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Location: Volga > History > John Hermann Story
TELLS STORY OF PRIVATION UNDER SOVIETS
John Hermann Returns to Sheboygan From Russia
THERE SINCE 1914
Former Sheboygan Resident, Returned to Russia Just before the
Opening of the War, Impoverished by Bolshevist Demands Is Back in the
City With a Thrilling Story
John Hermann, residing at 1018 N. Ninth street, returned to Sheboygan early
last week with reports of conditions in the Volga river region of Russia
which corroborate the wildest reports of correspondents abroad.
Tall, haggard, careworn, his face furrowed by worry and privation and with
eyes saddened by scenes of horror, Mr. Hermann has returned after an absence
of seven years to his family circle, whose happiness knows no bounds.
Mr. Hermann who had been here several years, left Sheboygan in May 1914,
starting on his return journey to Russia where he intended to settle his
estate and divide it among his sons. The World war made his return impossible
and he was forced to stay in his native village.
During the war, Mr. Hermann stated, the conditions were not bad. There was
plenty of food and though extensive requisitions had to be filled to the
government, they willingly complied, for the armies had to be fed.
Bolshevist Rule
As soon as the bolshevists came to power, their merciless rule was felt in the
Volga river region. Hordes of them swooped down upon the hamlets and villages
and ordered election of councils of government, consisting of twenty-four men
and a president, which body was authorized to carry out their orders and
instructions.
Every village naturally had a dissatisfied element which was in sympathy with
the bolshevist and this element was elected into office. The wealthier people
were barred from election. The candidates for election were supplied by the
bolshevists and the citizens had no choice in the matter.
Through this council a systematic plan of impoverishing the Volga river region
was carried out. Orders stipulating great quantities of corn and wheat were
continually given and these orders had to be obeyed implicitly. Tardiness of
only one hour in the delivery of the demanded quantities meant either a fine
of twenty "boots" of wheat (one boot being equal to about forty pounds) or if
the officers were so inclined-death.
Death For Non-Compliance
After a few months the conditions became deplorable. The supplies for man and
beast were exhausted. Lack of fodder put the draft animals in poor condition.
Often the bolshevists demanded horses at a moment's notice and the least resistance
upon the part of their owners meant death. Horses and wagons with driver were
commandeered to haul away the grain and many of those unfortunates never returned
to their native home.
A neighbor of Mr. Hermann's who begged to be excused from hauling some grain to
the territorial headquarters twenty versts away on the ground that he had just
then returned from an extensive trip and his horse needed rest was shot down
where he stood. Then other inhabitants of the village were killed at another time.
Some of the inhabitants of the village Schaefer, where Mr. Hermann had his home,
being unable to bear the tyranny of the invaders, revolted, dethroned the council
instilled by the Soviet and elected their own from the fair-minded citizenship.
As soon as the news of this occurrence reached headquarters of the bolshevists,
troops were sent to capture the village and the newly elected council was put on
horses, taken to the neighboring village, Reinwald, where they were executed.
Hermann Hid Wheat
The crop in the year of 1920 was a good one, said Mr. Hermann. It was well able to
sustain the population of the stricken country had not the demands of the bolshevists
been so great. Seeing that starvation would be certain if provisions were not made in
time, Mr. Hermann conceived the plan of completely closing the chimney and fireplace
in his home. This he filled with 36 boots of wheat. The hidden store saved the lives
of his immediate relatives for a time. He would gladly have shared it with other had
not the fear of detection prevented him from doing so. A hint of the priceless
treasure to the authorities would have meant certain death.
All grinding mills were destroyed by the bolshevists to stop private manufacture of flour.
Driven by desperation, ingenious minds experimented with coffee mills with no mean result
though others also used meat grinders to obtain a little coarse flour.
Ride Atop Box Cars
Most of the passenger trains were crowded so that many who were anxious to escape death,
climbed aboard box cars and made their way in this manner. Men and women alike huddled
on the top of these cars hoping against hope to reach a more fortunate region. Its so
transpired that the wife of a friend of Mr. Hermann's gave birth to a child while riding
on the roof of a box car, exposed to the elements and the winds.
The favorite pastime of the bolshevists were the use of these destitute men and women
as a means of target practice and it was considered a feat to pick off one of those
huddled forms from a moving trains.
Mr. Hermann is hardly able to realize that he survived the ordeal. Repeatedly taken
from trains, forced to slave labor, and after numerous escapes from the clutches of
the revolutionists, he finally reached Novosew (New Russia) at the Black Sea.
Makes His Escape
This place is about 800 versts distant from his native village and it took him nearly
six months to traverse the distance. He was successful in getting a job as stevedore
on a tramp steamer and passing through the Aegean sea down into the Mediterranean and Italy.
Traveling thought Italy and Austria Hungary he crossed into Germany where he found
employment at Bremen and awaited the time when his relatives in Sheboygan could
provide for his steamship passage.
"The people of Sheboygan do not appreciate enough the great quantities of food
they possess," he said to the Press-Telegram. "Smiles of contentment are upon the
faces and the children know no want. But for the starving people in Russia, these
smiles of plenty and contentment are not more.
"Their eyes are turned to America and the hope that help will come gives them courage
to battle another day against their enemy—death. Still, I don not see how any of them
can live today, for they lack food, clothing and fuel. There is plenty of fuel,
yes—but no one has the energy left to get it. With them it is a problem of
conserving their strength to fight the hand of the famine.
Source: Jan 24, 1922
Sheboygan Press
Sheboygan, Wisconsin
Donated by Kris Engel.
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©2005 Patrice Miller patrice@webbitt.com
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