leader because a 250 meter long field telephone line was disrupted. There Derbitz was injured again and received the Iron Cross 2 and a promotion to mate .

Desertion and the end of the war (1945)

Derbitz was then used by the city of Arnhem in the municipality of Den Helder . Here he experienced shipwrecks on the pier. He witnessed how a Dutchman was shot in the military exclusion zone , although a control on a restricted line would have been possible. On a business trip from Den Helder to Amsterdam in January 1945, he witnessed ten Dutch people being hanged from a gallows. Through contact with a German-speaking Dutchman, Derbitz was also reminded of the persecution of the Jews in his hometown of Stettin and was given an oral address if he needed help. In February 1945 Derbitz deserted and sought out the German-speaking Dutchman. Through this helper he had contact with the Dutch Inland Armed Forces (NBS). Derbitz was now registered in the anti-fascist resistance in Amsterdam South. Here Gerhard experienced the unconditional surrender of the Wehrmacht under famine . Derbitz was expelled from the country as a former member of the German armed forces and taken to a prisoner of war camp in Ijmuiden . Here he was asked about a possible desertion because he was dressed in civilian clothes and had no pay book . On July 7, 1945 Derbitz fled in the direction of Amsterdam for fear of a court martial. a. led through a minefield . In Amsterdam, Derbitz found shelter with NBS members again, the attempt to obtain a residence permit failed and he was picked up again in the direction of Ijmuiden . There was no longer a German camp police and a court martial. Derbitz later learned that during this time the actions of German courts-martial and killings were actually tolerated (by the Allied Control Council). Derbitz was now brought to Wilhelmshaven with around 150 prisoners of war. He did not find accommodation directly in Wilhelmshaven, but first arrived at a farm. In August 1945 Derbitz was finally brought to Wilhelmshaven. Here he was able to issue an emergency pay book with Lübeck as his home town, since prisoners of war had to work in coal mines in the Soviet zone .

Post-war period in Lübeck (1945)

Derbitz was released on September 6, 1945 in the direction of Lübeck . Here he hoped to finally see his relatives again, although Stettin was now Polish territory and a return there was impossible. Derbitz stayed here in an air raid shelter . In Lübeck, homeless people - like Derbitz - were denied work. Those who did not have a job were not given an apartment and therefore no food card . Derbitz traded his belongings on the black market in order to survive four to six weeks. In Lübeck he met his former head foreman of the motor vehicle trade, Hans Dau, from his apprenticeship in Stettin. The following contract of employment, accommodation and the hard- working food card quickly improved Derbitz's living situation. At this point Derbitz had no contact with his family for a year. Through his apprentice Paul Lohse, he learned the whereabouts of his grandmother, his mother and his two sisters Edith and Inge. In mid-December 1945 Derbitz received an answer to his letter from Siemersdorf near Triebsees . In the letter Derbitz learned of the death of his grandfather, who had fallen ill while fleeing from Pomerania and died of pneumonia . Before Christmas, on December 18, 1945, Derbitz set off (despite critical comments from his colleagues about the Russian occupation ).

Post-war period in Triebsees (1945–1948)

The trip to Siemersdorf bei Triebsees was very difficult and led to encounters with Red Army soldiers , boarding freight trains , cold, hunger and finally arriving on December 21, 1945. After talking to his relatives, he found out that there were other refugee families in the house and unfortunately the job market was well stocked. At that time, firewood and potatoes were in great demand. During this time Derbitz was given glasses, a job with a locksmith and a room. After moving to Triebsees, Derbitz became a member of the SPD and the anti-fascist youth - from which the FDJ emerged. Derbitz earned extra income at various dance events. On the part of the employment office, Derbitz was assigned work in dismantling work in Karlshagen at the former Peenemünder rocket research facility in July 1946 . The railroad tracks that were dismantled here were reparation payments to the Soviet Union . The heavy physical labor, inadequate food and homesickness caused Derbitz to stop this work. He was no longer able to pursue his previous work as a locksmith , and due to the sanction of the employment office, there was no longer any prospect of a new job . Derbitz now made models of sailing ships and made watercolor drawings. The work could be exhibited in the shop window of a local shop . At the end of August 1946 his brother Heinz came to Siemersdorf from captivity . Derbitz also does unusual work, for example he was also an employee of the egg collection point. With his brother he pursued the occupation of the woodcutter in the Stubbendorfer forest . Despite the heavy labor ration cards, Derbitz was diagnosed with total malnutrition and heart failure after six weeks of work as a lumberjack. At a later point in time, Derbitz was also a surveyor. Derbitz experienced the referendum from May 23 to June 13, 1948 and actively collected signatures here. Derbitz saw the establishment of the Federal Republic of Germany on May 23, 1949 and the introduction of the new currency due to the devaluation of the Reichsmark .

