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Exile/Camp Report given by Klara Aab (daughter of Wilhelm Aab)

Klara's family lived in DENHOF, a village in the canton of BALZER, Autonomous Republic of the Volga Germans. Her father, Wilhelm AAB (son of Friedrich), born in 1906, worked in the cotton weaving-mill in DENHOF (the rehabilitation documents mistakenly mention: solitary farmer). He was arrested by the Communists on 02.11.37, sentenced on 11.11.37 in accordance with the decision of the Troyka of the NKVD of the Autonomous Republic of the Volga Germans and shot dead in BALZER on 13.11.37. He was rehabilitated by the Saratov Regional Court on 31.07.1961. Klara Wilhelmovna familiarized herself with her father's court records No. OF-26326 in May 1990. Actually, the file only shows one single entry "interrogations" - nothing else. The file also mentions: SCHELER, Peter (son of Jakob), born in 1897, also arrested on 02.11.37 and shot dead on 13.11.37, as well as STOL, Heinrich (son of Heinrich).

Wilhelm AAB's brother, Filipp AAB, born in 1899, worked as a joiner just in that factory. He was arrested on 13.02.38, convicted of anti-Soviet agitation on 15.02.38 and shot dead in BALZER on 25.02.38. On the petition of the Saratov Regional Department of Public Prosecution he was rehabilitated as certified on 06.12.89.

On 17.09.41 the Soviets deported the following families from DENHOF:

They were en route by train for 17 days, then ordered to get off at SON station in Khakassia,

North of Abakan; they were taken to the village of POTEKHINO in the district of BOGRADSK by rack wagons. There the five families lived in the former office building until spring.

In January 1942 Wilhelm BECKER and his son Wilhelm were forced into the "Trud-Army". Shortly afterwards the son died. The father returned in 1950 or 1951 and died a few years later. Then they obviously sent Filipp AAB to the KRASLag, in spring 1942 Jakob to IGARKA and the mother - to BASHKIRIA. Ella stayed with the grandmother and when she died, she was taken to an orphanage. Approximately in 1948 Filipp and Jakob returned and it was decided in the commander's office to take them to their mother. Today she and Ella live in SALAVAT.

In 1943 the families were sent to work in the timber industry of the SON region, 9 km away from SON station. This timber factory was transferred to the South in 1950, to the mountainous district of TASHTYPSK, to a village called MALY ARBAT, and the director insisted on having the Germans also transferred there. This demand was not rejected.

The members of the AAB family live in Krasnoyarsk, members of the BECKER family in MALY ARBAT and the settlement of Arbasa.

May 28, 1990, recorded by V.S. Birger, "Memorial" Society, Krasnoyarsk 


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