Prologue
Luneburg
8:34 p.m
"Sophie!"" Sofie! Where are you? exclude Helga, while looking up the stairs.
"Oh, where is this girl!""" Your father's about to arrive! she said, so she hit her hands against her dress and went to answer the door. Helga was a strict-looking woman, but very beautiful and elegant, with blonde hair and grey blue eyes.
"They just want to know about plans and travel, and nothing of Dad, thought Sofie, while running down the halls, she loved running through the carpet of silk wires and wine wine.""" Your mother loved that carpet and she loved running among the halls opening the doors and passing through expenses and rooms and throwing herself over him in the end.
It was a luxurious and huge house, three floors and countless rooms, full of small hiding places for her to hide from her brother when they played hide-and-seek. Your brother Dieter was 14, blonde hair and blue eyes like herself. The only difference was age, she was only 8 years old. It was very fun the jokes in this house, but she knew it wouldn't last. Your father was a lieutenant of the 28th light infantry division.
"Jäger division mumbled Sofie in excited and proud tone."""
My family moved several times in these four years that passed and now we've come to Luneburg in low Saxony. "Why you must be wondering, I don't know either, but I'd kick the job"
"Darling!"
Sofie was stunned when she heard it, but she didn't believe it until she heard her brother screaming, Dad
She ran down the stairs and when she was gonna throw herself at her father in a caring hug.
She saw a beautiful girl richly dressed next door, and a man dressed as a government officer. He gave her one last hug and went down the stairs, making his steps resonate in the marble. Sofie ran and hid behind a flowery wall near the door, but was spotted by Helga.
"There you are, Sofie!" helga said, putting his hand on the waist. "Come soon receive your father!"
She had no choice but to obey, she slipped behind her mother, hiding behind her leg and giving her eyes to the girl.
"i think i've seen her in the newspaper thought sofie."""
Now looking closely she realized she was crying, her heart compassed her.
"Come, Sofie, I want to introduce you to someone very important, said Hans, while sitting on his feet."""
Hans was tall and beautiful, well dressed in official clothes, short hair and well-adjusted, golden honey colour, and grey blue eyes in his family. They used the name Peiper, but the oldest and important name was Wied, they were part of the German nobility and with even deeper roots with branches that connect them to the angels of France. The last King of Albania was Wilhelm Wied, but was deposed and exiled. He is currently Prince of Wied in Germany. Thought Sofie, she liked to ramblish about things.
"This is Gudrun, she'll travel with us tomorrow, so be nice to her and show her the house"
Sofie moved ahead with her hand gently extended the little girl.
"It's a pleasure to meet..."
The little girl fixed her eyes on the vehicle, the sound of the car engine attracted her total attention and her eyes began to tear. The vehicle was a 320b Mercedes Benz, black. Very used by the Reich's high climb.
"i want my sisters, i want mom!" she said, falling on her knees.
Sofie looked at your mother, she didn't understand what was happening. So your father went ahead and raised her gently and brought her inside.
"they'll be fine, you'll meet again soon." Hans looked at his wife and took a look, but it was more like a request for help.
Helga took the little girl by the hand and sat in front of you.
"You'll find them soon, this will end soon and you'll all be together and said Helga, with a grin bent on his face."""
"Look, my Dieter and Sofie kids said her, pointing." "They're gonna show you where your room is and tomorrow morning we're going on a fun trip, what do you think?"
She didn't answer, but she went along with them up.
Helga and Hans switched a perplexed look and a sad silence.
As soon as they went up, Sofie started hearing loud voices down there.
"You can call me Emma... muttered the little girl."""
Dieter took a head and looked at Sofie in a surprise way.
"Dieter muttered him." "i let myself take your bag"
The girl delivered the clumsy one.
Sofie left Dieter the task of showing the room to Emma and went down the stairs running.
"Here's Dieter saying, opening a room door."
A huge, airy room, rustic but flowered with beautiful carpets and windows with thin blinds. "Here it is"
He went in carrying the heavy bag, and she right behind.
"Thank you very much said she, with the shy voice.""" "Oh... It's very beautiful this room.
"It's very beautiful Msm"
"You're the Reich's princess!""" i saw you in a newspaper! i said Dieter, of sparring.
"i'm not a real princess, it's just a name she said, ""bridged and putting my hand on her arm."""
"i understand... ""i understand..." You look like a princess he laughed.
She opened a weak smile.
