On a pleasant summer day, in a charming little hotel on Ulitsa Stremyannaya in Saint Petersburg, I met Philippe and Elvira Bonnenfant. I was sipping a second espresso after breakfast in the hotel café when Elvira asked if she could join my table. Elvira is from Kyrgyzstan, at one time a part of USSR. Philippe is a Frenchman, who represented an international seeds company in Eastern Europe. Now they both live in Russia. They are a charming couple and I believe we will stay in touch.
I said to Philippe that he must have had an interesting life, moving from western Europe to the USSR and then living through the turbulent transition from the communist behemoth to the quick-changing Russian Federation. He modestly replied that his life indeed hadn’t been dull, but it was nothing compared to that of his father, Roger Bonnenfant. Intrigued, I wanted to hear the story of his father. It was a truly a strange story and a heart-warming one.
I said to Philippe that he must have had an interesting life, moving from western Europe to the USSR and then living through the turbulent transition from the communist behemoth to the quick-changing Russian Federation. He modestly replied that his life indeed hadn’t been dull, but it was nothing compared to that of his father, Roger Bonnenfant. Intrigued, I wanted to hear the story of his father. It was a truly a strange story and a heart-warming one.
Roger was only 22 when patriotic fervor made him join the French army. With a resurgent Germany next door, there was fearful anticipation hardly two years later. Hitler launched his invasion of western Europe in May 1940. Just six weeks later France fell. On June 22 the French surrendered and signed an armistice. Roger was taken a prisoner of war.
With hundreds of other POW’s he was shipped to Germany, to serve the German industrial war machine. Roger was sent to Heidenheim an der Brenz, a town in Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany, a prison camp high up in the Swabian mountains near Stuttgart. Six days in the week he would be taken in a van with other prisoners twenty miles south, to work in a machine tools factory in Ulm.
It was in Ulm that he met Gerhard Schneider, a supervisor in the factory. Gerhard was an unusual man himself. He was a world-class athlete, who had survived despite his open contempt for the Nazis only because of his legendary reputation as a ski champion. His youthful idealism had prompted him once to visit the emerging socialist paradise of USSR, where he had been interrogated and detained on suspicion, but he had escaped. Incredibly, he would hide himself during the day and ski at night to elude the Russian authorities and reach freedom.
Gerhard treated Roger kindly and got to know him better. On the excuse that he needed a worker to do some chores in his home, he even succeeded in getting Roger to come to his house periodically and meet his wife, Emilia. The couple took pity on Roger and hatched an incredible plan. A plan for Roger to escape.
It was in Ulm that he met Gerhard Schneider, a supervisor in the factory. Gerhard was an unusual man himself. He was a world-class athlete, who had survived despite his open contempt for the Nazis only because of his legendary reputation as a ski champion. His youthful idealism had prompted him once to visit the emerging socialist paradise of USSR, where he had been interrogated and detained on suspicion, but he had escaped. Incredibly, he would hide himself during the day and ski at night to elude the Russian authorities and reach freedom.
Gerhard treated Roger kindly and got to know him better. On the excuse that he needed a worker to do some chores in his home, he even succeeded in getting Roger to come to his house periodically and meet his wife, Emilia. The couple took pity on Roger and hatched an incredible plan. A plan for Roger to escape.
They took Roger’s measurements and had some rustic German-style clothes made for him. Roger would not survive on the roads for a day in the prisoner’s uniform that he was required to don day and night. Roger did not know a word of German earlier. They tutored him in common German words, so that he could answer strangers’ questions without arousing suspicion. In contravention of wartime rules, they fed Roger wholesome food, so he could regain his health for the tough adventure. He had already lost considerable weight on a prisoner’s meager diet. It also meant he had to make his escape attempt soon, before he became ill or more feeble for lack of nutrition.
Roger did not have many choices. The Reich had gobbled up large parts of Europe, including his country. He could not go home. His only chance was to reach neutral Switzerland. His plan, hatched with advice from Gerhard and Emilia, was to reach the southernmost town of Konstanz, on the border of Lake Constance, and then try to reach Basel across the border.
Roger did not have many choices. The Reich had gobbled up large parts of Europe, including his country. He could not go home. His only chance was to reach neutral Switzerland. His plan, hatched with advice from Gerhard and Emilia, was to reach the southernmost town of Konstanz, on the border of Lake Constance, and then try to reach Basel across the border.
He started off from Heidenheim on a moonless night. He shed his prison garbs, wore the outfit the Schneiders had suggested and carried the other set of clothes and some rations they had given in a modest bag. It was a long, arduous trek on unfamiliar roads, with the danger of being reported or caught at every turn. He had to look nondescript, avoid attention and buy food with the money Gerhard had given him only when he was insufferably hungry. Once, almost within sight of Konstanz, somebody reported him as suspicious and the local police detained him for a night, but he was able to escape before morning and further interrogation.
Once in Basel, he had no way to inform the Schneiders of the success of their common plan. Three years later, when the war ended, Roger was finally able to do the two things he had long yearned to do: tell Gerhard and Emilia that he had survived and return home to Paris. In five months, he was able to do more. He arrived in Ulm and hugged Gerhard and Emilia.
For years after that the Bonnenfants – for Roger had married and had his first child, Philippe – always visited Germany for their vacation and the Schneiders in turn visited France for holidays. Philippe was very young when he first saw Ulm, but he remembers being told that his first word as a baby was a German word rather than French. The two families remained closer than blood relations, and the children grew up as virtual cousins.
I had to agree with Philippe that his father had had a more exciting life, fulfilling as well as exciting.
Once in Basel, he had no way to inform the Schneiders of the success of their common plan. Three years later, when the war ended, Roger was finally able to do the two things he had long yearned to do: tell Gerhard and Emilia that he had survived and return home to Paris. In five months, he was able to do more. He arrived in Ulm and hugged Gerhard and Emilia.
For years after that the Bonnenfants – for Roger had married and had his first child, Philippe – always visited Germany for their vacation and the Schneiders in turn visited France for holidays. Philippe was very young when he first saw Ulm, but he remembers being told that his first word as a baby was a German word rather than French. The two families remained closer than blood relations, and the children grew up as virtual cousins.
I had to agree with Philippe that his father had had a more exciting life, fulfilling as well as exciting.
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