Drecksack definition
Drecksack and “Zähnchen”. (According to ▇▇▇▇▇ (2007), “Den Häftlingen waren die Namen ihrer Bewacher und Vernehmer meist unbekannt. Viele gaben ihnen ▇▇▇▇▇ fiktive Namen, wie hier ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇” (p. 146).) As is obvious, the nicknames are derogatory, often focusing on personal or physical characteristics that were evident to ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇. For example, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ writes, “Die Eule brachte es mir; als ▇▇ ▇▇▇, wer sein neuer Schützling war, ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇ fast die Schlüssel fallen, und seine runden Augen wurden noch runder” (p. 131). “Die Eule” is named so because of his round eyes, which ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ felt grew even larger at the sight of her. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ also writes, “Ackergaul war in den Vierzigern, groß und vierschrötig, hatte derbe Knochen und enorme, abstehende rote ▇▇▇▇▇. Er reichte mir sogar einen ▇▇▇▇. Als ich ihm schließlich die Utensilien zurückgab, fühlte ich mich sauber und menschlich” (p. 132). Although ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ was most likely unaware of the names of her handlers, the connections she felt to them were strong. Ackergaul made her feel tidy and human. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ writes in the second sentence of her narrative, “Aber Bonzo, der Gefängnischef, der von Nasenbohrer meine Papiere übernahm, und Bademeister waren mir aus den guten alten Zeiten in der Schumannstraße bekannt” (p. 130). ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ got to know her guards and interrogators even though the relationships were forced. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ even goes so far as to write about the kindness Bonzo showed her during one of the few times she was allowed to bathe: “Bonzo versorgte mich wie eine Mutter; er tauchte die Hand in das Wasser, sah, als ich enstieg, zu, um sich zu vergewissern, dass es nicht zu ▇▇▇▇ war und erbot 144) By describing these kindnesses as the actions of Bonzo and by giving Bonzo a name, albeit a critical one, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ humanizes him. It is also important to keep in mind that ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ was only allowed to bathe a total of three times during her year at Hohenschönhausen. Even though Bonzo helps ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ bathe, this small kindness is miniscule in comparison to the extensiveness of ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇’▇ mistreatment. Ultimately ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ mocks the guards, but her confused appreciation for them is clear from the rest of the text and her decision to thematize their nicknames. Like in the other autobiographical historical recounts from ▇▇▇▇▇▇ and ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇’▇ choice of themes highlight what she found to be most significant during her sentence in Hohenschönhausen.