New Responsibilities and a Growing Family
Ernst Klopp followed Pascheke and took over the administration as director of the entire complex. His assistant director was Karl Paetsch. Ernst Klopp was heading the functions of the mission establishments self-responsibly until the fall of 1940. Since the ‘entire realm for the people’s food production was exclusively a national-socialist domain’, those in control over all aspects of administration converted the church-run training home into an establishment of the state, which was now under the jurisdiction of the provincial land association. During this decisive conversion to a state-controlled training centre, Ernst Klopp, as evidenced by keeping his director position, must have made a favourable impression.
In-between three more children were born: Adolf (1932 – 1989), Erika (1934), and Gerhard (1936). In these years, Ernst managed to have a painting of his parents Emma and P. F. W. Klopp done from an old no longer existing photo. The painting accompanied the family until 1945. In Belgrade also hung the framed message of brother Otto’s death, who was killed in Russia in 1915. On January 27, 1936, the entire family celebrated on Ernst-Flos-Estate the 80th birthday of mother and grandmother Emma Klopp (née Bauer). A photo of this eventful day still exists and is in the personal archives of Eberhard Klopp, the author of the Klopp Chronicles.
Three years before the family moved from Belgrade further east to West Prussia (re-occupied by the Nazi regime) Ernst Klopp had a house built on the Ernst-Flos-Estate property, in which the family lived until the fall of 1940. Finally, the family had their own home separate from the institutional buildings.
The Peter and Gertrud Klopp Family 
Did your father talk about what it was like to work for the government during the 1930s? I look forward to the next chapter and to, at some point, your arrival on the scene!
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The struggle for survival dominated the time after WW2. I was a very little child then and I do not remember any talk about those years. Our main worry was where the next loaf of bread was coming from. But this will be discussed much later. Thank you for your interest, Amy!
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I look forward to hearing more. I know those were tough years in Germany.
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Your father must have been a good director, if the State kept him on.
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Indeed, he must have been a good administrator to hold this position without NS party membership.
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But Hitler came only into power in 1933, did he not? It must still have been Hindenburgs government in 1930, if I “remember” correctly.
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What a blessing that your parents finally were able to move into their own home.
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Soon they will occupy still another home farther east. Thank you for your interest in our family story, Cornelia!
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I think, this changing borders all the time was quite common at least since 1800..
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And so many people had to give up their home and country.
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I learned, even people in the third generation suffer
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Continues to fascinate. All this at a time when a World War had started.
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Thank you, Ankur!
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The article at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Prussia shows how complicated the history of West Prussia has been.
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Yes, and people got caught up in the turmoil of constantly changing borders.
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Peter, lots of fascinating history in the post. Those were trying times, but families managed somehow. This is the book you are translating from the German, correct. Good luck with the task. I loved translating, but it can be involved and tedious at times. Does the book contain maps of the areas spoken about? Enjoy the weekend.
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Yes, this is a translation of my cousin’s book on the Klopp family history. The maps are taking from the Internet. When I am using other sources later on, I will highlight those by using green font colour. Thanks for taking an interest in our family story, Mary Ann!
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Peter, yours is a labor of love and a tedious project too. Best of luck!
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Interesting, Peter! 🙂
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