Mr Preißler's childhood memories

Mr Erhard Preißler was born in 1934 in the Sudetenland. Today that's a part of the Czech Republic.
He has four brothers and sisters. For the whole family it was very sad to hear that two brothers would not come back from war. When he started school in 1940 he "only" got a bunch of flowers and no Zuckertüte (a large conical bag of sweets today given to children on their first day at school in Eastern Germany). The classes 1 and 2 learned together in one room. Pupils wrote on slates and later with quill and ink.
The name of Mr Preißler's teacher was Adolf Hocke. If the pupils didn't pay attention they got their punishment by cane or ruler. Also clips round the ears were given out. After the lessons Mr Preißler had to help at home, e.g. getting wood, taking the eggs from the hens or putting up sheaves.
In 1945, the Preißler family had to emigrate from the Sudetenland. They could take with them only so much things they could carry.
When they arrived in Colmnitz they had to sleep in a farmer's barn. Actually they were allowed to stay only for three weeks. With the farmer Erler they could work and got food ration-cards for that.
Now it was possible to move to an own flat. Mr Preißler went to class 6 to 8 in Colmnitz.

Mr Preißler had a rocking horse which was made by his parents. The toys were passed on from one child to the other. They also often played in the forest or skied in winter. Mr Preißler told us that his first ball lasted only one day. While playing it flew on a nail in a fence.
After having finished his school time Mr Preißler started the apprenticeship as an upholsterer under Bruno Jungnickel. The apprenticeship took three years.