The bullets whizzed next to our heads as we lay there
Egon Urmann recalls a story of his mother from the time shortly after the war, when the German population was being expelled from the Šumava borderlands: “My mom told me that we didn’t have much property to carry across the border. However, she would help others to save their property. She would take a path from Žleb down to Horní and Dolní Cazov. She told me that many times they would lie hidden behind a rock, but the border guards were too afraid to let the dog out since they feared it might get shot. She said that they would often shoot at them, the bullets were whizzing next to their heads as they lay there... If the guards had known that it was only two frightened women, they’d have come out on them. They had nothing to shoot with but they were shooting at them like mad. My mom had a lot of stories like that. They’d for instance take a painting or a sewing machine across the border. She was taking quite a high risk. But she was at home there and she knew every stone. When it got dark, these guards had no chance.”
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Egon Urmann
Egon Urmann was born on January 18, 1945, in Lenora to a family of a German glassmaker. The developments associated with the end of World War II radically influenced his future life. The family of the skilled glassmaker was able to avoid the expulsion but in the Autumn of 1947, they had to move inland to Včelnička nearby Kamenice nad Lipou. After two years, the Urmann family was allowed to return to Lenora. However, they found their own house in ruins, completely devastated by the new inhabitants. It took them several more years before they were able to buy back their own house. Meanwhile, the family tried several times to apply for emigration to Germany, but never succeeded. Due to his family background, Egon was prevented from studying. He was trained as a mechanic and worked for the national bus company. After November 1989, he even worked in Germany. As in the past, he would always come back home where his heart belonged. For all of his life, he’s been very interested in the history of the Czech-German relations of his region and seeks to contribute to their improvement. He tells a number of interesting stories about his parents, relatives, and neighbors from the period of the end of the war and shortly afterwards.
