Chapter 15 The Move
The Move
Berlin
Just after dawn, they started loading the boxes of books into two trucks, so they could take them to their new home, the Secret
Library of Berlin. The heat was oppressive from the very start. Dressed lightly in T-shirts and hats to keep the blazing sun
out of their eyes, Helene, Derek, Lena, and Klaus were not alone. Four of their other friends, along with Gabor, were there
to help.
Over the past few weeks, they had stored all the books in abandoned buildings in the vicinity. Once Helene started accepting
collections from other libraries and individuals, their original hiding spot, the butcher shop, was not big enough for all
the boxes. The butcher shop was their first stop, and they emptied it in under an hour by arranging themselves in a human
chain and passing the boxes down the line. While tiresome, the work went more quickly than they had anticipated.
The second location was less convenient.
The boxes were in a basement. Hoisting the heavy books up the slippery, narrow basement stairs was difficult, and it took them over two hours to finish moving books from that one spot.
By then everyone was sweaty and thirsty.
Derek bought soft drinks, and they paused to eat the sandwiches Helene had made.
“Maybe we should finish tomorrow,” Gabor said, noting that one truck was completely full and the other only halfway.
“No, it’s too dangerous, and we’re already taking a big risk,” Klaus said. There was a halo of sweat around his neck and armpits.
He splashed water on his face to try to cool down.
“Let’s make one last big push,” Helene said, groaning as she got to her feet. Her muscles were aching.
The last storage spot was a former barbershop that had closed just a few days after Hitler was named chancellor. The owners
had family in the United States and had exiled themselves without a second thought. They had been regulars at the Neukolln
library and always brought along their three young children. Every time that Helene learned of someone who left the country,
she had a flash of disappointment, even though she understood that flight was the only way to escape the danger. Her Aunt
Sara and Uncle Joseph had packed up their family and gone to Denmark. She had just bid them farewell a few days prior at the
train station. Yet most of Helen’s family was still in Germany, including her grandparents.
The barbershop took just over thirty minutes to complete, then they secured the doors of the trucks and headed to their destination.
By then it was around noon, and traffic was slow. Passersby walked quickly in the shade of buildings and awnings, trying to
avoid the sun. Behind the wheel of the first truck, Derek was grateful for the breeze that came through the little window.
He had driven army trucks much bigger and heavier than that one.
It took them an hour to get to the Prinz-Albrecht-Strasse Plaza.
Nazi flags billowed down from windows on every building in the plaza, since the district had become the de facto seat of the Nazi government.
The National Socialists, obsessed with bureaucracy, were ever creating more organisms of control to supervise one another, as if no branch could trust any other.
The librarians and their comrades had no problem parking in front of the former Czechoslovakian embassy. The country’s new
embassy was not too far away. The current owner of the old building was a German businessman who imported Hungarian ceramics.
He had plenty of money and, wary of the financial system, invested his excess in real estate so that the banks would not eat
away at it.
The day before, Klaus had set up road blocks to keep the front of the building clear. He now hopped out and removed them,
allowing the trucks to park under the shade of two large trees.
“At least there’s shade,” Gabor said, giving Lena a hug and a quick kiss on the cheek.
“You sneak!” she mock protested.
Klaus opened the gate, unlocked the front door, and looked down. “There are five stairs. It’s not much, but with the number
of boxes we’ve got, it’s going to break our backs.”
“We’ll knock it out in a couple of hours,” Helene said with a sprinkle of optimism.
They unloaded a couple of carts from the truck, but the carts did not significantly decrease the workload. After going a few
feet on a cart, each box had to be carried by hand to the next cart.
The group got to work, staying as low-profile as possible. They had agreed on a script if they were questioned. The boxes were clothing and other items donated for a fundraiser. They had even put old clothes at the top of some boxes, though they desperately hoped that none would be opened.
After a solid hour of working, Klaus ran smack into two SS officers dressed in their black uniforms and shiny boots.
“What are you doing?” asked the blond agent. His gaze was icy, and his sweatless body showed no sign of the heat’s impact.
“Moving—all our papers are in order,” Klaus said, taking some paperwork out of his pants pocket. His hands were trembling.
The SS officer looked at the documents dubiously then back at Klaus.
“Show me what’s in the boxes!” he barked.
“It’s nothing of value . . .”
“We’ll determine that,” he said, slapping the documents into Klaus’s chest and walking toward the truck.
Just then Derek walked up. “Good afternoon, may I be of service?”
The SS officer turned and eyed Derek up and down. “We’re going to examine the contents of these boxes.”
Without flinching, Derek held the Nazi’s gaze and said with calm gravity, “I’m Derek von Sholtz, army second lieutenant and
personal assistant of General Werner von Blomberg, Minister of War and Commander in Chief of the Army.”
The two officers studied him. Nazis were strictly hierarchical, and these two preferred to steer away from trouble.
“Very well. We hope the heat doesn’t derail your work. Hiel Hitler!”
Derek was obliged to return the salute and nodded at them curtly as they turned to go.
Helene approached, not having seen the exchange. “What happened?” she asked, pale at the thought of all the books being lost.
Derek’s mouth was so dry his voice came out oddly. “Thankfully, nothing. Let’s finish quickly.”
Afternoon turned into evening, and Berliners ventured outdoors for the cooler breeze. Helene and her group closed up the building
and drove away, finally starting to let out the breath they had held all day. They couldn’t believe their luck.
As soon as Derek and Helene were home, they took a long shower and sat outside on the balcony. Kaiser nestled in between,
and the three of them watched the Pariser Platz foot traffic. Every time a thought about the Secret Library of Berlin flashed
through her mind, Helene’s heart raced. They had managed to put a sizable number of books away, but how safe would they be?
Helene took Derek’s hand and started to cry.