Women's Portraits

Anna Maria

“For my 70th birthday, so about 14 years ago my children gave me a new zither as a gift. Since then I take music lessons. At first I had a teacher who came to my house, later on I took a course at the community college Floridsdorf”, says Anna Maria R.

Charlotte:” When were you born and where was your place of birth?”

Anna Maria: “I was born on the 3rd of September 1927 in Charlesville, Banat the former Yugoslavia as the only child of Josef Dippold, born 1903 and Maria Dippold, born 1905 in Chicago, U.S.A.. My parents cultivated a farm which they could purchase due to their stay and work in the U.S.A..”

Charlotte: “What jobs did your parents have in the U.S.A.?”

Anna Maria: “I have no idea.”

Charlotte: ”How did you spent your childhood and youth?”

Anna Maria: ”After six years of primary school I worked on the farm of my parents. For my confirmation I received a zither as a present that I enjoyed playing until my escape from former Yugoslavia. The life on the farm was characterized by work. My father worked at the costums and was not enlisted. In November 1944 my father came back from work at the border to Hungary. He thought the combat operations were over. Fourteen days later all the Germans were herded by the partisans and some days later they were shot. My father was buried in Kikinda, in a mass grave for about 500 people. Today there is a memorial site for the surviving refugees.
In Luisa Pusta (nearby Belgrad) my mother had to do her war service by cutting leaves and breaking corn. Together with her father she survived until the 50s. She wanted to stay with her father that eventually survived her.
During these difficult times there could not be wasted any thoughts on hobbies and leisure activities.”

Charlotte: “How did you cope with the post-war era?”

Anna Maria: “On April 20th 1945 (Hitler’s birthday) I was brought to a camp called Milk Hall in Molenz for two days. After that I had to nurse wounded partisans in a former bathhouse in Molenz. 1946 started my escape. Six weeks I spent in a camp in Romania and six weeks in a camp in Budapest. In Austria I was accommodated in a school.”

Charlotte: ”What happened in Vienna later?”

Anna Maria:” From 1946 to 1951 I worked for French families in the household.”

Charlotte: ”When did you start a family?”

Anna Maria:”In 1948 I met my husband Felix at a friend’s wedding. We married in 1951. My husband was a site engineer. Actually he was from South Moravia, so he had the same fate as a refugee as I did. From 1951 until the birth of our first daughter Anna in 1953 I found a job as a domestic aid. In 1955 my son Josef was born and in 1957 my second daughter Judith.
Already in 1949 we started the difficult task to build a house for our five-member family in Floridsdorf (a district in Vienna) which was accompanied by a lot of deprivations. The property was cheap back then because it was part of the Russian occupation area.

The house was still a bare brickwork when my husband died in a car accident on the way to work on March 2nd, 1965. Three small children, an unfinished house, a hard stroke of fate! Nevertheless I stayed at home with my children and only started to work for the company Unilever in 1972 where I worked until retirement in 1982.

During my professional life there was not much time left for hobbies. The only compensation for me during this work-intense time (job, children, household) was my garden with many fruit trees and flowers.
Furthermore I made it possible for my children- also due to keeping a tight budget-to get an excellent education: Anna - Masters in economics, Josef - construction engineer, Judith -  psychotherapist.”

Charlotte: “What did you want to do actively during retirement?”

Anna Maria: ”My house was finally finished, the children earned their own money and I could finally realize my dreams. First I wanted to have more time to take care of my garden and travel. I could just start to enjoy my flower garden since I retired.

For my confirmation I got a zither as a present. Due to my childhood and youth that was exciting and characterized by deprivation and strokes of fate, I have never practiced this instrument since my escape. For my 70th birthday, so almost fourteen years ago, my children gave me a new zither as a present. Since then I take music lessons. At first, a teacher came to my house, later I took a class in the community college Floridsdorf that I can reach by bus easily. Also nowadays, that I am nearly 84 years old, I go to my zither lesson once a week. Of course I performed at concerts and my children listened attentively and full of pride. Every other day I practice zither for ninety minutes.

Another important leisure time activity during retirement is travelling. More than once I visited together with my daughter Anna my place of birth and the totally neglected gravesite of my mother, of my grandfather and also the surroundings of my old home town.

With other retired people I undertook travels to Israel, Poland, Czech Republic, Switzerland, Germany, Italy, Bulgaria and Lourdes.
I even went to the United States with my daughter Anna, went to Disney World and dared to try out some of the attractions there. One birthday gift from my children was a trip to Egypt. Finally I could see the pyramids and Cairo.
Actually I should have taken the heritage of my parents, the farm and even though I had many strokes of fate and deprivations I can look back to a fulfilled and varied life and say that I am happy now.”

“Thanks for the conversation”.

The interview with Anna Maria R. was conducted by Charlotte Rastl.
Link to the video “Anna Maria” at www.european-women.eu

Charlotte Rastl