Adio, Berlin!

Jurnalul Naional, 12 noiembrie 2006

Goodbye/Farewell, Berlin!

Orasul te intampina rece. Are un farmec discret si cu

putin efort il poti asemui cu un Paris...
german. Sunt la Berlin. Il vizitez absenta,
deoarece motivul sosirii mele aici este unul
dureros. O inmormantare.

The city greets you coldly. It has a discreet charm

and with a little effort you can compare it
with Paris...a german Paris. I am in Berlin.
I visit it absent-minded because the reason
why I am here/of my arrival here is
painful. A funeral.

Poate Hollywoodul e de vina ca a produs prea multe

filme despre Holocaust, dar ideea unei
calatorii in Germania nu m-a incantat
niciodata. Cu prejudecati sau nu, parca inca
din aeroportul din Berlin te lovesti de un
zid, si nu poate fi vorba despre zidul care
despartea Berlinul de Vest de cel de Est. Nu
stiu de ce! Poate e vorba despre sangele
latin care imi curge prin vene.

Perhaps Hollywood is at fault/is to blame for

making too many films about the
Holocaust, but the idea of a trip to
Germany never thrilled me/I have never
been thrilled by the idea of a trip to
Germany. Bias-free or not, it seems as if
right from/at the Berlin airport you hit a
wall, and it cant be the separating wall
between West Berlin and East Berlin. I
dont know why! Perhaps it is the Latin
blood that courses/runs through my veins.

Orasul poate fi explorat din punct de vedere istoric,

arhitectural sau literar. Cel care viziteaza
orasul pentru prima oara va dori sa vada
bineinteles Poarta Brandenburg. Mai sunt si
alte repere turistice, plus peste 170 de
muzee si galerii particulare. Poduri vechi,
monumente impozante, oamenii sunt
politicosi si zambesc, dar sunt imbracati
doar in negru sau in gri, strazile pline de
Mercedes-uri sunt cam cenusii, iar limba,
desi vorbita de Goethe, cel putin mie imi da
fiori de inghet.

The city can be explored regarding history,

architecture or literature. Of course,
Brandenburg Gate is the main
interest/attraction for someone who is
visiting the city for the first time. There are
other tourist attractions, plus over 170
museums and private galleries. Old
bridges, imposing/impressive monuments,
polite and smiling people, but dressed only
in black or grey, the streets filled/packed
with Mercedess are pretty/quite/slightly
grey/grizzle, and as for me regarding the
language, although spoken by Goethe,

LOLA. Dar... Niciodata nu mi-am imaginat ca o sa

gasesc o atmosfera atat de calda intr-un apartament
din Berlin. Un salon destul de incapator pentru o
familie cu doi copii. Toata lumea este in doliu si
telefonul suna incontinuu. Mama celor doua fete

gives me shivers.
LOLA. But... I never imagined/thought I would find
such a warm climate in an appartment in Berlin. A
salon big enough for a family with two children.

discuta cu noi si raspunde la condoleantele

apropiatilor in romana, iar tatal, asezat la o masa
solida din lemn, care tine loc si de birou, vorbeste la
telefon intr-o germana perfecta. Cei doi caini,
soricari sarmosi, fac ture pe holul lung. In
dormitorul uneia dintre fete, pe pereti, sunt lipite
postere cu vedetele preferate si fotografii cu ele si cu
parintii lor. Nu le-am mai vazut de cativa ani si sunt
surprinsa de cat de mult s-au schimbat. Cea mica s-a
inaltat cu vreo sapte centimetri si acum face o scurta
parada de moda prin camera, pentru ca nu stie cu ce
sa se imbrace a doua zi la scoala! Cealalta,
imbracata intr-o rochie neagra, o priveste pe sora ei
si o sfatuieste sa-si schimbe tinuta cam nepotrivita
pentru scoala. Este calma, dar se vede ca e coplesita
de tristete. La un moment dat se ridica si scoate
dintr-un dulap o fotografie veche, mai mare decat o
pagina de revista, o tine putin in brate si ne-o arata,
cu lacrimi in ochi: "Lola era foarte frumoasa!".

