Martin Roemers

Konrad Politowski (b. 1918 in Germany) lost his sight during the Second World War (WWII). 'In Finland, in 1941, we took up positions against the Russians. They were firing guns at us from the valley below. I was hit and blinded. After various hospitals, I ended up at the Adolf Hitler School for the Blind in Berlin. I was there with 165 blind comrades. At the school I learned to make brushes. I took my exams and worked in production. My bosses were always complaining that I didn't make enough brushes. In 1953 I set up a weaving mill together with 29 blind comrades. This meant that we were both the employers and the employees. At our company, we made clothing fabrics, cushion covers, tablecloths and dusters and other things - you name it, we made it. We even won an award in Bavaria because we made such good things. Years later, when an increasing number of us were dying, we closed the company down.'