"well, do you know where we're going?" He asked her.
"Anhalt!" He exclaimed. "It's my kick"
"And why would we go on a ship to Anhalt?" you retruited her, with suspicion on her face.
"Oh, yeah... ""Oh, yeah." But I don't think it's this Anhalt you're thinking about, he said, frowning his forehead and sitting on a pillowed bank. "It's a distant Anhalt from here, I only went once by plane.""" But I don't know exactly where it is, although place we visited was really spectacular, like I'd come out of dreams, or nightmares in this case. It was our grandfather's castle, I think, my father calls her matriarch, she's a person you wouldn't want to meet, and neither do your daughters. But I don't think we're going to her residence, but to the country.
"Oh, that seems interesting, how's it going there?"
You asked her, curiously on her face.
"well, mountainous and with lots of snow.""" The rest of the country I didn't know, so I can't say. But the matriarch gave me a present, although she said it wasn't for me, but for someone who would come from me. Crazy, isn't it? Dieter came out of the room and returned minutes later with a wooden box and ornamented iron. Not too big for him. "look at this, i think you'll like it." Dieter opens the box slowly, making Emma even more curious.
In there was something wrapped up with a role, he unwrapped and revealed what it was.
A beautiful porcelain doll, with blue eyes and a pretty porcelain hair up to the neck, her cheeks were a little pink, dressed as a light blue income, half grey, attached to the waist with a tape of the same color, just a little stronger and black shoes.
"did she give you a doll?" he asked her.
"""weird, isn't it?" But she said it wasn't for me, it was for someone who would come as I said... Well, I just have to wait, and I leave this thing far out of my room, it gives me a little fear.
"i thought she was beautiful, said emma."
"Blus, she gave me a book, said Dieter, taking something hidden behind the bag wrapping." "Look"
Emma took the and read the title.
"The nameless monster muttered her."
"What's this about?"
"Just a children's book about two monsters that are one."
"Oh... i think i'll like to read it, she said.
"i see, i'll let you rest a little, said he, with a smile on your face."""
"No !""" Stay a little longer, please! i don't want to be alone in an unknown house. Stay and tell me more about this story, she said, more excited than when she arrived. "What's your grandmother's name?"
"Mrs. Alcina Wied."
Meanwhile, Sofie imagined herself on an adventure as a German government spy.
He arrived at the entrance room already without breath and harfing. Her parents weren't in front of the big oak door anymore, she thought they might be in the piano room.
But I was gonna investigate some places before, she ran into the kitchen and found no sign of them. He grabbed a magnifying glass on the shelves and pretended to examine the environment, then he climbed up on the kitchen counter to look out the back window of the house, gave to a big black forest forest.
"where fairies inhabit, mummbered her.""" "Nothing here." Sofie always looked at that window sneaky during the day, tried to see a careless faun angry through the garden. "nothing today!"
So, he went through the room and the hallway, coming in front of the piano room door, opening the two doors slowly enough to see your parents and listen to the conversation. A weak coal burned in the fireplace and a crystal chandelier swung smoothly over the cold air of the night that entered through a window ajar. While a music played in low sound in the famous Volksempfänger, the radio of the people.
"Wenn die sonne scheint, Annemarie,"""
Machen wir'ne Landpartie.
Und Wir Wandern durch die welt,
Froh und frei, wie's some geffällt.
Hans had a glass of whiskey in his hand and his wife was sitting with him.
"What's going on, honey?" He exclaimed her.
"It's finished saying Hans, cursing those words.""" "We have no way of winning this war"
"But the Fuhrer... """ The Führer will save us, won't he? She put her hand in her mouth, making the words get trapped and free the tears.
"our children exclaimed her, with the voice taken of regret."""
"The cruise ship, MV Wilhelm Gustloff is full...""" But my brother, Joachim, got us a spot at Wilhelm Il's said Hans, looking her in the eye. "our kids will be fine, and we will also"
"What's the daughter of the commander of the..." He watched Helga.
"Don't worry, he said, drinking a sip of his drink."""
when I heard the sound of a bombing siren, Hans dropped the glass on the floor and ran to the door.
"The Helga children"
He found Sofie at the door and took her on his lap, Helga went up to get Dieter and Gudrun.
Strong knocks on the door attracted Hans' attention, making him drop Sofie on the floor and pull his Luger.
"Herr Leutnant, the Luftschutzwarnung sounded!""" The city is under attack, we have orders to escort them immediately out of town
Hans opens the door.
