In those months between the end of the war in Europe and the end of the war in Asia there was a political event that deeply impressed me. In July and August 1945 the conference of the victorious Allies was being held in Potsdam. But one of the victors, Winston Churchill, a staunch opponent of the Third Reich, was only there for the beginning. After that Great Britain was represented by Clement Attlee. Even before the war was really over the man who embodied the island nation's spirit of resistance was out of office. At the same time as the Potsdam Conference was going on there had been a general election in England, and the Labour Party had won. It had already been the junior partner in Churchill's coalition government. The warrior lion who had fought so fiercely had been brought down by his own people! And what I found even harder to understand: he stepped down without a word of protest.

Up till then I had been completely unpolitical and had no idea what democracy meant. How could I? At that moment a light went on in my head and I started to understand the essence of the system: the leadership could be changed only through a decision of the voters. And what was equally important: the loser would accept the will of the voters. I had the impression that the British were absolutely fed up with war and had voted Churchill out because he embodied the war.

I had been with the Weihrauchs for a few weeks when I heard that the Americans were not far from Chemnitz, and I made my way there on foot and on the running boards of the few trains that were now operating. I did come across a white American unit. I helped out in the kitchen, was fed and even got a new pair of shoes. Up to then I had still been wearing the boots that were two different sizes. Now I had a pair of real Ami-boots (US Army boots) from the army stores. They were leather with thick rubber soles! A few days later the unit moved off to the west.