Once more it’s time for Friday Fictioneers, when people from across the globe write a story in 100 words or less (or sometimes more). Under the leadership of Rochelle Wisoff we spend the weekend reading and commenting. If you want to enter, just go to Rochelle’s page and follow the instructions and all other stories.
This week the picture is one of Rochelle’s pictures, and as usual I spent 24 hours going from impossible to maybe, to actually writing. Feel free to comment :-). I will start my commenting tomorrow evening.
Category is historic fiction… or something like that.
Cleaning out her estranged grandparents things she found an old suitcase containing:
– an old telephone
– a menorah
– crayons
she froze…
– a photo of a young man looking like her brother.
At the bottom there was an old moleskin notebook. In there were beautiful poetry, composition drafts and sketches. The work of a young artist. Like the one her mother left home with at seventeen, as they tried to stop her artistic career.
Understanding dawned as she read his final note:
“I can’t live in hiding any more, my art needs Theresienstadt, I need my peers”
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Explaining my thoughts. Theresienstadt was a concentration camp, but it was also used as propaganda. Many artists were allowed to be active there, and they hade orchestras and a lot of artistic activities for a selected few. Many were finally murdered anyway. I just came from a performance at the symphony orchestra were it was brought up. I’m not sure that the story make sense to you, but my idea is that the uncle perished in a vain attempt to pursue an artistic career, and his little sister was therefore in vain stopped from doing the same.
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The rest of stories can be found by clicking this little cutie:
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January 17, 2013
Björn Rudbergs writings 
Very real take on the prompt. Well done
Thank you, reality is terrible…
Yes,very real – and tragic..
There are some stories of such tragedies that just need to be told, if we can bear them.
Again, I think those are very true words…
Yeah. We’ll take it … very good writing here, Bjorn! Got me to thinking. Nice work!
Thank you so much. 🙂
What a difficult choice it would have been, rising your life to possibly have some time to pursue your art, whether to believe the stories (and which ones)!
Drat! That should have said “risking” your life.
Indeed, just terrible. Just my imagination that an artist might actually volonteer to go into camp just for his artistry.
I know, but it was still well done.
Theresienstadt… the delusions we foster on others, the desires we hold on to, the murders we wrought.
I cry 6 million times over – and more for lost cousins.
The stories need to be told, the pain and still the joy in some of the compositions made there. The contrast is overwhelming… I heard a concert by Ann-Sofie Von Otter (Swedish opera singer) and the concert is probably one of the strongest I have ever heard.
I had to sit and think about what I wanted to say but I still came up empty. How sad are we as people to create such tragedy in the world…it leaves me blank. I am glad you explained your idea…This is a piece of writing that has value….and has set my brain in motion. I feel like I have pulled into a dark tunnel, and I am trying to find the light of extinguished hope…
Tom
I think the hope lies in the stories told and repeated. Thank you for your kind words.
Very interesting.
I know. The stories haunt me and they need to be told.
I didn’t know about this; thanks for adding to my knowledge. Nice one.
My pleasure, these stories I need to tell.
Your explanation broaden the understanding of a really nice story.
Thank you Charles. Then my mission is accomplished.
Dear Björn,
As you might guess, I didn’t need the explanation, but I appreciated it. Well done this week, my friend…both story and background.
shalom,
Rochelle
Rochelle, I can not begin to tell you how happy I am for your blessing. I have gotten in contact with poetry and music through my concert going. The latest as light as Thursday night.
I too appreciate your explanation and your story. I think this could be a lovely longer piece. The story of what happened to artists needs to be told.
Actually a lot of the stories exist in the poetry and music actually created there. It has touched me greatly, especially since a lot of it is written for children….
Whoa, you blew my mind a little bit there. Great story.
Thank you.
I got it. Thanks for ‘Theresienstadt’… very interesting.
I loved your circus haiku and illustration.
Thank you Ted.
I’m not going to say I enjoyed this. I enjoyed the writing. I do understand we must never stop telling the stories of truth. I’m glad you wrote it.
The richness of the stories you can tell is overwhelming.
deep and touching!
Thank you
very painful..and thank you for the explanation on Theresienstadt..
I’m glad to do it.
This is the kind of story that stays with you, well done! And thanks for the insight, I didn’t know such a camp existed!
To me it adds depth to the horrific numbers. Especially since a lot of the art is still around us as music poetry and paintings.
Hi Bjorn,
Thanks for the history lesson. Very interesting. Learning new things is one of life’s best experiences, I believe. Ron
I think so to.
Fascinating stuff. Thanks for the education
You are welcome
Poignant story. Nicely done and informative.
Thank you 🙂
thank you for the information..this is really very interesting.and touching
Without the background it’s not possible to understand.
I had never heard of that camp, so thanks for the history lesson. Great writing, Bjorn.
Thank you so much
Great story and I enjoyed the background.
You are most welcome.
the story might take a little more careful reading than others, but of course it makes sens. well done.
I will be back on the lighter side soon.
with this kind of thing, this writing thing, it’s okay to go whichever way the wind blows at the moment.
A very chilling piece, Bjorn — and so well done. Many years ago, I saw a very old movie that portrayed that concentration camp. I cannot remember the title or anything else about it, except for that unbelievable dichotomy: the arts flourishing in the midst of holocaust. I don’t think I’ve heard reference to it again until your piece. Thanks for sharing it with the world. It’s so important that people never forget.
Thank you so much.
I listened to a fantastic concert by Swedish Mezzo Soprano Ann-Sofie von Otter with music composed in the camp. I think there is a record there somewhere.
Good story, Bjorn. There’s an interesting article on Theresienstadt on the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum’s site entitled: “Theresienstadt: Red Cross Visit”. Tells of the Germans beautifying the camp prior to the Red Cross visit.
Thank you for the recommendation and also from my point of view saw some of the reasons behind. Real scary dimension.
You’ve added to my education today and I thank you for that. This is one of those stories that has a lasting effect. Thank you for that.
Thank you, the educational part was necessary to understand the story.