Two days later all but three of the arrested students were released. They were badly roughed up, and so traumatized by their experience in Russian captivity that they immediately resigned their positions as student leaders and joined the SED.
“Please tell me about Georg and Julian – why haven’t they been released? What has happened to them?” Marlene asked her fellow students.
“I have no idea,” was the standard reply. She could see that they were terrified and refused to discuss the matter further.
“You should stop asking questions,” one of them advised her. “The Soviets will stop at nothing to get what they want. I, for my part, want my family safe and alive.”
Marlene’s shoulders slumped. She felt like an awful coward to abandon Georg. Deep-rooted guilt prevented her from attending cla
