Melbourne-based author Katharina Fares was once a member of the German minority in Hungary. 70 years on, she tells her story of violent displacement, ruthless indoctrination and a glimpse of hope.
Australian migrants have many stories to tell. However, the history of Katharina Fares and her fellow German-Hungarians reflects an important part of Eastern European history. Within a few years, her small community suffered an incredible deal of cruelty and injustice.
Fares and her family became victims of three random acts of violence, first from the German Wehrmacht, followed by the Red Army, and more ruthless and final, an eviction for life at the hands of turn-coat communists who blamed the German minority for the crimes of the Nazi-Regime during the war years.
Germans first settled in Hungary during the early 1700s after the Turks have failed to capture Vienna. For centuries, they hardly mixed with the local Hungarian population and stuck to their German way of life by holding on to their language and customs.
During the 1940s, the Nazi government attempted to convince the German minority of their cause, however, as author Katharina Fares explains, not all were excited about joining Hitler's plans. There were divisions right through the community that was spread across Hungary and Romania.
In her book 'A view from a barred window', Fares takes a look at her family history and at her own memories that are all based around a harrowing train journey without a clear destination.
Win a free copy of 'A view from a barred window'
Send us an Email at german.program@sbs.com.au with your name and phone number and tell us why stories such as the one told by Katharina Fares are still relevant today. Entries close on 15.10.2017. Good luck!
