The 1942 village reports prepared for the German Reichsminister for the Occupied Eastern Territories document an almost complete breakdown of community life under Stalin in predominantly Mennonite communities. To read them is to take a step into a dystopian world ( note 1 ). Here is a small sample of responses to one of many questions; they are asked by the occupying German army to reflect on "socializing" ( Geseligkeit )—having fun, meeting socially with others—as they experienced it during the recently ended communist period: Adelsheim [Chortitza] : "Socializing during the period of collectivization came to a complete end. Because of the many frictions in the collective [farm], we became weary/wary ( überdrüssig ) of each other.” Blumengart [Chortitza] : "Regarding our social life after collectivization, neighbour no longer wished to see neighbour.” Also: "A lack of clothing hinders social life amongst the youth in particular". Chortitza [Town]: ...
Vignettes by Arnold Neufeldt-Fast