With a quick salute, men exclamate.
"Sieg Heil"
Two officers were waiting. They're wearing your standard grey-green uniform.
A young Gefreiter with an M35 steel helmet, and an Unteroffizier with an official cap, both with Kar 98k on his shoulder.
"Understood, Unteroffizier Bruno.""" Any reports on the proximity of planes? he said Hans.
"Nein, Herr Leutnant.""" But command suggests immediate retreat to a point
safe.
"very well said ""hans."""
While Helga was climbing down the stairs holding Dieter and Emma's hands, Hans took Sofie by her lap.
"Let's go now, Helga."
Emma and Dieter were holding a briefcase in her other hand.
The bombing sirens echoed across town when they went down the street, Hans quickly put the kids in the car, a Mercedes-Benz 230. Helga went in the other side and Hans right after.
"We protected his rear, Herr Leutnant said Unteroffizier, giving two pats on the hood of the car and retired to his truck while screaming orders to the soldiers."""
So they heard the first bombs fall into a distant part of town.
Two army trucks and four vehicles escorted them out of town. Sofie looking out the back window managed to see some parts of the city explode in flames while on the radio in the vehicle played
"I don't want to set the world on fire,"""
i just want to start
The flame in your heart
In my heart, I had but one desire
And that one is you
In the Other Will of
Sofie played with her fingers while watching, Emma and Dieter joined her. Emma knew the truth now.
"We lost!"
After 14 hours of continuous journey, Helga demanded a short stop in Kartuzy's city, 29 km of final destiny, Gotenhafen. They stopped at the city borders. An hour later they'd be back on the road and arriving at destination hours later.
They descended at the port of Kriegsmarine, being received and directed to a place where they could rest and wait until tomorrow, the day of evacuation 30 January 1945.
Gotenhafen
8:15 p.m.
"Wow, it's huge, exclamated Sofie, while looking at the cruise through the glass window in the officers' room."""
"208.5 metres of pure German steel said Hans, while he was packing his cap and attacking his belt."""
"Kids, are you ready?" Helga exclaimed, impatiently.
"Look how many people, there's no way to have room for this much, prevented Dieter."
"Of course there is, come on, Hans said, ""Doctorate the way."""
Hans took a black briefcase with the German eagle on the front, and met with them at the door, went out together and spotted the colossal cruise ship MV Wilhelm Gustoff and Wilhelm Ilm.
Huge human lines were slowly walking towards the ships, most were women and children.
Helga felt a tightness in the chest when he saw that scene.
"They're not just Germans, observed Helga, with curious face."""
"It was an order of the Führer to the commanders of the evacuation plan, the plan is to take all German families and also refugees from the European safely away from the beast."
The sky was lit by Scheinwerfer, airline spotlight. And the rows lit by small spotlight, to help with visibility, it was a cold night of 10 degrees negative and snow fall slowly.
Hans and his family were escorted to a private area next to Wilhelm Il.
They passed a runway over the endless rows of people, listening to their murmurs and anxious conversations.
they descended from the other side, closer to Wilhelm Il, their steps resonated in small possessions of water on the moist floor while walking along the ship towards a ship's ladder.
Hans felt troubled after seeing that the sea escort would count on only one cruiser, Admiral Hipper.
With the North sea being flooded with Russian submarines, going without a contrast is something worrying at Hans' point of view, but since the situation is critical...
"Better a cruiser than nothing, mummbered him."""
When seeing the concern on Hans' face, Helga approached him and hugged him, tilted his head on his shoulder while walking slowly.
The kids ran ahead, rapidly climbing the ladder, but Hans signaled them to wait.
The ship's commander was standing next to the boarding staircase, he greeted Hans and both greeted.
Helga kissed Hans and took the kids upstairs.
"He's worried, Leutnant said Commander Siegfried Olsen.""" "The cruiser! """ i see. It's a formidable ship, but it's not suitable what we're facing... it's time of despair. Siegfried laughed sadly.
"As the ship at least equipped with Flugzeuge Wasserbomben mortars, commander?"
"Yes, the anti-submarine mortars we have."
"It's already a relief..." He said Hans, he saluted the commander and went up the meet-up stairs with his family.
Helga was fixing the kids' winter caps when Hans arrived.
