Weiss, Robert

Robert Weiss wuchs in der Hietzinger Hauptstrasse in Ober St. Veit auf. Er fuhr Ski am Roten Berg, bevor er 1939 nach Jugoslawien flüchtete.

My parents were Robert and Hedy Weiss. We lived in Hietzinger Hauptstraße, end of street, perpendicular to railroad tracks that has tunnel for cars leading to the "Roter Berg" (small hill on which we used to ski). We had a very nice flat, second floor in an building with only three of four stories. I cannot remember anymore which friends I had. As a child I played 8 years in Hietzing. I was riding my bycicle in front of our house, played Tennis with my parents who belonged the Hietzinger Club. In 1938 I had an accident on my bycicle and cut my inside thigh that needed stitches. My parents were afraid to take me to a hospital. A doctor came to our apartment and tended 10 stitches without anesthesia. Three of four people held me. It was very painful. I can remember being driven to school by a driver from my father's business, rather than walking.



Also, in class, I had to resite "Heil Hitler" and knew it was not proper for me to do that, but I did it. There were people who helped me and my familie, but I do not know who they were. Unfortunately, my parents did not speak of those years. My father was in Dachau and was released in 1939. My mother arranged the release through friends, but I don't know who they were. I could left the "Ostmark". My father was relapsed from Dachau, in 1939, we traveled to Yugoslavia. My grandfather was a Yugoslav citizen and was able to make those arrangements. Later I lived in Vienna, Koprivnica, Zagreb, Lisbon, Havana (Cuba 1941) and USA (1946). I was in the US Army in 1954 and visited Vienna for several days. I was 24 years old and uninformed. I visited Vienna 2 times, St. Anton, Innsbruck once (skiing) and Zuers twice (skiing). I hardly ever spoke German, only when necessary.