Our Street

A Chronicle Written in the Heart of Fascist Germany

Jan Petersen

• Publisher: Faber & Faber
• Year: 2012
• Topic: History
• eBook ISBN:
  9780571287543
• Subtopic: World History
• Index: History

If ever a book had an unusual genesis. It belongs to that hybrid category 'faction', but the choice wasn't a literary contrivance, it was dictated by life-threatening circumstances. In the author's own words:

'I know what will happen to me if I fall into the hands of the Nazis with these records. I didn't write at all this week. I came to close to burning everything. The difficulties just seemed too great. I have been trying to find another place to live where I can write, but it would have to be with comrades, and they are just as involved in underground work as I am. There could be a sudden a house search at their homes too. The place where I keep the written page is not absolutely safe either. But during this last week when I didn't write I couldn't find inner peace either. I was weighed down by a spiritual urgency that has compelled me to go on writing now. I must write all this down! We must manage to get this manuscript abroad. It must help to shake people's consciences awake.'

Our Street is an account of left-wing resistance to Nazism in the Charlottenburg district of Berlin between January 1933 and June 1934, in other words, from just before Hitler became Chancellor to the early days of Nazi government. The street in question is Wallstrasse. It suffered particular brutality in revenge for the killing of a Stormtrooper.

At the beginning of the book the names of eighteen victims are printed, 'The Charlottenburg Death List'. These names are real but they don't tell the whole story. As the translator, Betty Rensen, says in her foreword, 'But many more murders and executions have taken place: they could not all be recounted here, because of the possible repercussions on relatives and friends. The author had, therefore, to be content with the names in the death-list. These names are all well known in Berlin-Charlottenburg, and in some cases the families have emigrated beyond the reach of Nazi ''justice''.'

The story of how the manuscript was smuggled out of the country is almost one of tragi-comedy. The author dressed as if going for a ski-ing holiday. The customs examination was thorough until, that is, it came to checking the rucksack. It appeared to contain two enormous cakes. Feigning embarrassment, Jan Petersen, explained, 'Well, you know what women are, don't you? I told my wife I was only going away for three days, but she would go and bake me two whopping big cakes. It'll take me a week to eat one. Just look at the size of them.' The official was all smiling complaisance, his wife being just the same, he said. Inside the cakes the manuscript had been baked!

The English translation of Our Street was published in 1938 in Gollancz's Left Book Club. Victor Gollancz himself called it 'vivid and exciting'. It still is.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Table of Contents
• AUTHOR’S PREFACE
• THE CHARLOTTENBURG DEATH LIST
• FOREWORD by THE TRANSLATOR
• Our Street
• Saturday, January 21st, 1933.
• We walk slowly through the streets.
• The next evening.
• Three days have passed…
• Two days later I am walking aimlessly…
• At noon on January 30th…
• An hour later.
• Quarter past eleven strikes…
• The same night.
• Long articles appear in the papers…
• The nervous tension of the last days…
• I unlock the front door.
• The announcement appeared in the paper…
• The street climbs a low hill.
• I call for Franz and the girls.
• Two days later.
• The next day. Teichert rang at my door…
• Teichert had provided Franz with…
• Perhaps they’re shadowing me…
• I had just got home…
• Yesterday Ede came to me…
• I walk slowly past Franz…
• The pub Werner…
• Rothacker was almost arrested to-day.
• The next day. Strubbel is at my place.
• Many rumours circulated…
• I met Franz in his new district…
• Not a soul in the streets.
• We have none of us been able…
• Ernst Schwiebus is already waiting…
• The posters have been divided…
• “Fresh ’errings…”
• I am at Rothacker’s.
• Frau Preuss seems about to collapse.
• Heinz Preuss was only able to tell us…
• I couldn’t fall asleep for ages…
• A memorial tablet for Maikowski…
• When Heinz Preuss did not come home…
• We had warned all the comrades…
• I walk slowly down the street.
• I stop at an Ullstein newspaper kiosk…
• I was in a tight corner yesterday.
• Rothacker had called for me.
• The situation remained the same.
• With the district sub-committee’s consent…
• It is Sunday morning…
• We have kept the two whom we suspect…
• I met Alfred, the S.A.J. comrade…
• Something awful happened to-day.
• Alex says good-bye and leaves us.
• October 17th, 1933
• October 22nd, 1933
• We have produced a circular.
• So far the exposure of Kranz…
• Election Sunday
• Two days later.
• I have been unable to carry on…
• Franz had to change his quarters…
• I am waiting near the Wittenbergplatz…
• The Maikowski trial has lasted for weeks.
• It’s Christmas Eve.
• We are at Teichert’s.
• Heinz Preuss has been released…
• The papers published the Maikowski trial verdict…
• New difficulties have arisen over my writings.
• The papers report.
• The S.A. major-general is standing on the platform…
• February 1st, 1934–
• I have decided never again to use my bike…
• Ernst Schwiebus was here just now.
• “Hundreds dead!”
• A Nazi at the barber’s to-day…
• The evening paper lies on the table…
• February 17th, 1934
• “Ready-made,”
• I had difficulties in arranging Max’s enrolment.
• I saw a new poster in our street to-day.
• We have again been struck a heavy blow.
• The loudspeaker was grinding martial music into the bar…
• Franz rang at the door of his home.
• When the Brown Shirts came out…
• My first thought when I heard the news…
• Käthe had not been able to get much sleep…
• I walk slowly down the Berlinerstrasse.
• I am at Teichert’s place…
• One of the Rote Hilfe functionaries…
• X, the S.A. reserve man…
• Frau Zander closed the door…
• I stand in front of the advertisement pillar.
• I was in the city.
• The next day.
• About the Author
• Copyright