This, coupled with the May demonstrations to which she had accompanied her parents from her earliest childhood, made profound impressions upon the young Gretel.  Attributing both her appreciation of art and her sense of political justice - both of which were to prove vital to her survival in later years - to her mother, who died when her daughter was 13, she recalled the harassment and vilification she received as a schoolgirl from some of her teachers, many of whom were by then being drawn into the National Socialists.  Ironically, the particular tutor who first recognized and encouraged her artistic talents was himself a member of the emerging Nazi Party.

   Gretel must keep the household running for her father and brother and embark upon paid work. She buys herself a violin, learns to play and finds a tutor who recognizes her talents, encouraging her to continue at all costs giving her free lessons when she thought she had no more money to continue. Her father’s second marriage to a vehemently Hitlerite stepmother forces Gretel out of home and house.

   Rendered one of the vast masses of the unemployed, she joined the Socialist Workers Youth Organization, also endeavouring to carry on with her education in the form of evening classes.  Swiftly learning and mastering the violin, and also with a keen interest in sculpture and painting, she was inspired to form socialist ideas artistically, - a practice which she perpetuated throughout her life, as an anti-fascist.

She went to modelling classes and modelled for Otto Dix’s life class at the art school in Dresden.

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An Extracts from the Ancestry’s legend.

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   Many legends and tales surround Saxon Switzerland. The roots of our ancestor’s are embedded in these myths and tales.

    The house of Berka, whose coat of arms consists of two oak branches crossed over each other, belonged to the related house of Howora the oldest aristocratic family of Bohemia. An ancestor of the latter was hunting master to duke Jaromir in the year 1085.

Once, whilst hunting they both were separated from their attendants and fell into the hands of the Werschowoczer who were robbers by trade. They tied the duke and his hunting master naked onto an oak.  As the robbers were about to shoot them both with arrows, Howora begged the leader of the robber band for mercy and asked for permission to blow once more, three times his hunting call on his horn. Alone the tones of this specific tune that Howora played on his horn showed the scattered servants not only the place where their master was, but also that they were both in danger. They hurried to help them, and so both were saved from certain death.

For gratitude and thankfulness the duke showered his faithful servant with rewards and gave him the title ‘ von Duba’, (meaning oak).

1140, due to this relationship and in connection with the life saving action from Howora, Friedrich Berke inherited the castle Duba.

   Nearby, on the mountain above the market place called ‘the Kieferich’ was once supposed to have stood a castle that belonged to the ‘Birken von Dubas’. Today, not only are ruins to be seen, but also sometimes the ghost of a young white lady. She harms no one. Once upon a time, every night at the twelfth hour in the valley that runs between Zauken valley that goes through the town to the Kirnitzsch valley and from there back to the castle ruins a jet black matted hound with fiery eyes could be seen haunting this place. Folk say that this was the ghost of the baron von Duba. He was well known for his brutal and barbarous lust and desire to plunder, rob and greed. A poor hungry peasant once begged him for a piece of bread. The baron set his dogs on him, chasing him from his castle. The baron suddenly died and was transformed into this hound with fiery eyes and condemned to wander restlessly through this valley forever.

   Then it happened, after so many years, centuries later, about 1700 – 1710 that a certain Anna Büttner whose father had just died, (she was his beloved only child) went to the churchyard towards evening to pray next to the fresh grave of her dearest departed father, and for sorrow and grief downhearted did not realize how late it was and dark it had become. So it was that the hour of midnight found her still crying and pining next to the grave of her dearest departed. Then look! There appeared suddenly the fiery hound, not threatening and frightening as usual, but silent and sad. It sat down on the neighbouring grave mound and the innocent naïve maid, who felt that this poor cursed condemned creature must have a far heavier heart ache than she herself could feel, did not flee, instead she went to him and stroked him  gently, speaking words of comfort and reassurance. And look! the hound became quite friendly, sprang up to her wagging its tail, licking her hands and its eyes were not so wild and fiery anymore.

   It appeared to want to say that her comforting thoughts, words and sympathy had brought him the hour of deliverance and salvation.

   So much is certain, then since that day the hound has not been seen again. So is the legend.

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Chapter one; follows Gretel from birth, stories of her childhood, and through hard time of her early life. Her parents and white Pet Rabbit, with red eyes.

Chapter Three; follows the two lovers Gretel and Peter on adventurous journeys, Zylina the flea town and as they flee the advancing Nazis.    

Gretel’s 22nd birthday, spent together with Peter on a happy journey, meeting Käte Schäffner for her art lessons, a member of the renowned Oska Kokoschka league.

Chapter nine; her return to her home town Dresden after fleeing  Nazis from Germany to Prague then to England.

After twenty-seven years of absence she was now about to return to the place of her childhood;’ She could visits her mother’s grave again and she would see her brother Hans again. 1960 there was very little or no official information about life in East Germany. 

   Chapter fourteen;

   1981, one year before Gretel died, she had one last successful exhibition in Dresden Orbis Pictus 27 Gallery Comenius. She died 1982 on the 13th November one year later. Three weeks before she died we went to visit the British embassy in East Berlin. At this time, many GDR citizens were leaving the country for various reasons. 

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For more details and information about the book and booklet, please contact us at vonduba@hotmail.co.uk

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