They Shall Not Have Me by Jean Helion

Author:Jean Helion
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Arcade Publishing
Published: 2014-01-01T05:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 13

The Vertrauensmann

SOON after our installation on the Nordenham, my comrades chose me as their representative. A certain International Convention of Geneva, of 1929, relative to the treatment of prisoners of war, stipulates their right to elect what the Germans call a “Vertrauensmann” — literally, Confidence Man. About the other stipulations of this convention that the prisoners hear about, but never see, I could learn only what the Kommmando-führer himself knew or admitted, which is to say, very little.

One Vertrauensmann is elected freely in every camp or Kommando, by the prisoners themselves, but if the Kommando-führer does not approve of him, he can make life unbearable for him, or simply send him to another Kommmdo. Often he is interpreter, too; but this is not mandatory. The interpreters are chosen by the Germans, and as such, are in a better position to deal with them; but they are more susceptible to bribery or influence.

The Vertrauensmann of each Kormnando is registered in the Stalag. He represents all his prisoners at both the Stalag and the French Embassy for War Prisoners — an institution entrusted with all our problems, but controlled, like the others, by the Germans. It is headed by a man completely blind from wounds received in the last war. That is symbolic as well. The prisoners expect that if he is ever replaced, his successor will be deaf and dumb, too. He is supposed to send envoys to all the Kommandos; but I have never seen any.

The Vertrauensmann acts as a notary public, or a justice of the peace. He may perform marriages, by proxy, file petitions for divorces, and legalize any documents. Two prisoners chosen among the noncommissioned of the camp, or among the oldest, serve as witnesses. The transmission is assured under the control of the Kommandoführer, first to the Kontrollstelle, then to the Stalag censor, and finally to France, where the papers end their complicated journey after several months. The prisoners were very fond of this procedure. It gave them the illusion of being citizens again. They told me their often intricate story, asked me for advice, for which I would send them to one among us who might be a lawyer, or have had some legal experience. The ultimate solution of their problems was, most of the time, to grant full power of attorney to a member of their family, to settle the dead father’s estate, or sell a piece of property so that the wife could live on the proceeds. This may prove to have been disastrous when they return home.

The Vertrauensmann also has the privilege of standing up for his comrades’ rights, under any circumstances; which means that he can protest a little about difficulties occurring at work or in the camp, but, submitted to the same discipline and obligations as the others, he can be easily curbed. He may write to the controlling officer, but his letters, transmitted by the Kom-mandoführer himself, could hardly disclose anything that the latter would not approve of. Eventually, when this controlling officer comes to the camp, he can demand to speak to him.

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