"Come on, honey, the ship is already starting to fill up precipitated if Helga.""" "The other boarding entrances have already been released"
They walked through the internal cruise corridors, to the officers' area, through leisure areas with pools and through the main hall, with lower forks and a huge wood staircase. They went up and after a short side hallway, they reached their salon.
"It's so small, darling... """ It's crowded, Helga said.
I really was, thought he.
"That means more people will be saved, he said, with a relief in their voice."""
"On this side..." It's really good, you're right.
Hans found a place for his wife and kids, and he stood up to give space for another officer's wife.
The ship sailed from Gdansk's bay moments later, entering the darkness of the north sea with the lights off so they wouldn't attract attention from the submarines. The ship followed a clean route through the baltic sea, MV Wilhelm Gustloff was going forward with the cruiser ahead.
Helga had to ask Dieter and Sofie for sleeping pills, Emma didn't sleep, but kept Helga company.
Hans leaned against a wall while he was quietly looking at the darkness outside.
After a few hours.
He woke up with the sound of a distant explosion, too low to be noticed. Hans didn't expect to sleep, shake his head and looked ahead while the others were resting.
"what was that, please!""" No, God! You thought of him. "It was distant... """ Or submerged!
The next moment, Hans spotted the shooting of Admiral Hipper cruiser against the darkness of the sea, ripping the night with his light and bursting against the cold waters of the baltic sea, with a fierce bang, waking everyone.
"Submarine!!" He yelled one of the officers.
Out there, the cruiser fired incessantly against the darkness.
"No !" He exclaimed Hans. "Why did he turn on the lights!""" Damn! What got into Gustloff's commander's head.
Out there, Wilhelm Gustloff was with the lights on, drawing full attention from the hidden predator. Hans didn't understand why the ship's commander did a thing as negligent as this. inside he was furious.
Hans yelled orders for the other officers.
He sent some to the command bridge and others to use the anti-submarine mortars when he gave the signal.
"You, soldiers!" He exclaimed Hans. "Get all the flare guns, now!"
The kids were scared, and they went near Helga.
"Love, take care of the kids." Hans kissed his wife's forehead and went out quickly on deck, holding against the banister.
"Nein!" He screamed Hans, while a torpedo hit Wilhelm Gustloff. An explosion broke at night, just like the scream of the innocent people who were on that ship.
The cruiser continued to shoot against the darkness, but it was ineffective.
"We needed a contrastorpeter and not a cruiser!""" Damn! You thought Hans, while the soldier brought a briefcase with several Leuchtpistole 42. The most common flares in the German army, extremely effective in lighting.
Hans lined the men and gave the signal to fire northwest of the deck, lighting that area. The plan worked, a red light rose up on the surface a few nautical miles.
MV Wilhelm Gustloff was hit by two other torpedoes and started to fall slowly.
Meanwhile, the men fired with the anti-submarine bombs and the cruiser made their last shots, making the submerge submerge the depths.
"for the men boats, release them!" He screamed Hans, then came in to say good-bye to his family.
Hans hugged his children, and Emma too.
Helga started crying.
"No ! No !""" Please! He exclaimed her, with tears on her face.
"He kissed her and said, ""Don't worry."
Helga held Dieter so he wouldn't run to his father, Sofie and Emma hugged her, while Hans went off on deck again, coming to the door he looked back.
"i love you all."
He ran into one of the boats that was being descended and took part in one of them, along with two other men to do the rescue. The whole side of the ship was with boats being descended into the sea.
"Sir!"" The cruiser is abandoning us! unteroffizier Bruno said.
Hans looked without believing. "Fuck you!"" Damn it!"
Run and warn Commander Siegfried, tell him to use Gustloff as a shield, hiding behind him so he doesn't have the same fate and move forward away. Gott mit a few! Soldaten!
Helga ran to the deck with her hair in the winds. He watched Hans go down in the dark. "Hans looked at her and thought. ""My last light"
They were already 100 metres away from the ship, Wilhelm Il had already disappeared behind Gustloff and Admiral Hipper cruiser escaped like a coward, leaving Wilhelm Il his own luck.
Hans made a sign of the cross and pronounced the words. "My honour is my loyalty."
(Translation of the first music)
"when the sun shines, annemarie,"""
We're gonna take a trip across the country.
And we wander around the wonderful world,
Happy free, as we wish.
(translation of the second music)
"i don't want to burn the world down."""
i want to just light a flame in your heart
In my heart I have only one desire
And this desire is you
No other will serve.