Time after the establishment of the FRG and GDR

Worked in the professional fire brigade Grimmen and Schwerin (1948–1952)

At the end of 1948–1952, Derbitz's mother, stepfather, two sisters and brother moved to Grimmen . Derbitz started work as a locksmith in Loitz in November 1948 . Derbitz helped set up the professional fire brigade in Grimmen and was promoted to fire chief, and in 1950 to chief fire chief and fire inspector. Derbitz met his future wife Gisela through an acquaintance from Siemersdorf in February 1949, and they married in July 1950 . Derbitz was transferred to the state fire protection office in Schwerin . A short time later, the state fire protection office was dissolved and incorporated into the people's police . Derbitz's area of ​​responsibility now concentrated on the cultural area. In 1952 Derbitz became the father of his daughter Brigitte. Shortly after this event, Derbitz had to resign from the People's Police due to “Order 2” from Stalin and Beria . Officers who were in western captivity had to be released for reasons of so-called "vigilance". Derbitz was politically shocked.

Cultural work (1952–1954)

After Derbitz was fired, he was offered a job with the Union for Culture and Sport, which he accepted. In the new area, Derbitz was able to move to Rostock by dividing it into districts . In 1954 he participated in the first competition and festival of German folk art in the Rostock district. Due to "personal differences" Derbitz decided in 1954 at the age of 30 to go to the Neptun shipyard.

The popular uprising of June 17, 1953 also took place at this time , Derbitz describes his view as a contemporary witness in an NDR publication.

Worked at the Neptun shipyard and studied (1954–1984)

On the occasion of the award of the honorary name “Max Pagel” to the company vocational school on April 28, 1978, a memorial wall with a relief by Max Pagel was inaugurated.

Derbitz began to work in on-board assembly despite the safe work in the cultural sector. Here he overhauled diesel engines , for example, and set up main engines for fish trawlers . Due to the previous activity Derbitz became chairman of the club council in the culture house of the Neptun shipyard. Derbitz became assistant to the shipyard director Oskar Herzig. Herzig suggested that Derbitz take up a degree . After studying mechanical engineering for four years, Derbitz supplemented his training with a two-year degree as mechanical engineer - in addition to work. After that, Derbitz was employed as a construction manager in ship repairs. Later he was used for training courses, the work of the company newspaper , the company radio and for all cultural work . Derbitz then studied at distance for another six years in order to acquire a scientific diploma - his time was limited by the first blindness. On May 1, 1969 Derbitz became director of the Neptun shipyard vocational school and was responsible for "130 colleagues". Because of his new job, he was recommended to take a fourth degree - pedagogical. As an external student, he was able to achieve this degree at the University of Rostock . Derbitz was the vocational school director for a period of 15½ years, active for 14 years and 10 months. In everyday life Derbitz u. a. took on the teaching function, was chairman of the examination committee, was responsible for teacher training or controlled the finances. His last action in this function was the establishment of a traditional cabinet.

During his time at the Neptun shipyard, the hard stroke of fate also fell in March 1978: Derbitz's wife Gisela died in his arms from an asthma attack . Despite the depression described by Derbitz, he was able to distract himself by building a bungalow in the summer. At a year-end party, Derbitz met the economist Gertraud Teutloff († 2019) from the boarding school of the Neptun shipyard. They married a year later.

Blindness (1960s and 1984)

In the early 1960s, Derbitz had to complain about a retinal detachment in his left eye despite two operations . In 1984, one day before the implementation of the traditional cabinet, he saw a yellowish-red disk in front of the remaining right eye. This was followed by an operation, which nevertheless led to blindness due to errors . This was followed by a visit to the school for the blind in Neukloster for elementary rehabilitation. Derbitz worked as a research assistant until 1991.

Voluntary work (from 1985)

From 1985 to 1997 Derbitz was involved in the Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania eV On June 26, 1985 Derbitz was elected chairman of the Rostock city and state district. Here he also became an honorary member . Due to the "extraordinary commitment in the GDR's association for the blind and visually impaired" (Rostock district association), Derbitz was entered in the city of Rostock's book of honor on May 1, 1987. He was also a member of the CB radio operators ' association, the fishing club and the senior citizens' association of the former Neptun shipyard.

Association "Forest and Garden Studio eV"

Derbitz founded the association "Forest and Garden Studio eV". The inspiration here was a visit to a Bremen project. The association was supported by ornithologists , biologists, botanists , nature conservation staff, the Green League and some teachers.