Everyone is in mourning and the phone rings

constantly/keeps ringing. The mother of the two
girls is talking with us and she is answering in
Romanian to the intimates condolences, and the
father, seated to a solid wooden table, which serves
as a desk too, is talking on the phone in a perfect
German. The two dogs, wire-haired ratters, are
running laps in the long hallway. In one of the girls
bedroom there are on the walls posters of their
favorite celebrities and pictures of the two girls and
their parents. I havent seen them in a few years and
I am surprised how much they have changed. The
youngest has grown with about 7 cm and now she
makes a short/brief fashion parade in the room
because she doesnt know what to wear at school
the next day/ tomorrow! The other one, dressed in a
black dress, watches her sister and advises her to
change her attire/outfit that is rather inappropriate
for school. She is calm, but it is obvious that she is
overwhelmed with sadness. At one point she rises
and removes from a cabinet an old
photograh/picture, larger than a page from a
magazine, holds it a little in her arms and shows it
to us with teary/watery eyes: Lola was very
beautiful!.

Din fotografie zambeste misterios si teatral o femeie

fina, cu o frumusete din alte vremuri. Parul negru
ondulat, specific anilor 30, ii incadreaza frumos
fata alba. Imbracata intr-o rochie alba lunga din
matase, lasata pe umeri, are stralucirea si farmecul
intalnite la Gloria Swanson sau la Marlene Dietrich.
Dar nu, nu este vorba despre nici o actrita din
perioada anilor 30. In poza aceea alb-negru, care isi
are loc de cinste printre afisele cu Justin Timberlake
si Britney Spears, este o romanca evreica, bunica
celor doua fete. A murit si va fi inmormantata peste
doua zile, acesta fiind si motivul vizitei mele la
Berlin.

The picture shows a delicate woman smiling

mysteriously and theatrical, with a beauty from
another time. Her white/pale face is nicely framed
by her curly/wavy black hair, dominant in/specific
for the 30s. Dressed in a long white silk dress, with
loose straps, she resembles Gloria Swanson or
Marlene Bietrich regarding her glow and charm.
But no, I am not talking about any/this is not an
actress of the 30s. In this black and white photo,
which has its own special place among posters with
Justin Timberlake and Britney Spears, is a
Romanian Jewish woman, the grandmother of the

two girls. She passed away and she would be buried

in 2 days time, also this being the reason of my
visit in Berlin.
SEMNE. In 1933, populatia de evrei din Berlin a
fost estimata la 160.000 de persoane. Intre
octombrie 1941 si aprilie 1943, peste 60.000 au fost
deportati in lagare de concentrare sau de
exterminare, sute s-au sinucis si alte zeci de mii au
emigrat.

SIGNS. In 1933, Berlins jewish population was

estimated at 160.000 people. Between October 1941
and April 1943, over/more than 60.000 people have
been deported to concentration or extermination
camps, hundreds have committed suicide and other
tens of thousands have emigrated.

Astazi, in Berlin traiesc aproape 20.000 de evrei,

printre care s-a numarat si Lola. S-a nascut
in 1914 in Romania si o mare parte din
viata a visat doar la ziua in care ea si
familia ei vor pleca din tara. Abia in 1980 a
ajuns cu sotul ei in Berlin si au asteptat
sase luni in lagar (un centru de ajutorare a
cetatenilor germani in devenire) finalizarea
actelor. A meritat efortul, pentru ca, numai
acolo, in sfarsit, s-a putut mandri ca este
evreica. In anii 80, cei mai multi evrei
locuiau in partea americana de vest si astazi
se pot vedea in tot Berlinul semne ale
comunitatii evreiesti. Cateva strazi poarta
nume faimoase de evrei, sapte sinagogi ii
cheama pe credinciosi si in tot orasul sunt
monumente ridicate in memoria celor
disparuti in timpul Holocaustului.

