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The estate in W.1) has an agitative history. In September / October 1813 confederates troops moved against Napoleon in Leipzig. Next spring and after battle they came back to move home. One document is listing billeting, diverted goods, and suffered pillage2). After 7 years of french occupy (with enormous contributiones) the estate had to deverted to confederated german and russian troops: "150 loaf of bread, 8 bushel3) corn, 22 bushel barley, 80 bushel oat, 180 centner hay, 9 Schock long straw (540 bale), 3 horses with harness, 1 hay trailer, new coach, article of clothes, linen, wooden pots, 3 cord of wood (~ 10m3), 9pc. doors, 20pc. shelves, 8 oac beams, 3 cows." value of money: incredible 1574 rthl. (Reichstaler).
Until middle 19th century the estate was owned by Family Thieme but last 31 year old posessor was dieing unmarried in 1844. Two years later the 25year old water-miller Carl Christian August Julius Golf (1821-1886) bought the shabby estate from banker Lehmann, H. who governed it temporary.
A family crest labeled with year dates and initial (1846/J. G.) was original located at living house. Later it was fixed at farmers tavern. The cest indicates settlement of family Golf. The estate was sized by 6 3/4 Hufen land4), ca. 50 ha..
Family Golf was setteling verifiable since 1680 in P. and C. near by L. Settle in by Julius was very fast and he engaged in head offical and vestryman. His son Richard (1848-1925) a bachelor become acquainted with Mary. She was doughter of Erhard S. who was owner of manor in B. But his proposal of marriage was rejected by her father. He affronted Richard to be only a poor farmer son who just would like to marry into a fine manor. Hardly affronted young man went home to report. Father Golf raged. Such an affront. They were not rich, but this is nothing to so. So father attent to one's affairs. By neighbor Troitsch he borrow new carriage (Landauer with grinded glass), horses, silver harness and representative coachman in Livree. So father Golf arrived B. He adressed winking that he is also owner of a fine estate, parliament representative and several comunity services. For sure he is able to take care for his son. The attack was successful. Erhard S. was impressed and apologized. Both fathers reconciled. Richard married Mary. Later on he take over ownership of manor in B.5).
In historical work and chronic of commune B. further facts of family Golf are given.
Thanksgiving 1886 Julius Golf died 65years aged. During a talk with his wife he colapsed and died. 6)
His 4th son of second marriage, Curt Julius Georg Golf (1860-1931)and twin, continue estate. He erected for example 1894/95 new stable. Even amputated both legs he was very active in comunity service. Wording of notice of death: "On 20th december 1931 long service vestryman estate owner Georg Golf was silenced called by the lord. We think in gratitude of the loyal, exemplary guidance of his honourary post and his disposition gentle constantly. He rests in peace and the everlasting light shines to him! The church bodies of the church municipality of G.7)
Friedrich Julius Georg Golf jun. (1892-1947), the first-born, led the estate from approx. 1920 up to the expropriation in 1945. He was married with Hilde Beyer (1900-1982). Daughter Karin was born in 1940.
3 generations worked very successfully, modernised and increased the possession among other things by the acquisition of remaining 5 courts of the place. In 1929 belonged to the estate: 117.3 ha of field and pastures, 12 horses, 50 cattle - 25 milk cows, 200 sheep, 40 pigs.8)
In the increasing prosperity others also wanted to participate several times, while they helped themselves illegally on field and court. Sensational a case in spring, 1907. A stranger rose through the bath in the dwelling house, stole 60 DM, after a little while again 70 DM. Gendarmerie patrolman Brunke from L. ascertained and soon suspected the young economy governor. He confessed to have taken two 100 mark notes of the 9-year-old son in preservation, moreover, still which this had stolen to the father. Later he revoked his confession, nevertheless, had to go for a year in the prison.
On the 16/17. 4. 1945 American troops took L. and surroundings. On the night of 1st of July they departed again, still on the same day the rule of the Soviet military administration of Germany (SMAD) began. Only in August, 1994 the last units should find the way in her native country. Now after the NS rule new orders, regulations and arbitrariness determined the life in the occupied zone. Evil broke with it upon many people, also about the family Golf. On the 14. 8. 1945 two military vehicles arrived estate from which two Soviet officers and a German civilian got out. With the words: "Come with to the purification of circumstances!" 9) - they kidnapped Georg Golf. Wife and daughter should never again see him. To escape a perhaps co-arrest, brother Werner crept away from estate and hid in the local edge. The purification occurred in the infamous red ox in H. The institution, in 1842 as „royal-Prussian Penal, learning institution and reform school“ started service, served in 1933-45 as a protective camp, prison and execution site, from July, 1945 as a custody camp and internment camp of the NKWD (national commissioner's office for inside) and from 1952 as an investigation prison of the MfS (Ministry of State Security). Hilde Golf found out that her husband suffered hunger in prison. To relieve their need it delivered a load of potatoes - questionably whether the addressees received a little bit from it.