Dealing with the war experiences

Derbitz reflects in his autobiography the events with the fact that he "did not shoot a single person during the entire war in honor and conscience". Nonetheless, he felt “already then jointly responsible for what happened in the name of the German people”. In addition, during his time in Lübeck , he remembered having developed into a staunch anti-fascist . A passage in his autobiography leaves open whether anything was done to his mother as a displaced person.

Writer and author

Derbitz has been writing publications since the 1950s, e. B. in the form of brochures. Since 1990 Derbitz began to write for literary forms of fiction . Short stories and an autobiography followed . His works were u. a. also regularly printed in the Rostocker street newspaper Strohhalm from 2003 onwards. Detective stories by Commissioner Krüger, the fishing stories and various poems from 1999–2012 were published in the audio magazines Kultur und Freizeit as well as in the audio magazine.

Works

Published works

  • FDGB (Ed.): Festival brochure for the competitions and festivals of German folk art in the Rostock district. Volksdruckerei Greifswald, 1954.
  • On the ideological work of the FDJ. Scientific journal of the University of Rostock (6/7), 1970, pp. 533-534.
  • His life and struggle for us obligation: Max Pagel shipyard worker and communist . BBS "Max Pagel" d. VEB shipyard "Neptun", Rostock 1984.
  • Contributions to the audio magazine "Kultur und Freizeit" (1999–2012), DZB-Verlag, Leipzig
  • Contributions to the audio magazine "Hörmagazin" (1999–2003), DZB-Verlag, Leipzig
  • Expensive game. In: T. Roediger (Ed.), Meeting Point Writing. Anthology: Reading Types of Life (Literareon, pp. 52–54). Utz, Munich 2002.
  • Post war period . Ingo Koch Verlag, Rostock 2003.
  • Commissioner Kruger is investigating. 33 short crime novels; possible episodes from the life of a criminalist of our time (orig. edition, first dr., 1st edition). Schardt, Oldenburg 2004.
  • Sabotage. In: Wismar crime scene. (Criminal) stories (writing workshop, pp. 123–128). Office + Service Rostock, Rostock 2004.
  • The Green Planet - A utopian, technical and adventurous story . Books on Demand, Norderstedt 2017.

Unpublished works (selection)

  • Six friends and two green planets . Rostock 1996.
  • The mysterious stones . Rostock 1996.
  • Three mates . Rostock 2000.
  • Small astronomical paperback . Rostock 2001.
  • Why I changed my mind and became an anti-fascist . Rostock 2002.
  • The Brückner brothers . Rostock 2002.
  • The secret of the Napoleonic captain . Rostock 2002.
  • A case for two . Rostock 2002.