Today, nearly 20.000 Jews live in Berlin, including

Lola. She was born in Romania in 1914
and a great part of her life she only
dreamed of the day when she and her
family would leave the country. No sooner
than 1980 she arrived with her husband in
Berlin and they have waited for 6 months
in the camp (help center for prospective
German citizens) for the papers/documents
to be completed. It was worth the effort
because only there she was able to finally
take pride in the fact that she was Jewish.
In the 80s, most Jews were living in the
west American part and today there are
signs/evidence of the Jewish community
throughout Berlin. Some/A few streets are
named after famous Jews, also there are
seven synagogues/temples for the
believers/faithful and throughtout the city
there are monuments erected in memory of
those who disappeared during the

Inmormantarea a avut loc la ora 10:00 dimineata, la

Sinagoga Pesstaozzi, situata tot in partea de vest a
Berlinului. Au fost invitati cativa prieteni si neaparat
zece barbati evrei. Fara flori si fara bocete, rabinul,
insotit de cantor, a inceput slujba.

Holocaust.
The funeral was held at 10 oclock in the
morning/10am, at Pesstaozzi temple, also situated in
west Berlin. A few friends were invited and also
necessarily ten Jewish men. With no/without
flowers and no crying/lament, the rabbin/rabbi
began the service, accompanied by the cantor/parish

clerk.
NECLINTIREA. A vorbit un timp despre Lola, a
pomenit amintiri care au inlacrimat familia,
apoi a rostit cateva rugaciuni in ebraica.
Apoi, formand un sir de cate doi, am insotit
sicriul, acoperit tot timpul si purtat pe
umerii celor zece evrei catre mormant.
Ceremonia a continuat apoi la un restaurant
italienesc. Alte ritualuri si alte simtiri la o
inmormantare la Berlin.

The unflinchingness/immobility. He talked for a

while about Lola/said a few words about
Lola, mentioned memories which made the
family cry, then said a few prayers in
Hebrew. After that, forming a line/row of
two, we accompanied the coffin which was
covered the entire time and carried on the
shoulders of the ten Jews to the
tomb/grave. Then the ceremony continued
at an Italian restaurant. Other rituals and
other feelings/sensations at a funeral in
Berlin.

Oare i s-ar fi parut Berlinului, in alte vremuri, acest

ramas-bun sfasietor? Nu a ramas el
nemiscat la fiecare adio, strigat de catre
evreii deportati? Oare s-a clintit macar la
auzul unui adio strigat din disperarea si
frica celor inchisi in lagare de concentrare?
S-a zguduit vreun pic in "noaptea de
cristal"? Nu, nici n-a miscat. A privit ca
orice oras de piatra cum ii sunt arse casele,
sinagogile si a ascultat nepasator cum
evreii condusi la moarte isi luau adio de la
el.

In other times, would Berlin see/find this farewell

as being heart-breaking? Wasnt it standing
still Didnt it remain motionless at each
farewell called/cried out by the deported
Jews? Did it even/at least budge/flinch
hearing a farewell called from the despair
and fear of those locked away in
concentration camps? Did it shook any bit
during the night of broken glass? No, it
stood still. It watched as every stone city
its houses and temples being burned, and
listened careless as the Jews that were
being lead to death were taking leave of it.

Orasul groazei, dar si al regasirii, a fost cand urat,

cand iubit, cand rece, cand primitor! A fost
dusmanul evreilor, dar si casa lor, asa ca
nu-i de mirare ca o evreica si-a luat
impacata adio de la el.

The city of terror, but of retrival too, has been hated

at times, other times loved, other times
cold, other times welcoming! It has been
the enemy Jews, but also their home, so it
is no surprise that a Jewish woman took

Trecutul vegheaza undeva acolo, dar Berlinul

viitorului se grupeaza in jurul a sute de firme,
magazine, hoteluri, locuinte, teatre, un cartier al

leave of it in peace.
The past is tending/watching there somewhere, but
the futures Berlin is gathering/grouped around

presei, un altul al bancilor... Adio, Berlin!

hundreds of companies, shops, hotels,

establishments, theatres, a press headquarter,
another of banks... Farewell, Berlin!

Cornelia Preda