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Harry Riemann
Harry's life was greatly affected by the events of the war. He joined the Hitler youth, which [according to Harry] was a great experience. In 1943, part of his school volunteered to move to the German capital of Berlin to continue their education and to help the Airforce to defend Berlin against the attacks from the allied bombers. Harry and his classmates formed part of a group of anti-aircraft guns and searchlight formations. In 1944 he was drafted into an armour tank division to defend what was left of the Third Reich. His father was killed in action in 1945 and Harry was held in a prisoner of war camp in Czechoslovakia after the capitulation.
The first time he heard about Australia was in 1948 when the beer delivery man told him that he was going to Australia on a two-year contract for the South Australian Railway. He said that he would be a millionaire in no time, hunt crocodiles and search for gold and opals. Harry met his wife Jutta on Christmas Eve 1950 and they married three months later. Harry wanted to provide a better future than what was possible in post-war Germany and started to think about leaving the country. That's when he remembered what he had been told about Australia. He went to the Australian consulate without telling his family to inquire about the two-year working contract. The Australian government wanted single men but accepted Harry as he had experience from working for the German railway. The Australian government paid the fare, which Harry was committed to reimbursing as soon as he commenced work.
Harry flew to Bremerhaven where he boarded the Italian freighter MS Nelly with lots of other hopeful Germans. They were not allowed to visit the harbour cities they passed in their six-week journey in case they tried to jump ship. Harry arrived in Melbourne during winter and was taken directly to a hostel in Tottenham. He had no warm clothes as he and many others had thrown them off the ship expecting the weather to be warm. He worked for the Victorian railways. He was one of the few new arrivals who spoke English.
He has been back to Germany several times, but would never stay even though he still feels German. He feels that Germany is too bureaucratic - a strong contrast to Australia where there is much more freedom. He is proud to be a part of Australia and received a medal for Exemplary Service from the Governor General. He believes that Australia sets an example to the rest of the world that many different nations and cultures can live happily together."
Thankyou to the Ethnic Communites' Council of Victoria for providing these stories. |
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"Harry
was born in April 1927 in the German city of Breslau, today the
Polish city Wroclaw. During the first half of the century his family
owned a restaurant with a dancehall and a butcher shop. 
After
the war the allies decided to hand over part of Germany to Poland.
Breslau was a part of that area. Harry moved to Berlin where he
found his mother and his grandmother and started to work in his
uncle's restaurant. He also worked for the German railway.
They
also informed Harry that he was eligible to apply for a landing
permit to bring his wife to Australia. It took nine months to get
the approval and his mother and uncle assisted in purchasing his
wife's boat ticket. 
When
his two-year contract finished he began to work for Volkswagen as
a production controller. In 1957 Harry and Jutta purchased their
first home. He studied Human Relations and Communication at university.
Later he worked as a salesman for an electrical manufacturer and
then as a public servant before retiring. Since retiring Harry has
worked voluntarily as a broadcaster for different community radio
stations. 
