February 1945

The biggest challenge during this time is fighting the hunger. Finding food borders on the impossible. Zenon and Teofil spend whole days scouring the city for something to eat. Jadwiga and Janina leave the house with trepidation. For them going outside involves the risk of being attacked and raped by the Soviet soldiers.

From time to time expeditions in search of food produce spectacular results. One day Teofil comes back with a bucket full of marzipan he found in the ruins of some warehouse. Another time Zenon goes to a slaughter house, newly-opened by Russians, and manages to obtain half of pork neck in exchange for his watch. He is lucky and manages to return home safely with the meat. Most days, however, the family’s diet is limited to groats and potatoes. Even bread is a rarity.

Occasionally, there are other, unusual hauls. In the ruins of one of the nearby houses Jadwiga finds some well-preserved drapes. Her daughter Janina uses them to sew a dress for herself.

February 1945

Already in January many inhabitants of Poznań living in the city centre flee to the suburbs in fear of the approaching front. Jadwiga and Zenon’s family are one of them. They hastily pack into their suitcases and bundles only the things they need most and move in with their family living just outside of Poznań. They hope that soon they will be able to return to their home. Unfortunately, in mid-January they learn that their tenement house burnt down to the ground during the fighting in the city. Thus, the contents of their suitcases become their only possessions. They begin to search for a new place to live.

Although the fighting in the city centre still continues, it becomes quieter in the more distant districts. Out there there are flats left by the evacuating Germans. Jadwiga and Zenon manage to take possession of one of such flats in the district of Łazarz. It is in a terrible condition: demolished, with a broken plumbing system and smashed windows. Despite that, Jadwiga and Zenon are happy that they managed to find a roof over their heads for their family. In the nearby tenement houses they look for the most needed equipment as well as for fuel for the stove heater to try to stay at least a bit warm during the cold February days. The water system in the building is broken. To have water, the family has to melt snow.