Since 1996 a part of the equipment is a memorial for the victims of political pursuit. During an event the historian Daniel Bohse reported here in August, 2006 on the events of the post-war period. For the often arbitrarily arrested or Denounced ones disoriented custody reasons were constructed and extorted in endless questionings with maltreatments (sleeping denial, osseous breaks, blows with internal bleeding) confessions like in the Middle Ages.10)So till 1950 only in H. 1700 people guilty. There followed custody or execution (always on Thursdays). Georg Golf was charged that he had helped as an officer of the reserve in home guard (Volkssturm). The judges ignored that as an officer of the First World War the culprit was automatically a reservist. Futhermore with a heavy leg wound he had a constant memory on war. They also knew what to a man happen if refusing a conscription order - in Germany like in the Soviet Union! By the way, Goebbels boasted in his diaries (published in 5 volumes) of having selected out hundred thousands for the home guard from the population in several actions!
Contemporary witnesses cannot understand the arrest: He has done what to no one! Probably he was denounced. Otto Winkert (KPD), burgomaster of the city of L. , wrote, e. g. , in a certificate of good behaviour from the 29. 8. 45: „The farmer Golf was really an Antifaschist. (. . . ) I had talked during the Nazi rule quite often to Golf where he openly take opinion against the national socialism position.11) Nothing helped, Georg Golf was went to Buchenwald, in which special camp No.2 was established by the victorious power in the former concentration camp.
At the same time in the Soviet occupied zone occurred in accordance with SMAD order the expropriation of the whole property more than 100 ha of company surface and the property of junkers, counts, princes, war criminals and active Nazis - regardless of the size of company. In G. it concerned 5 goods, under it the family Golf. In autumn the subdivision followed accordingly in September of the land management and provincial management remitted orders. The agricultural usable area of the good was measured out to sizes of companies of 5 to 6 ha and was drawn lots to applicant which distributes living and dead inventory and the court surfaces and buildings award to 10 farmers on land newly cleared. Therefore Hilde Golf helped and brang in her knowledge. In spite of all she remained in the focus the investigator. After a tip to a forthcoming arrest she left in January, 1946 with the 5-year-old daughter hastily W. into direction of H. , where Karin Golf, married. Karin still ,lives with her husband there. Georgs brothers Werner and Herbert lived unchecked in the place. Werner moved later in the federal republic.
Meanwhile Georg vegetated in hunger and illness in the internment camp. Here he met among other things his relative Dr. Erich Golf. Tenant of the feudal estate B. , probably also some fellow-sufferer from the neighbouring places. The prison conditions in the camp were inhuman. From more than 28000 between 1945 and 1950 only in Buchenwald internees died more than 7100 of subsequent illnesses of unterfood and unsanitary states, in particular in dystrophy with heart disturbances and bad circulation, Ruhr, TBC, typhoid and unemployment. About half of all victims was to be deplored only in 1947, result of the food rations drastically lowered in autumn before. Only in winter died daily up to 200 prisoners, among them Georg Golf. Deaths as a result of use of force of Soviet people on duty remained the exception. The dead people were buried in two graveyards with more than 1150 bigger and smaller common graves. A notification of the members did not occur!
In 1951 the demolition of the camp began. The survivors was dismissed or handed over to GDR organs and transferred to Bautzen. There Dr. Erich Golf also died.
After establishment the remind and memorial in 1958 visitors came from all over the world to Buchenwald. Neither in the documentary film nor with excursions there were tips to the special camp! Today there come yearly approx. 600,000 visitors.
In 1957 wife Hilde wrote to the searching service of the German Red Cross in West Berlin and received the news according this "(. . . ) Rolf Golf, approx. 60 years old, farmer from G. near H. died in Buchenwald on 21. 2. 1947 (. . . ).9)
Except given name the communication was appropriate. After german reunion the daughter caled final purification to the message of german embassy and to foreign minister Genscher. In September, 1995 the German embassy in Moscow wrote the rehabilitation answer of the uppermost military public prosecutor's office of the Russian Förderation to Karin.
In memory to Georg Golf the family Schulz established in Buchenwald a stone tablet and visits the place annually -as many other affected persons too.
The family grave site is affectionately restored and located at the cemetery in G.
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Indication of source: M. & A. Messerschmidt; 2013 (Translation by Thorsten Golf)
1) W. 1156 first announcement; 1888 W.-P.; 1936 G. OT W.-P, 1950 S. and 2005 L, OT P.
2) School-chronicle G.
3) A Scheffel: Sachsen 103 Liter, Preußen 55 Liter
4) Earinings of school in G. 1852 (1 Hufe depending from region 7-25ha average 7,5ha; H. 7,2Ha
5) Acc. notes from Family Golf
6) Church reister G.
7) L.; Newspaper 1931
8) Niekammer's Farmer register, file V, 1929
9) Karin: archive, memory
10) The authors with her searches found the statement several times confirmed.
11) see also note 9.
12) Family report; archive
13) see also note 9.
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