Honors and awards

Web links

Commons : Gerhard Derbitz  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c Gerhard Derbitz: Four degrees. In: post-war period. 2003, ISBN 3-937179-36-4 , p. 113.
  2. ↑ Gerhard Derbitz: Introduced . In: post-war period. 2003, ISBN 3-937179-36-4 , p. 9.
  3. ↑ Gerhard Derbitz: Introduced . In: post-war period. 2003, ISBN 3-937179-36-4 , p. 10.
  4. ↑ a b Gerhard Derbitz: From the Albert Canal via Arnhem to Amsterdam. In: post-war period. 2003, ISBN 3-937179-36-4 , p. 25.
  5. ↑ Gerhard Derbitz: Introduced . In: post-war period. 2003, ISBN 3-937179-36-4 , p. 12.
  6. ↑ Gerhard Derbitz: Totally from. In: post-war period. 2003, ISBN 3-937179-36-4 , p. 14.
  7. ↑ Gerhard Derbitz: Totally from. In: post-war period. 2003, ISBN 3-937179-36-4 , p. 15.
  8. ↑ Gerhard Derbitz: Totally from. In: post-war period. 2003, ISBN 3-937179-36-4 , p. 16.
  9. ↑ Naval War 1944, May. Retrieved February 17, 2017 .
  10. ↑ Gerhard Derbitz: Direct hit. In: post-war period. 2003, ISBN 3-937179-36-4 , p. 17.
  11. ↑ Gerhard Derbitz: Direct hit. In: post-war period. 2003, ISBN 3-937179-36-4 , p. 20.
  12. ↑ Gerhard Derbitz: From Albert channel via Arnhem to Amsterdam. In: post-war period. 2003, ISBN 3-937179-36-4 , p. 22.
  13. ↑ Gerhard Derbitz: On 'Peace' and 'Freedom' in Lübeck. In: post-war period. 2003, ISBN 3-937179-36-4 , p. 35.
  14. ↑ Gerhard Derbitz: On 'Peace' and 'Freedom' in Lübeck. In: post-war period. 2003, ISBN 3-937179-36-4 , p. 39.
  15. ↑ Gerhard Derbitz: Full of Hope: Heimwärts. 2003, ISBN 3-937179-36-4 , p. 41.
  16. ↑ Gerhard Derbitz: Full of Hope: Heimwärts. 2003, ISBN 3-937179-36-4 , p. 45.
  17. ^ Federal Agency for Civic Education: From the "German People's Congress" to the GDR. In: Extract from "Information on Political Education", Issue 259: Germany 1945–1949. Federal Agency for Civic Education, accessed on February 18, 2017 .
  18. ↑ Gerhard Derbitz: People's Council, referendum and currency reform. In: post-war period. 2003, ISBN 3-937179-36-4 , pp. 94f.
  19. ↑ Gerhard Derbitz: Relocated . In: post-war period. 2003, ISBN 3-937179-36-4 , p. 97.
  20. ↑ Gerhard Derbitz: Relocated . In: post-war period. 2003, ISBN 3-937179-36-4 , p. 99.
  21. ↑ The Federal Commissioner for the Records of the State Security Service of the former German Democratic Republic: Chronicle of the History of the GDR and its Ministry for State Security. The Federal Commissioner for the Records of the State Security Service of the Former German Democratic Republic, accessed on February 19, 2017 .
  22. ↑ Gerhard Derbitz: folk art and cultural work. In: post-war period. 2003, ISBN 3-937179-36-4 , p. 106.
  23. ↑ State of emergency. June 17, 1953 in Mecklenburg and Western Pomerania (2CD); ed. v. NDR-Landesfunkhaus Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and the foundation for coming to terms with the SED dictatorship. Berlin 2003.
  24. ^ Basic organization of the SED - VEB Schiffswerft Neptun Rostock (ed.): CHRONICLE VEB Schiffswerft Neptun . Basic organization of the SED - VEB Schiffswerft Neptun Rostock, Rostock December 1, 1979, p. 84 .
  25. ^ Stralsund migratory birds. DIE ZEIT, December 26, 1957, accessed on February 18, 2017 .
  26. ↑ Gerhard Derbitz: Repressed pain, but a new stroke of fate. In: post-war period. 2003, ISBN 3-937179-36-4 , p. 120.
  27. ↑ North German Latest News: Gertraud Derbitz: Obituary notice. March 23, 2019, accessed March 26, 2019 .
  28. ↑ Gerhard Derbitz: Four Degrees. In: post-war period. 2003, ISBN 3-937179-36-4 , p. 112.
  29. ↑ a b c Archive of the Hanseatic City of Rostock, card index of the individuals entered in the honor book of the city of Rostock. 2.1.1. # 8656.
  30. ↑ Gerhard Derbitz: From Albert channel via Arnhem to Amsterdam. In: post-war period. 2003, ISBN 3-937179-36-4 , p. 23.
  31. ↑ Gerhard Derbitz: From Albert channel via Arnhem to Amsterdam. In: post-war period. 2003, ISBN 3-937179-36-4 , pp. 23-24.
  32. ↑ Gerhard Derbitz: ideas, projects and variants. In: post-war period. 2003, ISBN 3-937179-36-4 , p. 35.
  33. ↑ Gerhard Derbitz: meetings, hoof and a fun carriage ride. 2003, ISBN 3-937179-36-4 , p. 61.
  34. ↑ Women's Association in the Federation of Displaced Persons: Fates of Displaced Women - Chapter 3 {4}. In: vertriebe-frauen.de. Women's Association in the Federation of Displaced Persons, July 13, 2005, accessed on February 18, 2017 .
  35. ↑ Gerhard Derbitz: STRAW . Ed .: Wohltat eV, STROHhalm. No. 61,62,63,64,65,66,67,69,72,74 . Wohltat eV, Rostock.
  36. ↑ Can be viewed in the Rostock University Library, Albert-Einstein-Strasse 6.Signature: ZB 1279
  37. ↑ Can be viewed in the Schwerin State Library (call number 20 A 2083 a)
  38. ^ Catalog of the German National Library: Culture and Leisure (cassettes). German National Library, accessed on March 28, 2017 .
  39. ^ Catalog of the German National Library: Culture and Leisure (CDs). German National Library, accessed on March 28, 2017 .
  40. ^ German National Library: Catalog of the German National Library: Hörmagazin (cassettes). Retrieved March 28, 2017 .
  41. ^ Catalog of the German National Library: Hörmagazin (CDs). German National Library, accessed on March 28, 2017 .
personal data
SURNAME Derbitz, Gerhard
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German teacher, vocational school director and writer
DATE OF BIRTH December 30, 1924
PLACE OF BIRTH Szczecin , Pomerania Province
DATE OF DEATH September 1, 2004
Place of death Rostock , Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania