Revision (2012) - full transcript
Nadrensee, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania,
June 29, 1992
Two farmers discover
something lying in a cornfield.
On closer inspection,
they see it's two human bodies.
They drive off to the village
to fetch help.
Behind them the field is in flames.
This is how I would start:
There was a very happy family.
A family of us five children
and our parents.
He was the only one
in the family who worked.
First he worked from FRIM, in tailoring.
Then he was a truck driver.
He had a good salary.
We lived well.
Then we went abroad.
After the revolution,
we went to Germany.
It was impossible to live
in Romania at that time.
Money had no value anymore.
It wasn't even enough for food.
After about a year,
I don't remember exactly,
I was very young,
my father decided to go abroad.
To survive.
So we went to Germany.
There's not much more I can say.
My father's mother
is buried in Germany.
It would be better
if each of us speaks separately.
Let's stop here.
Let's stop recording.
Each of us
should speak for himself.
Yes, that would be better.
You, as director, know how it works.
Let's speak individually.
Each has his own story,
what he felt at the time.
I don't know if I remember everything.
Something nice about my life?
It was a nice life with him.
Of course it was nice.
He was a good man.
He worked and provided for us.
I went to the spas with him.
He took me there to recuperate.
We went on excursions.
Here in Romania, not there.
We did a lot together:
excursions, weddings.
It was lovely.
He loved me and I loved him.
I never wanted to talk about it,
certainly not in a film.
I never wanted to talk about it.
I can't even express myself properly.
I couldn't speak
to anyone about it.
It's special for me
to talk to you about that tragedy.
The children are grown up
and scattered over the world.
Until now, I didn't know
that no one went to prison back then.
It was a very difficult life.
It took me almost five years
to step outside again.
Everyone knows I led a double life.
What do you mean by "double life"?
A double life:
as a woman and as a man.
To raise the children.
That's what I meant with "double life".
You have to look after everything:
that the children don't run off,
get into trouble or steal something.
At night I was worried
when they hadn't returned home.
There was no man
to go looking for them.
I raised them well, alone.
Do you know what it means
to raise them alone?
So a double life,
as a man and woman.
I wanted to tell you that.
Which photo with your husband
do you like best?
Which one I like best?
This one with the frame.
And this one here.
We were wedding witnesses.
This is in Germany.
Where in Germany?
In Gelbensande.
Where we lived.
This is our parents' wedding.
This is my grandmother.
My father's mother.
She died in Germany
and is buried in Gelbensande.
This is our father at the age of 16.
It was taken in 1972.
Here is the date.
This photo is important.
It's at the sports club.
In Gelbensande.
It was my older sister's birthday.
At the sports club in Gelbensande.
In Germany.
This photo is very special.
Is that you in the photo?
Yes, they brought it with them.
Look, that's unbelievable.
On my birthday,
we always had the biggest celebrations.
Which always annoyed the others.
Colorado still says
I was pampered the most.
Not so much with words
but with such gestures.
I received the most attention.
I've never seen this photo.
I don't know where he found it.
How old did you turn?
I don't know exactly.
I guess it was my 14th birthday.
It was the last time I was with him.
A few months later...
Can you see it?
Yes.
This is my father.
Leonardo, who's at home.
That's me.
My sister, who lives in America.
My mother and Colorado.
Colorado looked different then.
Yes, he was still little.
Do you remember the last time
you saw your father?
Of course.
I remember the last time I saw him
was in Gelbensande.
Before he drove off.
At the housing block.
He told us
that he was going to Romania
and would return soon.
That we should behave ourselves
so he'd find us
safe and sound on his return.
We weren't to do anything stupid.
We were children.
Pranks, mischief that kids get up to.
He left for Romania
and never returned to us.
Never again.
It was meant to be.
The film begins
with the end of a story.
A story with many beginnings.
For me it begins
with a radio traffic report.
In Germany in 1992,
two years after reunification.
"Due to a fire
on the Berlin-Szczecin autobahn,
the German-Polish border crossing
is temporarily closed.
Traffic is held up for 3 km."
For a family from the city Craiova,
the story begins much earlier:
In 1989 in Romania,
shortly after the revolution.
For another family from Alba Iulia,
the story begins in 1991.
In Romania, with photos from Germany.
Does it start?
There he's still alive.
It's in Germany.
In Frankfurt or in Stuttgart.
I can't tell you exactly.
When he was still working.
November 1991.
Here you see him dead.
First show the photos,
where he was still alive.
The photos with the family.
Where was it taken?
Also in Germany.
With my older son.
Yes, a very handsome man.
Ramona is like he.
With my older son Alin.
Where is this?
- At home.
Where you used to live?
In the Strada Orizontului?
- Yes, Orizontului.
With Alin?
- Yes, with Alin.
He spent about 11 months in Germany.
He got a job
in a window frame factory.
He sent money home.
The children were young
and needed a lot.
We managed well.
He left home
as one earned better there.
I wanted a better life
for my children,
like all parents
wish for their children.
After his vacation at home,
he returned to work.
He was sure all would go well.
I waited for his call,
that he'd arrived safely.
The call came,
but I was told, he's dead.
Why? I don't know.
It all happened so quickly.
It's not bad, is it?
The recording would be better
if we remembered more.
That's how it was.
There's nothing to add.
That's how it was.
Do you remember
what he took with him?
A small black bag.
About this big.
He had clothes in it.
He wore a golden watch.
He'd worked for this watch.
He'd bought it for Alin.
That's all.
You've got us thinking.
What will happen with this film?
What will we do next?
They'll explain it to us.
I'd like to ask him something.
Is he done?
He only just started.
One more question, OK.
That he was shot.
Killed, shot. Just that.
By whom and how, we didn't know.
We never knew exactly
what happened.
We got a call,
he was shot in the head.
We knew nothing else.
That's why we're shocked
that someone arrives after 20 years
and wants to make a film.
Can we start?
Yes, let's start.
Who sent him to Otopeni airport?
Not who sent him...
- But it's the beginning.
No, It's almost the end.
Of course it's the beginning.
Who found him on the field?
How did one know what happened?
Where was he found?
Nadrensee, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania,
June 26, 2011
The farmer Markhoff.
The detective superintendents
Kusturin and Müller.
The former mayor Mandelkow.
The firemen Böttcher and Grossjohann.
The farmers Bergemann and Schupke.
We came from that direction.
We got out of the combine harvester.
And then...
...they were lying there.
Up there,
where the maize is just half grown.
That's where it could've been.
We returned to the combine harvester
and wanted to fetch help.
We turned around and saw the fire.
There was maize here then, right?
- No, winter barley.
Barley gets about this high.
It must've been in this area.
That's the patch.
- The ambulance was there.
What I saw?
One had been shot.
The other was gasping for breath.
He was breathing a little,
then it was over.
Did the police ever ask you about it?
No.
I never heard
that anyone was asked about it.
When we arrived,
this part of the field was burnt.
At about this lower level,
a little higher,
I could make out the two bodies.
Was the crime scene closed off?
No, I didn't see any barriers.
There was
no crime scene investigation as such.
The bodies were covered up
and all was charred black.
The next day the field was ploughed.
On Friday
two policemen came from Greifswald.
But once the field is ploughed,
what evidence can you find?
Is that correct?
I think so.
They were lying in this area here.
Somewhere in this area,
within shooting distance of the road.
I also remember
there was a combine harvester.
The question was: What caused the fire?
A combine?
No, there was none here.
But that caused the fire.
- No, nonsense.
You told me
the combine caused the fire.
Yes, that's how it was.
- He says no.
That's irrefutable.
But then, why weren't we informed?
That I don't know.
It's irrefutable?
He also said
it was his combine that caused the fire.
No, I never said that.
That it was possible, that's what I said.
But it was never proven.
I spoke to you up there...
You didn't speak to us.
I spoke to you at the crossroads.
We saw them lying there
and wanted to get help.
There were no cell phones then.
When we turned around,
we could see the smoke.
According to statistics
from the NGO "Fortress Europe",
at least 14,687 people
were reported in the press
to have died along the European border
between 1998 and August 2009.
On the two deaths from Nadrensee,
the German press agency dpa
reports on July 1, 1992
that it was probably a hunting accident.
A different beginning to the story.
Around 3 a.m.,
three hunters set out on a hunt.
One is a former policeman.
He knows his territory.
The other two
are here for the first time.
They're from the Frankfurt am Main area
and have booked a hunting trip.
HUNTING IN GERMANY
At noon, they take the opportunity
to visit nearby Poland.
Around 7 p.m., they're back.
One of them shoots a roebuck.
A reason to celebrate after dark.
They agree to meet the next morning.
One last hunt
before they return to Frankfurt.
On June 29, 1992,
between 3 and 4 a.m.,
the hunters take the road
connecting Nadrensee and Rosow.
At a barley field,
they get out of the car
and look eastward
through their binoculars.
A week later,
the newspaper Nordkurier reports
on a mix-up by two hunters:
they mistook two illegal immigrants
for wild boar.
...41, 42, 43...
...69, 70, 71, 72.
Tell me.
Zoom in.
Stop.
A little to the left.
No, to the center.
A bit higher.
Zoom in further?
Yes, zoom in a bit.
No, zoom out again.
A little more...
Through the binoculars,
I see the trees.
Yes, exactly.
And the lower leaves are cut off.
The upper tips are cut off.
That's about right.
Now it's completely centered.
Leave it and check.
Compare it yourself.
Yes, it's OK.
It matches the image perfectly.
In the center, there's the pole
with a diameter of 2.5 cm.
Exactly 72 meters
from where it was observed,
with binoculars.
I'd probably begin
with the initial knowledge
that this situation had occurred
at the national border.
Shall we listen to it?
Chief Superintendent Uwe Brandt,
police department Anklam,
September 12, 2011
On June 29, 1992,
we were informed that two male bodies
had been found in a cornfield
close to Nadrensee.
The German-Polish border
is at close proximity.
The discovery of bullet parts
pointed to the use
of a large-caliber weapon in the crime.
That made us assume the fatal injuries
must've been caused by a hunting weapon.
There was information
that hunter Heinz K.
was responsible for this area.
He was there with two guest hunters
on the night from the 28th to the 29th
to hunt wild boar.
As they stood there,
they noticed movements in the cornfield.
By their own account, also black dots.
Without further assuring themselves
of the situation,
that is
without really identifying the animal,
Heinz K. and one of the guest hunters
instantly fired.
When a group of people
sprang up with raised hands,
they fled the crime scene.
Yes, we had a hunter,
he was a former policeman.
That's how I would begin.
Norma Pahl,
head of Special Services Public Safety,
Pasewalk district office,
June 28, 2011
There were border crossings
every night.
Back then, I was also in charge
of the immigration office.
Some hunters learnt
of this refugee situation
and therefore decided:
"I can't reconcile it
with my safety or hunting behavior.
I'm no longer going to hunt
in this situation."
Well, the Federal Border Police
couldn't catch everyone.
Also, one had to reckon with officers
crawling through the bushes.
Yes.
I'd start the story with:
There are things in life
that you believe don't exist,
but they do.
A short introduction...
Ferdinand Wehage, lawyer,
Oldenburg, October 6, 2011
From what position
are you speaking to us now?
I am talking to you
as Mr. Katzor's former lawyer.
I spoke to Mr. Katzor
you contacted him.
But he's in very poor health.
He's had numerous heart attacks.
He therefore requested me
to take on his role
and say a few words
about the events back then.
You mentioned Katzor by name.
Can we use it in the film?
You can mention his name,
no problem.
Did Mr. Katzor know that refugees
often crossed the field at night?
Mr. Katzor was certainly aware
that people led by human traffickers
were crossing the border in those days.
That was certainly known
in the entire area.
As far I know, he informed
the border police from time to time
that illegal border crossings
were going on there.
But there were also hunters who said
that's why they stopped hunting at night.
That I don't know.
Shall we listen to it first?
OK?
- Yes.
Statistics
from the Border Patrol Frankfurt/Oder
report
that 612 so-called "unauthorized entrants"
were arrested in the Nadrensee area
in June 1992.
A week after the shootings
in the barley field,
the newspaper Ostseezeitung reports
that the dead men
were Polish human traffickers.
Their names are not mentioned.
On June 29, 1992, two people are shot
in a field
close to the German-Polish border.
Around 3 p.m., at the crime scene,
the police find, amongst others,
a notebook with two photos,
a watch, a leather bag,
and a passport
issued in the name of Eudache Călderar
with the address
Strada Orizontului No. 2
in the city of Alba Iulia, Romania.
I think a film about Eudache Călderar
would begin
with the moment he was shot.
At the moment the tragedy began.
Family Lodroman, Strada Orizontului No. 2,
Alba Iulia, July 5, 2011
I knew Eudache since my youth.
Later we were colleagues
at the machine factory in Alba Iulia.
He got the apartment opposite ours.
He had five children.
We had a really good relationship
as neighbors.
Then we heard he'd disappeared.
His wife was left with five children.
She couldn't pay the rent
and support the family anymore.
Later I heard she'd moved
to the "Tigani", the gypsy area.
Industrial zone, you should've said.
"Tigani" area!
- No, industrial zone!
"Tigani" area,
that's what everyone calls it.
That's what it used to be called.
How did you learn about his death?
Everyone knew he was dead.
Mia told us about it.
It was three weeks
since she'd heard from Eudache.
She felt something had happened to him.
Then she found out and said:
"Eudache is dead."
She only said
he was shot, nothing else.
Has he started filming already?
What do you think
he's been doing the whole time?
No idea, is he filming?
- Of course.
I didn't know.
Can't you be quiet for a moment?
If you want to add anything,
just stop the recording.
Family Călderar,
Alba Iulia, July 6, 2011
If I... No.
She's not a good actress.
I'm not a good actress.
If I were to talk about my husband,
this is how I'd begin:
He was a good man.
I'm very glad I have these children.
They're the joy of my life.
I have very good children.
I'm very sad about what happened to him.
She feels intimidated talking about him.
That's how it is, what can I do?
He worked in the factory
since he was 17 years old.
He took his life into his own hands.
We were very young when we met.
I was 16, he was 18 years old.
I was very happy with him.
Then the disaster began.
So young and alone with five children,
that wasn't easy.
Young or not,
you ended up on the street.
Raising the children alone,
providing for them,
school and all that, that wasn't easy.
For a long time,
I had no roof over my head.
Thinking about it makes me cry.
I don't feel sorry for myself,
but I think back to my life
and how I raised the children.
On June 29, 1992,
Eudache Călderar is shot in a field
close to the German-Polish border.
The second body is identified by relatives
who lived at the refugee center
in Gelbensande near Rostock.
His name is Grigore Velcu,
called Parizan,
from the city of Craiova in Romania.
A film would begin
with something beautiful,
with a wonderful family.
Unfortunately, as in many films,
the happiness in this family
ends with a tragic event.
Romeo Tiberiade,
Officer for Roma Affairs,
Dolj district council,
Craiova, July 11, 2011
Can you tell us:
Who was Grigore Velcu?
Grigore Velcu was an important figure
in our community in Craiova.
He was a person
who commanded attention.
He brought peace to our community,
particularly in case of familial disputes.
He was kind of a judge in our community.
I knew him personally
as we both lived
in the same community.
We were good friends
although there was
an age gap between us.
Even I received help
from this Romanian citizen
of Roma ethnicity.
Back then,
when I needed help with a job.
He helped those who looked for a job
or a place in society.
Family Velcu,
Craiova, July 10, 2011
Did your mother tell you
what happened in the field?
Our mother wasn't able to.
We were the ones who reassured her.
On the first few days,
she fainted 20 times.
At least 20 or 30 times.
She would come to
and lose consciousness again.
People sprinkled water on her face
to make her come to.
She was in shock
because of what she'd learnt.
No, we never spoke to our mother about it.
We supported our mother,
although we were so young.
I don't want to speak
about what happened in the field.
I repeat: Under no circumstances
do I want to talk about it.
It's very, very painful.
Believe me, I can't go into details.
How and what happened?
What happened afterwards?
I don't ever want to talk about it.
I can't do it.
I don't have the strength.
That's why I avoid it.
Please understand, I can't do it.
I won't talk about it.
On June 29, 1992,
a farmer finds two bodies in a field
close to the German-Polish border.
As he tries to call for help,
the field goes up in flames.
I know this incident.
It's true.
However, we know the course of events
before the farmer entered the scene.
Vasile Nazdravan, chronologist,
Craiova, July 9, 2011
Written texts, sound recordings,
videos and oral narrations.
These are the four guidelines.
I worked with these cameras
during the 90s.
Did you film on the Grigore Velcu case?
I couldn't film on the case...
If I look through the archive
from the year 1992,
I may find some material or notes.
One couldn't film then.
There were restrictions.
By the police and in the hospital.
I may have recordings with the family.
If I go through my archive,
I'll find something.
People here know Grigore Velcu
by the name of "Parizan".
Here are my diaries.
Meanwhile I have so many of them.
We can take any one of them
and browse through it.
"They left Poland at midnight
and arrived in Germany
at the arranged place at 3.30 a.m.
They were meant to be picked up.
By Danut and Edmond.
150 meters from the autobahn,
they notice that a car stops."
Now the story begins.
You can take a look to convince yourself.
These are all notes from 1992.
Fildesan was there.
He should know a lot.
I've spoken to him.
He wanted to think about
what might be of interest you.
But he's a bit reserved.
We should go somewhere
where we can be alone.
No one knows, no one talks about it.
A quieter place to do the interview.
Let's go.
One moment please.
This is not my apartment,
I don't live here.
My housing situation is critical.
Many children and grandchildren.
This is my cousin's apartment.
Iamandita Gogu, called Fildesan,
Craiova, July 9, 2011
Back then, one crossed the border
to Germany secretly.
There was a hotel in Poland.
Behind this hotel, there was a spot
where you could cross the border secretly.
One had to walk several kilometers
to get there.
My colleague and I,
my friend Parizan,
with about 20 other people,
arrived at this hotel.
From behind the hotel,
we walked about one kilometer
until we reached the railway line.
There were cornfields
next to the train tracks.
Very big and very many cornfields.
I made notes so I can concentrate better.
I've spoken to him before.
He already interviewed me briefly.
Sometime last year.
Last year in September.
Yes, exactly. Can I continue?
You were at the cornfield.
Arriving at this cornfield, someone said:
"Parizan, it's not good
to cross the border tonight."
That was the night
from Sunday to Monday.
"It's not good
to cross the border tonight."
"You should go across tomorrow."
Parizan replied:
"No, it must be tonight.
My wife's waiting for me."
One of the men who was to take us across
suddenly said: "Lie down!"
Everyone lay down.
I also lay down.
But my friend Parizan kneeled.
Do you understand?
He squatted like this,
with his hand on my shoulder.
I lay on the ground in the cornfield.
He said: "I'm going to see
what the guide is doing
and what's going on there."
He walked about ten meters.
From a distance of ten meters,
I heard shots.
The shots were loud. About six or seven.
On hearing the first two shots,
all of us stood up.
We were terrified.
We thought we're going to die.
We stood up and screamed:
"Don't shoot! Don't shoot!"
At that moment,
I looked towards the road
at the end of the field.
And I saw a police car there.
In fact,
I saw a scoped rifle on the hood.
That's what I said in my statement, too.
Shots were fired.
At that moment...
To be honest, I often said:
"Please leave me alone now."
There were times I was confused.
I wanted to tell the truth,
every single detail.
But it isn't always possible.
So I said:
"Leave me be, I have a headache."
When I remember everything...
I'm being quite honest,
we can speak openly...
When I remember everything,
I get headaches.
When I think about what I experienced,
I get horrible headaches.
I kneeled down next to Parizan,
and cried.
On a huge cornfield
alone with two dead people.
Just imagine!
Was it easy for me?
No, it wasn't easy.
Fear struck my limbs.
You could see
how his head was cut like a melon.
The shot was that powerful.
Not his leg or hand was struck,
but his head.
It was terrible to see the other man,
how he bled to death,
only a few meters away from us.
To see how the blood spurted out of him.
There were moments when I didn't want
to narrate the story to the end.
So I said:
"Leave me be, I have a headache."
I couldn't complete the story.
As long as I live, I'll never complete it.
Let's listen to the last part.
When we screamed, "Don't shoot!"
the police car disappeared.
Shortly thereafter,
the cars came to fetch us.
We couldn't take the two men with us.
One would've said that we'd killed them.
Around 15 people got into one car.
About 12 in the other.
We drove along the country road.
It was a gravel road.
Then we were on the autobahn
and drove a few kilometers.
I'll go back a step again.
The crime took place at 3.45 a.m.
In consultation with an astronomer,
the visibility on June 29, 1992
can be tracked 19 years later
on July 28, 2011
The time difference
between 2011 and 1992 is 35 minutes.
It's 3.56 a.m.
If you take a close-up,
is it comparable?
No.
The binoculars have
a certain night effect,
so the eye sees more
than it would without them.
Can you try to match it
with the shutter somehow?
Yes, I'll try.
Do you see that?
That's identical, I'd say.
That matches the eye impression perfectly.
16 minutes later. 3.37 a.m.
3 minutes later. 3.40 a.m.
Now I can read this note
without a flashlight.
6 minutes later. 3.46 a.m.
The field looks similar
to the camera image now.
Give me the binoculars.
Do you still have the focal length?
Yes, it's equivalent to 64 mm.
3 minutes later. 3.49 a.m.
When I look at the meadow...
- You can already see quite a lot.
Look at the meadow behind you.
Yes, oh my God,
that's completely different.
We should film that.
- In the other direction?
Yes, as a comparison.
- I'll do that.
I'm turning the camera to the other side.
It's still darker
than the cornfield behind it.
Does it match the camera image?
In terms of lighting,
it's the same through the binoculars.
2 minutes later. 3.51 a.m.
Should we set a marker
to synchronize the sound?
Yes, I'll do that.
The brightness matches
what one sees
with the eye and the binoculars.
On June 29, 1992 at around 5 a.m.,
Iamandita Gogu, called Fildesan,
and around 20 other refugees are arrested
in a traffic check in Neubrandenburg.
On the same morning, the 20 eyewitnesses
are accused of illegal entry
and unauthorized residence
in the Federal Republic of Germany.
Although they immediately report
the shootings to the police,
it takes the police about eight hours
to arrive at the scene of the crime.
By then, the field is in flames
and Eudache Călderar and Grigore Velcu
can only be recovered dead.
In 1990, after the revolution,
my entire family,
like other Romanians and Roma,
fled to western Europe.
We chose Germany.
I remember that morning.
Not just me
but all the Roma who were in Germany then
got the sad news about the Velcu family.
I remember that everyone gathered
in the housing block
where the Velcu family lived.
In Gelbensande?
- Yes, in Gelbensande.
There was
a great commotion and confusion.
Nobody knew anything
except that Grigore Velcu had been shot
at the border.
We knew neither how
nor by whom he'd been shot.
No one knew anything.
I remember
when you came from Rostock,
it's 20 years ago,
you'd drive through a forest
on a tarmac road.
On the right,
there was a station and railway tracks.
A small path on the left
led to the village.
As far as I remember,
it was a white building.
On the edge of the village.
For us, it was lovely in Germany.
Really lovely, also in Gelbensande.
Although the building and the landscape
weren't really that lovely.
We spent about a year there.
We'd gotten used to it.
It didn't feel foreign anymore.
We might've happily lived there forever.
When you left the building,
there was a forest on the left.
I also remember
there was a cemetery close by.
Our grandmother
is buried in this cemetery.
Our father's mother.
Siminica Ecaterina was her name.
She's buried there. In Gelbensande.
Günther Joneit, pastor,
Gelbensande, September 9, 2011
We're now standing by the grave
but we can't see anything.
I thought about it just now, too.
I come to this corner of the cemetery
from time to time.
The relatives set up the gravesite.
They laid bricks around the grave,
which came from the asylum center.
And then one day
the gravesite was vandalized.
The bricks had been ripped apart
and the cross pulled out.
It was trampled on.
And then the church windows
were smashed with these bricks.
I can't say if this reflected
the rejection of the entire village
or just one or two persons
wanting to make a statement.
And one day this cross
was actually thrown into the garbage.
The garbage heap
of the cemetery, over there.
Then I said to myself:
"You must do something."
"You must rescue at least this memento."
I pulled it out of the garbage
and took it to our church.
And I kept it there safely.
This is the cross. It's made of larch.
It stood there and was destroyed,
as you can see in this photo.
It was pulled out, thrown to the ground.
This happened several times.
I've recorded this here.
It became part of the church register?
Yes, exactly,
it became part of the church chronicle.
I don't know, should I read from it?
"An assumption becomes the bitter truth.
The son of the deceased,
also an asylum seeker in Gelbensande,
is found dead in a cornfield
close to Greifswald.
Allegedly,
the victim of a hunting accident."
The last time I saw him,
he was leaving for Romania.
My father wanted to get the documents
to transport his mother home.
I remember how furious he was.
He wanted to take her body to Romania.
He bought a big car,
I can't remember what kind.
He told us:
"Stay here and wait for me.
I will return in two or three weeks."
He got into the car.
We stayed there. End of story.
In April 1992,
the grave of Ecaterina Siminica
in Gelbensande close to Rostock
is vandalized.
A month later, her son Grigore Velcu
drives to Craiova to get documents
to transport his mother's body to Romania.
On June 29, 1992, on his way
back to his family in Gelbensande,
he is shot in a field close to the border.
On July 1, 1992,
the body of Grigore Velcu
is identified
in the Greifswald pathology.
On the same day,
hunter Heinz Katzor is arrested.
On July 2,
guest hunter Gerhard R. is arrested.
Four days later, on July 6, 1992,
the bodies
of Grigore Velcu and Eudache Călderar
are transported
from Berlin TEGEL to Bucharest Otopeni.
When he was transported home,
he had nothing on him.
He was stark naked in a wooden box with...
...with zinc.
Like a tin, you know?
We opened the coffin.
We weren't actually allowed to open it.
You can mention that.
I'm not afraid anymore.
I went to the public prosecutor here.
You couldn't look into the coffin
but I wanted to know who I was burying.
They told me
I had five minutes at the gravesite
to look into the coffin.
But I didn't do that.
I opened the coffin
in the morning in my own apartment.
It was risky.
I wanted to know who was in it.
One couldn't recognize him.
He was naked and full of worms.
One couldn't be sure it was him.
Let me show you the photo so they see it.
How did you recognize him then?
By his teeth and facial features.
Look, that's how he arrived.
You can see it better here.
- One should make a distinction
between how he left us
and how he was brought back.
Without an explanation.
We want everyone to see how we suffered.
When I saw it, I fainted.
When we were older, we saw the photos.
I showed them the photos
when they were older.
She'd hidden them.
One day we found them.
We didn't see the photos
when we were children.
I didn't show them, so they don't suffer.
I only showed them these photos.
Did you find the photos?
They knew about the photos
and found them one day.
I didn't want them to see the photos.
I was afraid they'd suffer.
Him in particular, as he's the eldest.
See how many people were at his funeral.
They came from all over
to say goodbye to him.
He was an honest man.
That's why we wonder: What happened?
In 1991, Eudache Călderar is working
for window producer TREEFZ in Wüstenrot.
His pay slip
from September to November lists
these deductions from his gross earnings:
about DM 803 income tax,
DM 64 church tax,
DM 381 health insurance,
DM 539 pension fund,
DM 207 unemployment insurance
and solidarity tax of DM 60.
On June 29, 1992,
Eudache Călderar travels
back to Wüstenrot from Alba Iulia
and is shot in a field
close to the border.
On July 15, 1992,
on his 31st birthday,
he is buried in Alba Iulia.
One day earlier, in Germany,
Gerhard R.'s arrest warrant is revoked.
He was in prison for one day.
Five days later,
Heinz Katzor's arrest warrant is revoked.
He was in prison for four days.
At this time, the Romanian eyewitnesses
to the Nadrensee shooting are
at the central refugee center
in Rostock-Lichtenhagen.
The facility is overcrowded.
Refugees have to wait outdoors
for many days
for their applications to be processed.
On August 22, at about 6 p.m.,
a group of around 300 neo-Nazis
and residents try to storm
the central refugee center.
I first need to orient myself a bit.
It all looked quite different here.
Over there, all that was a meadow.
Jürgen Siegmann, photographer,
Rostock-Lichtenhagen, June 27, 2011
I arrived on Sunday evening.
It was the second night
of demonstrations or riots
in front of the central refugee center.
When I arrived,
this street was full of stones already.
As a photographer,
you hardly dared to leave this area.
It was totally weird,
also since you hardly slept.
When you're in the midst of it,
you don't know where it's headed.
Then it really started.
They smashed the windows.
At some point,
they even threw Molotov cocktails.
On Monday evening,
it reached a point
where the police simply withdrew.
A proper mob was approaching,
extremely aggressive and dangerous,
and many residents, who were having
a great time, were egging them on.
By then,
the police had completely disappeared.
Without my camera, I wouldn't have endured
this for half an hour.
You also took this photo
of the evacuation.
Yes, but I can't remember exactly.
Suddenly buses drove up.
I think the buses were
back there somewhere.
This photo here had a certain irony
that I guess
the people in the photo didn't understand.
They had a bag with the slogan:
"Now you can pack up."
This was actually meant to be
a funny marketing slogan
but of course
it fit the situation perfectly.
Do you recognize yourself?
Yes.
Look, that's you.
- That's me?
That's you. Do you see it?
Yes, of course.
On this photo, you can see my wife
and my older daughter Arabella.
That's her.
The second child is Ahmed.
He was born in Rostock in 1991.
That's him.
See how desperately
my wife is holding on to him?
That was when the refugee camp
in Rostock was set on fire.
We saw the fire in the camp
and tried to escape the flames.
These people threw Molotov cocktails
and no one arrested them.
No one arrested them.
It seemed like it was well planned.
Even today I can't understand
how it could've been so simple
to break into a government building
and set fire to a refugee center.
The police came after some time
and could calm down the masses a bit.
There was a park
in front of the building.
We were taken there
after we'd managed to escape.
I'd like to add
something very significant:
It wasn't an isolated case.
There was
a chain of such incidents at that time.
The criminal gangs or Nazis,
even today, I don't know who they were
and if they were paid
or recruited by someone.
If they caught one of us,
he was beaten up.
In Gelbensande or elsewhere.
Like many Roma families,
I thought about leaving.
Especially after the incident
with Grigore Velcu.
One month after the pogrom
of Rostock-Lichtenhagen,
Germany and Romania sign
a readmission agreement.
In 1993 alone,
27,000 Romanian citizens are deported.
Tens of thousands "voluntarily"
leave Germany to avoid deportation
and the accompanying five-year ban
from entering Europe.
On May 26, 1993,
the German parliament
adopts an amendment to the asylum law.
An individual's right to asylum
is factually abolished.
On July 30, 1993, Paul Mihai,
a witness to the Nadrensee shooting
is deported to Romania.
On October 5, 1993, Ion Bica,
a witness to the Nadrensee shooting
is deported to Romania.
On May 11, 1994, two years
after the fatal shooting at Nadrensee,
the public prosecutor's office
in Stralsund prepares a charge
against three hunters
for involuntary manslaughter
with attempted murder
and failure to render assistance.
"July 12,1995,
recordings of the death of Parizan.
From ZDF on cassettes 37 and 38."
Let's see if I can find them.
This is it.
Did you see how I found it?
It took the public prosecutor's office
in Stralsund two years
and three expert reports
to arraign two hunters
on the attempted murder.
In January 1995, the regional court
in Stralsund dismissed the charge
and opened no main proceedings.
The public prosecutor's office complains.
After three years,
is meant to shed light on the inquiry.
Mecklenburg-West Pomerania's
top prosecutor admits
to mishaps in the investigation.
The crime scene investigation
was said to be sloppy.
At the start,
inexperienced prosecutors were allocated,
expert reports were
"awaited for an absurd length of time".
We finished this piece
just in time for the broadcast.
Imagine a group of Sinti and Roma
had shot two Germans
and, three years later,
hadn't been brought to trial yet.
A reconstruction by Lutz Panhans.
It's as if it were just a week ago.
Lutz Panhans, TV journalist,
Berlin, September 6, 2011
In 1994, I asked them again
and they said they'd requested
an additional expert report.
Meaning the investigations
hadn't been completed yet.
I wanted to wait.
Before that it made little sense
to get hold of the investigation results.
And then, the inconceivable happened.
In 1995, I called the public prosecutor
in Stralsund and he said:
"We're shelving it now.
The public prosecutor in charge
is leaving,
so we're closing the case."
And that was the sign for me:
The story must be told now.
Or it will really disappear.
They really wanted to shelve it.
Case closed. End of story.
I can still picture it very well.
For me,
the story began with the autopsies.
Sorry, my phone's ringing.
I can't talk right now.
Bye.
Dr. Philipp, senior physician,
Institute for Forensic Medicine
Greifswald, September 12, 2011
So you were watching television
one evening?
Yes, in preparation
for the court proceedings.
To my surprise,
some people in that TV report
weren't mentioned in the police files.
They reported on observations
that one of the victims
might still have been alive.
Meaning that he still moved.
A paramedic also appeared, who said:
"We had one of them in our ambulance
and tried to resuscitate him."
One doesn't do that
if death had occurred hours ago.
I must of course say,
these were results
of journalistic inquiries
that were very important for us.
So I immediately called the judge
and asked if he'd seen the TV report
and that I'd really like to hear
these witnesses in the courtroom.
Because our statement
four years earlier
in the provisional autopsy report
stated the possibility
of one victim surviving for several hours.
Now we have witnesses who confirm this.
For me, the story begins
with the discovery of the bodies
and ends with the legally binding verdict.
Senior public prosecutor Ralf Lechte,
press officer
of the public prosecutor's office
Stralsund, June 29, 2011
Why did the case take so long
to get to trial?
The factual and legal questions
that arose were quite difficult.
We needed many expert reports.
During the autopsy,
a part of the bullet was found
in the head of one of the men killed.
The special thing was
that both were killed by one bullet.
Meaning that the bullet
went through one head
and got stuck in the head
of the second victim.
It was special ammunition that splits.
Meaning that we only found
one part of this bullet,
although we searched the crime scene
with metal detectors.
That was what we had.
From thereon, you had to find out:
Who shot this bullet with which weapon?
On September 16, 1996,
four years after the Nadrensee shooting,
the local court in Pasewalk
opens the main proceedings
against Heinz Katzor and Gerhard R.
on the charge of involuntary manslaughter.
The proceedings start at 9.10 a.m.
Around 10.15 a.m. the court declares
that the Romanian witnesses
are not accessible.
Their testimonies are read out.
Around 2.15 p.m. an optician states
that with the binoculars and riflescope
used by the hunters
a mix-up
between people and wild boar is unlikely.
Based on the official weather report
of the time,
she couldn't judge how dark it was
on the morning of June 29, 1992.
An inspection of the crime scene
by the court never took place.
At 2.40 p.m.
two police officers are questioned
on their perception of signs of life
from one of the bodies in the field.
One policeman saw something
but heard nothing.
The other heard something
but saw nothing.
None of the firemen who were
at the crime scene before the police
are ever questioned.
At 2.55 p.m. an expert of the regional
bureau of criminal investigation
of Saxony-Anhalt is questioned.
Since he only studied
the bullet part microscopically
and not its material composition,
it isn't possible
to make an accurate correlation
to the seized ammunition.
At 4.50 p.m.
the proceedings are recessed
subject to submission of a further report.
Three years later,
a new report is submitted.
In 1999, seven years
after the fatal shooting of Nadrensee,
the second court day begins
at the local court in Pasewalk.
Everything is still here.
All my notes from the court proceedings.
It was also about the chances of survival
of one of the victims
and the legal implications
of not assisting a person in danger.
This time, the material composition
of the bullet part had been tested.
As a result...
What have I written her?.
"The shots can't be clearly traced back
to accused 1 or 2."
Somehow the values
measured for this bullet part
matched neither the ammunition
of one of the accused
nor of the other.
And no third party had fired.
On October 20, 1999 at 4.00 p.m.,
Heinz Katzor and Gerhard R.
are acquitted.
The public prosecutor's office
appeals against this verdict.
Three years later,
a new hearing takes place
at the regional court in Neubrandenburg.
In the verdict of January 24, 2002,
the appeal is rejected as unfounded.
Based on the addresses you gave us
from the case files,
we contacted the families.
We found them very easily
through these addresses.
That required no big research effort.
It was very moving as neither
of the families knew of this trial.
Yes, but quite frankly,
they don't play any role in this trial.
We had a criminal case in Germany,
a homicide in Germany.
We had all the evidence here.
So we didn't need
the relatives in Romania for this trial.
Does Mr. Katzor know the names
of those killed?
He knows them from the case files.
And of course from the proceedings.
Does he know anything about these persons?
No.
Did he ever try
to contact their relatives?
No.
You know him, we don't.
Doesn't he see any reason for that?
I've never spoken to him about it.
The only thing we did back then
was to notify his liability insurance.
We had no reason to contact these people.
You notified the liability insurance?
Every hunter has liability insurance.
For bodily injury and material damage.
In this case, the insurance
would've also settled possible claims
for damages and maintenance.
If...?
If the families had lodged a claim.
That's how our legal system works.
I can only fulfill demands
if someone files a claim.
That is, seen from a legal perspective.
That might be difficult
for you to relate to.
It is difficult to relate to.
Legally or not.
Someone takes precautions,
informs his liability insurance...
One has to do that, otherwise...
So there would've been
a realistic chance for these families,
who didn't come from Romania
to Germany for no reason
and were in a particular situation,
to have received
some form of compensation.
So, had the families approached
the insurance company,
it would've come into play?
Had insurance claims been made,
they would've dealt with them.
Would that be possible even today?
If the insurance agrees to it, yes.
But generally there's a time limit.
When do they expire?
- After three years.
Three years, from when?
Meanwhile, the regulations have changed,
but back then,
it was from the day of the crime.
From the day of the crime
up to three years.
This means, if anyone had informed
the relatives at the time,
they would've had the chance...
...to assert their claims.
That's certainly correct.
Around 7 a.m. on June 29, 1992,
three hours
after the fatal shooting of Nadrensee,
Heinz Katzor
and the hunting guest Gerhard R.
meet to settle the costs
of the hunting trip.
The antlers of the roebuck,
shot the day before,
are prepared as a hunting trophy,
and the guest hunter heads home.
Gerhard R., August 13, 2011
Dear Mr. Scheffner,
I'd like to inform you
that I'm not interested
in the opportunity to voice my views.
On June 29, 1992,
Eudache Călderar and Grigore Velcu
are shot in a field
close to the German-Polish border.
Today, 20 years later,
they would be
citizens of the European Union.
We're now on the highway to Saragossa.
At the moment, we're living
between Saragossa and Madrid.
The EU is a source of income
for us and our families.
Without the EU, we'd probably be
in the same situation as before.
Before, we couldn't enter Europe legally.
Now it's possible and it's easier for us.
No question about it.
We're better off
because it's easier to find work here.
With good wages
compared to Romania.
Without our work here,
we wouldn't survive in Romania.
In Romania you receive
a monthly salary of about 120 euros.
How can one survive on 120 euros?
That isn't enough for a week.
Water, electricity,
the children's school fees, food.
It's simply not enough.
Life is very difficult in Romania.
And you can't find a job,
even for such low wages.
It's much better here
compared to Romania.
Here we get 4 to 5 euros an hour.
We come here
because we have no alternative.
We do so every year.
We usually come in summer,
for three months during the vacations.
We usually work during the vacations.
I want to be back home
on September 10th at the latest.
In Romania,
school begins on September 15th.
My children are with my family in Romania.
Look at Leonardo.
That's a beautiful photo.
Here, look at this.
That's the photo. I remember.
My cousin took the photo back then.
The photo with all of us?
Yes, this one.
True, here we're all together.
Personally,
I can now picture him exactly.
Maybe we'd be in Germany now.
Maybe we'd all be together now.
Maybe our father would be alive
and we'd be in Germany together.
Definitely some place
where we'd be better off than now.
Do you understand?
Like all parents, he wanted
his family to be in a better place.
For a better future.
That's what he wanted for us.
It's obvious,
as he was on his way back to us
when this incident occurred.
Ever since all that happened in Germany,
I've dreamt of him very often.
For years I had the same dream.
In the dream, he appeared
from nowhere and said:
"That was not me."
Meaning, it wasn't him but someone else.
I dreamt this for years.
The same dream, the same words.
"That was not me."
The days are passing
and we think about how we used to live.
And how we live today.
We can't talk about it much
because we don't have any good memories.
If we had
at least one lasting memory of him.
We'd have at least this memory
when we miss him.
But we don't have any memories.
We have photos.
Subtitling by SUBS Hamburg
June 29, 1992
Two farmers discover
something lying in a cornfield.
On closer inspection,
they see it's two human bodies.
They drive off to the village
to fetch help.
Behind them the field is in flames.
This is how I would start:
There was a very happy family.
A family of us five children
and our parents.
He was the only one
in the family who worked.
First he worked from FRIM, in tailoring.
Then he was a truck driver.
He had a good salary.
We lived well.
Then we went abroad.
After the revolution,
we went to Germany.
It was impossible to live
in Romania at that time.
Money had no value anymore.
It wasn't even enough for food.
After about a year,
I don't remember exactly,
I was very young,
my father decided to go abroad.
To survive.
So we went to Germany.
There's not much more I can say.
My father's mother
is buried in Germany.
It would be better
if each of us speaks separately.
Let's stop here.
Let's stop recording.
Each of us
should speak for himself.
Yes, that would be better.
You, as director, know how it works.
Let's speak individually.
Each has his own story,
what he felt at the time.
I don't know if I remember everything.
Something nice about my life?
It was a nice life with him.
Of course it was nice.
He was a good man.
He worked and provided for us.
I went to the spas with him.
He took me there to recuperate.
We went on excursions.
Here in Romania, not there.
We did a lot together:
excursions, weddings.
It was lovely.
He loved me and I loved him.
I never wanted to talk about it,
certainly not in a film.
I never wanted to talk about it.
I can't even express myself properly.
I couldn't speak
to anyone about it.
It's special for me
to talk to you about that tragedy.
The children are grown up
and scattered over the world.
Until now, I didn't know
that no one went to prison back then.
It was a very difficult life.
It took me almost five years
to step outside again.
Everyone knows I led a double life.
What do you mean by "double life"?
A double life:
as a woman and as a man.
To raise the children.
That's what I meant with "double life".
You have to look after everything:
that the children don't run off,
get into trouble or steal something.
At night I was worried
when they hadn't returned home.
There was no man
to go looking for them.
I raised them well, alone.
Do you know what it means
to raise them alone?
So a double life,
as a man and woman.
I wanted to tell you that.
Which photo with your husband
do you like best?
Which one I like best?
This one with the frame.
And this one here.
We were wedding witnesses.
This is in Germany.
Where in Germany?
In Gelbensande.
Where we lived.
This is our parents' wedding.
This is my grandmother.
My father's mother.
She died in Germany
and is buried in Gelbensande.
This is our father at the age of 16.
It was taken in 1972.
Here is the date.
This photo is important.
It's at the sports club.
In Gelbensande.
It was my older sister's birthday.
At the sports club in Gelbensande.
In Germany.
This photo is very special.
Is that you in the photo?
Yes, they brought it with them.
Look, that's unbelievable.
On my birthday,
we always had the biggest celebrations.
Which always annoyed the others.
Colorado still says
I was pampered the most.
Not so much with words
but with such gestures.
I received the most attention.
I've never seen this photo.
I don't know where he found it.
How old did you turn?
I don't know exactly.
I guess it was my 14th birthday.
It was the last time I was with him.
A few months later...
Can you see it?
Yes.
This is my father.
Leonardo, who's at home.
That's me.
My sister, who lives in America.
My mother and Colorado.
Colorado looked different then.
Yes, he was still little.
Do you remember the last time
you saw your father?
Of course.
I remember the last time I saw him
was in Gelbensande.
Before he drove off.
At the housing block.
He told us
that he was going to Romania
and would return soon.
That we should behave ourselves
so he'd find us
safe and sound on his return.
We weren't to do anything stupid.
We were children.
Pranks, mischief that kids get up to.
He left for Romania
and never returned to us.
Never again.
It was meant to be.
The film begins
with the end of a story.
A story with many beginnings.
For me it begins
with a radio traffic report.
In Germany in 1992,
two years after reunification.
"Due to a fire
on the Berlin-Szczecin autobahn,
the German-Polish border crossing
is temporarily closed.
Traffic is held up for 3 km."
For a family from the city Craiova,
the story begins much earlier:
In 1989 in Romania,
shortly after the revolution.
For another family from Alba Iulia,
the story begins in 1991.
In Romania, with photos from Germany.
Does it start?
There he's still alive.
It's in Germany.
In Frankfurt or in Stuttgart.
I can't tell you exactly.
When he was still working.
November 1991.
Here you see him dead.
First show the photos,
where he was still alive.
The photos with the family.
Where was it taken?
Also in Germany.
With my older son.
Yes, a very handsome man.
Ramona is like he.
With my older son Alin.
Where is this?
- At home.
Where you used to live?
In the Strada Orizontului?
- Yes, Orizontului.
With Alin?
- Yes, with Alin.
He spent about 11 months in Germany.
He got a job
in a window frame factory.
He sent money home.
The children were young
and needed a lot.
We managed well.
He left home
as one earned better there.
I wanted a better life
for my children,
like all parents
wish for their children.
After his vacation at home,
he returned to work.
He was sure all would go well.
I waited for his call,
that he'd arrived safely.
The call came,
but I was told, he's dead.
Why? I don't know.
It all happened so quickly.
It's not bad, is it?
The recording would be better
if we remembered more.
That's how it was.
There's nothing to add.
That's how it was.
Do you remember
what he took with him?
A small black bag.
About this big.
He had clothes in it.
He wore a golden watch.
He'd worked for this watch.
He'd bought it for Alin.
That's all.
You've got us thinking.
What will happen with this film?
What will we do next?
They'll explain it to us.
I'd like to ask him something.
Is he done?
He only just started.
One more question, OK.
That he was shot.
Killed, shot. Just that.
By whom and how, we didn't know.
We never knew exactly
what happened.
We got a call,
he was shot in the head.
We knew nothing else.
That's why we're shocked
that someone arrives after 20 years
and wants to make a film.
Can we start?
Yes, let's start.
Who sent him to Otopeni airport?
Not who sent him...
- But it's the beginning.
No, It's almost the end.
Of course it's the beginning.
Who found him on the field?
How did one know what happened?
Where was he found?
Nadrensee, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania,
June 26, 2011
The farmer Markhoff.
The detective superintendents
Kusturin and Müller.
The former mayor Mandelkow.
The firemen Böttcher and Grossjohann.
The farmers Bergemann and Schupke.
We came from that direction.
We got out of the combine harvester.
And then...
...they were lying there.
Up there,
where the maize is just half grown.
That's where it could've been.
We returned to the combine harvester
and wanted to fetch help.
We turned around and saw the fire.
There was maize here then, right?
- No, winter barley.
Barley gets about this high.
It must've been in this area.
That's the patch.
- The ambulance was there.
What I saw?
One had been shot.
The other was gasping for breath.
He was breathing a little,
then it was over.
Did the police ever ask you about it?
No.
I never heard
that anyone was asked about it.
When we arrived,
this part of the field was burnt.
At about this lower level,
a little higher,
I could make out the two bodies.
Was the crime scene closed off?
No, I didn't see any barriers.
There was
no crime scene investigation as such.
The bodies were covered up
and all was charred black.
The next day the field was ploughed.
On Friday
two policemen came from Greifswald.
But once the field is ploughed,
what evidence can you find?
Is that correct?
I think so.
They were lying in this area here.
Somewhere in this area,
within shooting distance of the road.
I also remember
there was a combine harvester.
The question was: What caused the fire?
A combine?
No, there was none here.
But that caused the fire.
- No, nonsense.
You told me
the combine caused the fire.
Yes, that's how it was.
- He says no.
That's irrefutable.
But then, why weren't we informed?
That I don't know.
It's irrefutable?
He also said
it was his combine that caused the fire.
No, I never said that.
That it was possible, that's what I said.
But it was never proven.
I spoke to you up there...
You didn't speak to us.
I spoke to you at the crossroads.
We saw them lying there
and wanted to get help.
There were no cell phones then.
When we turned around,
we could see the smoke.
According to statistics
from the NGO "Fortress Europe",
at least 14,687 people
were reported in the press
to have died along the European border
between 1998 and August 2009.
On the two deaths from Nadrensee,
the German press agency dpa
reports on July 1, 1992
that it was probably a hunting accident.
A different beginning to the story.
Around 3 a.m.,
three hunters set out on a hunt.
One is a former policeman.
He knows his territory.
The other two
are here for the first time.
They're from the Frankfurt am Main area
and have booked a hunting trip.
HUNTING IN GERMANY
At noon, they take the opportunity
to visit nearby Poland.
Around 7 p.m., they're back.
One of them shoots a roebuck.
A reason to celebrate after dark.
They agree to meet the next morning.
One last hunt
before they return to Frankfurt.
On June 29, 1992,
between 3 and 4 a.m.,
the hunters take the road
connecting Nadrensee and Rosow.
At a barley field,
they get out of the car
and look eastward
through their binoculars.
A week later,
the newspaper Nordkurier reports
on a mix-up by two hunters:
they mistook two illegal immigrants
for wild boar.
...41, 42, 43...
...69, 70, 71, 72.
Tell me.
Zoom in.
Stop.
A little to the left.
No, to the center.
A bit higher.
Zoom in further?
Yes, zoom in a bit.
No, zoom out again.
A little more...
Through the binoculars,
I see the trees.
Yes, exactly.
And the lower leaves are cut off.
The upper tips are cut off.
That's about right.
Now it's completely centered.
Leave it and check.
Compare it yourself.
Yes, it's OK.
It matches the image perfectly.
In the center, there's the pole
with a diameter of 2.5 cm.
Exactly 72 meters
from where it was observed,
with binoculars.
I'd probably begin
with the initial knowledge
that this situation had occurred
at the national border.
Shall we listen to it?
Chief Superintendent Uwe Brandt,
police department Anklam,
September 12, 2011
On June 29, 1992,
we were informed that two male bodies
had been found in a cornfield
close to Nadrensee.
The German-Polish border
is at close proximity.
The discovery of bullet parts
pointed to the use
of a large-caliber weapon in the crime.
That made us assume the fatal injuries
must've been caused by a hunting weapon.
There was information
that hunter Heinz K.
was responsible for this area.
He was there with two guest hunters
on the night from the 28th to the 29th
to hunt wild boar.
As they stood there,
they noticed movements in the cornfield.
By their own account, also black dots.
Without further assuring themselves
of the situation,
that is
without really identifying the animal,
Heinz K. and one of the guest hunters
instantly fired.
When a group of people
sprang up with raised hands,
they fled the crime scene.
Yes, we had a hunter,
he was a former policeman.
That's how I would begin.
Norma Pahl,
head of Special Services Public Safety,
Pasewalk district office,
June 28, 2011
There were border crossings
every night.
Back then, I was also in charge
of the immigration office.
Some hunters learnt
of this refugee situation
and therefore decided:
"I can't reconcile it
with my safety or hunting behavior.
I'm no longer going to hunt
in this situation."
Well, the Federal Border Police
couldn't catch everyone.
Also, one had to reckon with officers
crawling through the bushes.
Yes.
I'd start the story with:
There are things in life
that you believe don't exist,
but they do.
A short introduction...
Ferdinand Wehage, lawyer,
Oldenburg, October 6, 2011
From what position
are you speaking to us now?
I am talking to you
as Mr. Katzor's former lawyer.
I spoke to Mr. Katzor
you contacted him.
But he's in very poor health.
He's had numerous heart attacks.
He therefore requested me
to take on his role
and say a few words
about the events back then.
You mentioned Katzor by name.
Can we use it in the film?
You can mention his name,
no problem.
Did Mr. Katzor know that refugees
often crossed the field at night?
Mr. Katzor was certainly aware
that people led by human traffickers
were crossing the border in those days.
That was certainly known
in the entire area.
As far I know, he informed
the border police from time to time
that illegal border crossings
were going on there.
But there were also hunters who said
that's why they stopped hunting at night.
That I don't know.
Shall we listen to it first?
OK?
- Yes.
Statistics
from the Border Patrol Frankfurt/Oder
report
that 612 so-called "unauthorized entrants"
were arrested in the Nadrensee area
in June 1992.
A week after the shootings
in the barley field,
the newspaper Ostseezeitung reports
that the dead men
were Polish human traffickers.
Their names are not mentioned.
On June 29, 1992, two people are shot
in a field
close to the German-Polish border.
Around 3 p.m., at the crime scene,
the police find, amongst others,
a notebook with two photos,
a watch, a leather bag,
and a passport
issued in the name of Eudache Călderar
with the address
Strada Orizontului No. 2
in the city of Alba Iulia, Romania.
I think a film about Eudache Călderar
would begin
with the moment he was shot.
At the moment the tragedy began.
Family Lodroman, Strada Orizontului No. 2,
Alba Iulia, July 5, 2011
I knew Eudache since my youth.
Later we were colleagues
at the machine factory in Alba Iulia.
He got the apartment opposite ours.
He had five children.
We had a really good relationship
as neighbors.
Then we heard he'd disappeared.
His wife was left with five children.
She couldn't pay the rent
and support the family anymore.
Later I heard she'd moved
to the "Tigani", the gypsy area.
Industrial zone, you should've said.
"Tigani" area!
- No, industrial zone!
"Tigani" area,
that's what everyone calls it.
That's what it used to be called.
How did you learn about his death?
Everyone knew he was dead.
Mia told us about it.
It was three weeks
since she'd heard from Eudache.
She felt something had happened to him.
Then she found out and said:
"Eudache is dead."
She only said
he was shot, nothing else.
Has he started filming already?
What do you think
he's been doing the whole time?
No idea, is he filming?
- Of course.
I didn't know.
Can't you be quiet for a moment?
If you want to add anything,
just stop the recording.
Family Călderar,
Alba Iulia, July 6, 2011
If I... No.
She's not a good actress.
I'm not a good actress.
If I were to talk about my husband,
this is how I'd begin:
He was a good man.
I'm very glad I have these children.
They're the joy of my life.
I have very good children.
I'm very sad about what happened to him.
She feels intimidated talking about him.
That's how it is, what can I do?
He worked in the factory
since he was 17 years old.
He took his life into his own hands.
We were very young when we met.
I was 16, he was 18 years old.
I was very happy with him.
Then the disaster began.
So young and alone with five children,
that wasn't easy.
Young or not,
you ended up on the street.
Raising the children alone,
providing for them,
school and all that, that wasn't easy.
For a long time,
I had no roof over my head.
Thinking about it makes me cry.
I don't feel sorry for myself,
but I think back to my life
and how I raised the children.
On June 29, 1992,
Eudache Călderar is shot in a field
close to the German-Polish border.
The second body is identified by relatives
who lived at the refugee center
in Gelbensande near Rostock.
His name is Grigore Velcu,
called Parizan,
from the city of Craiova in Romania.
A film would begin
with something beautiful,
with a wonderful family.
Unfortunately, as in many films,
the happiness in this family
ends with a tragic event.
Romeo Tiberiade,
Officer for Roma Affairs,
Dolj district council,
Craiova, July 11, 2011
Can you tell us:
Who was Grigore Velcu?
Grigore Velcu was an important figure
in our community in Craiova.
He was a person
who commanded attention.
He brought peace to our community,
particularly in case of familial disputes.
He was kind of a judge in our community.
I knew him personally
as we both lived
in the same community.
We were good friends
although there was
an age gap between us.
Even I received help
from this Romanian citizen
of Roma ethnicity.
Back then,
when I needed help with a job.
He helped those who looked for a job
or a place in society.
Family Velcu,
Craiova, July 10, 2011
Did your mother tell you
what happened in the field?
Our mother wasn't able to.
We were the ones who reassured her.
On the first few days,
she fainted 20 times.
At least 20 or 30 times.
She would come to
and lose consciousness again.
People sprinkled water on her face
to make her come to.
She was in shock
because of what she'd learnt.
No, we never spoke to our mother about it.
We supported our mother,
although we were so young.
I don't want to speak
about what happened in the field.
I repeat: Under no circumstances
do I want to talk about it.
It's very, very painful.
Believe me, I can't go into details.
How and what happened?
What happened afterwards?
I don't ever want to talk about it.
I can't do it.
I don't have the strength.
That's why I avoid it.
Please understand, I can't do it.
I won't talk about it.
On June 29, 1992,
a farmer finds two bodies in a field
close to the German-Polish border.
As he tries to call for help,
the field goes up in flames.
I know this incident.
It's true.
However, we know the course of events
before the farmer entered the scene.
Vasile Nazdravan, chronologist,
Craiova, July 9, 2011
Written texts, sound recordings,
videos and oral narrations.
These are the four guidelines.
I worked with these cameras
during the 90s.
Did you film on the Grigore Velcu case?
I couldn't film on the case...
If I look through the archive
from the year 1992,
I may find some material or notes.
One couldn't film then.
There were restrictions.
By the police and in the hospital.
I may have recordings with the family.
If I go through my archive,
I'll find something.
People here know Grigore Velcu
by the name of "Parizan".
Here are my diaries.
Meanwhile I have so many of them.
We can take any one of them
and browse through it.
"They left Poland at midnight
and arrived in Germany
at the arranged place at 3.30 a.m.
They were meant to be picked up.
By Danut and Edmond.
150 meters from the autobahn,
they notice that a car stops."
Now the story begins.
You can take a look to convince yourself.
These are all notes from 1992.
Fildesan was there.
He should know a lot.
I've spoken to him.
He wanted to think about
what might be of interest you.
But he's a bit reserved.
We should go somewhere
where we can be alone.
No one knows, no one talks about it.
A quieter place to do the interview.
Let's go.
One moment please.
This is not my apartment,
I don't live here.
My housing situation is critical.
Many children and grandchildren.
This is my cousin's apartment.
Iamandita Gogu, called Fildesan,
Craiova, July 9, 2011
Back then, one crossed the border
to Germany secretly.
There was a hotel in Poland.
Behind this hotel, there was a spot
where you could cross the border secretly.
One had to walk several kilometers
to get there.
My colleague and I,
my friend Parizan,
with about 20 other people,
arrived at this hotel.
From behind the hotel,
we walked about one kilometer
until we reached the railway line.
There were cornfields
next to the train tracks.
Very big and very many cornfields.
I made notes so I can concentrate better.
I've spoken to him before.
He already interviewed me briefly.
Sometime last year.
Last year in September.
Yes, exactly. Can I continue?
You were at the cornfield.
Arriving at this cornfield, someone said:
"Parizan, it's not good
to cross the border tonight."
That was the night
from Sunday to Monday.
"It's not good
to cross the border tonight."
"You should go across tomorrow."
Parizan replied:
"No, it must be tonight.
My wife's waiting for me."
One of the men who was to take us across
suddenly said: "Lie down!"
Everyone lay down.
I also lay down.
But my friend Parizan kneeled.
Do you understand?
He squatted like this,
with his hand on my shoulder.
I lay on the ground in the cornfield.
He said: "I'm going to see
what the guide is doing
and what's going on there."
He walked about ten meters.
From a distance of ten meters,
I heard shots.
The shots were loud. About six or seven.
On hearing the first two shots,
all of us stood up.
We were terrified.
We thought we're going to die.
We stood up and screamed:
"Don't shoot! Don't shoot!"
At that moment,
I looked towards the road
at the end of the field.
And I saw a police car there.
In fact,
I saw a scoped rifle on the hood.
That's what I said in my statement, too.
Shots were fired.
At that moment...
To be honest, I often said:
"Please leave me alone now."
There were times I was confused.
I wanted to tell the truth,
every single detail.
But it isn't always possible.
So I said:
"Leave me be, I have a headache."
When I remember everything...
I'm being quite honest,
we can speak openly...
When I remember everything,
I get headaches.
When I think about what I experienced,
I get horrible headaches.
I kneeled down next to Parizan,
and cried.
On a huge cornfield
alone with two dead people.
Just imagine!
Was it easy for me?
No, it wasn't easy.
Fear struck my limbs.
You could see
how his head was cut like a melon.
The shot was that powerful.
Not his leg or hand was struck,
but his head.
It was terrible to see the other man,
how he bled to death,
only a few meters away from us.
To see how the blood spurted out of him.
There were moments when I didn't want
to narrate the story to the end.
So I said:
"Leave me be, I have a headache."
I couldn't complete the story.
As long as I live, I'll never complete it.
Let's listen to the last part.
When we screamed, "Don't shoot!"
the police car disappeared.
Shortly thereafter,
the cars came to fetch us.
We couldn't take the two men with us.
One would've said that we'd killed them.
Around 15 people got into one car.
About 12 in the other.
We drove along the country road.
It was a gravel road.
Then we were on the autobahn
and drove a few kilometers.
I'll go back a step again.
The crime took place at 3.45 a.m.
In consultation with an astronomer,
the visibility on June 29, 1992
can be tracked 19 years later
on July 28, 2011
The time difference
between 2011 and 1992 is 35 minutes.
It's 3.56 a.m.
If you take a close-up,
is it comparable?
No.
The binoculars have
a certain night effect,
so the eye sees more
than it would without them.
Can you try to match it
with the shutter somehow?
Yes, I'll try.
Do you see that?
That's identical, I'd say.
That matches the eye impression perfectly.
16 minutes later. 3.37 a.m.
3 minutes later. 3.40 a.m.
Now I can read this note
without a flashlight.
6 minutes later. 3.46 a.m.
The field looks similar
to the camera image now.
Give me the binoculars.
Do you still have the focal length?
Yes, it's equivalent to 64 mm.
3 minutes later. 3.49 a.m.
When I look at the meadow...
- You can already see quite a lot.
Look at the meadow behind you.
Yes, oh my God,
that's completely different.
We should film that.
- In the other direction?
Yes, as a comparison.
- I'll do that.
I'm turning the camera to the other side.
It's still darker
than the cornfield behind it.
Does it match the camera image?
In terms of lighting,
it's the same through the binoculars.
2 minutes later. 3.51 a.m.
Should we set a marker
to synchronize the sound?
Yes, I'll do that.
The brightness matches
what one sees
with the eye and the binoculars.
On June 29, 1992 at around 5 a.m.,
Iamandita Gogu, called Fildesan,
and around 20 other refugees are arrested
in a traffic check in Neubrandenburg.
On the same morning, the 20 eyewitnesses
are accused of illegal entry
and unauthorized residence
in the Federal Republic of Germany.
Although they immediately report
the shootings to the police,
it takes the police about eight hours
to arrive at the scene of the crime.
By then, the field is in flames
and Eudache Călderar and Grigore Velcu
can only be recovered dead.
In 1990, after the revolution,
my entire family,
like other Romanians and Roma,
fled to western Europe.
We chose Germany.
I remember that morning.
Not just me
but all the Roma who were in Germany then
got the sad news about the Velcu family.
I remember that everyone gathered
in the housing block
where the Velcu family lived.
In Gelbensande?
- Yes, in Gelbensande.
There was
a great commotion and confusion.
Nobody knew anything
except that Grigore Velcu had been shot
at the border.
We knew neither how
nor by whom he'd been shot.
No one knew anything.
I remember
when you came from Rostock,
it's 20 years ago,
you'd drive through a forest
on a tarmac road.
On the right,
there was a station and railway tracks.
A small path on the left
led to the village.
As far as I remember,
it was a white building.
On the edge of the village.
For us, it was lovely in Germany.
Really lovely, also in Gelbensande.
Although the building and the landscape
weren't really that lovely.
We spent about a year there.
We'd gotten used to it.
It didn't feel foreign anymore.
We might've happily lived there forever.
When you left the building,
there was a forest on the left.
I also remember
there was a cemetery close by.
Our grandmother
is buried in this cemetery.
Our father's mother.
Siminica Ecaterina was her name.
She's buried there. In Gelbensande.
Günther Joneit, pastor,
Gelbensande, September 9, 2011
We're now standing by the grave
but we can't see anything.
I thought about it just now, too.
I come to this corner of the cemetery
from time to time.
The relatives set up the gravesite.
They laid bricks around the grave,
which came from the asylum center.
And then one day
the gravesite was vandalized.
The bricks had been ripped apart
and the cross pulled out.
It was trampled on.
And then the church windows
were smashed with these bricks.
I can't say if this reflected
the rejection of the entire village
or just one or two persons
wanting to make a statement.
And one day this cross
was actually thrown into the garbage.
The garbage heap
of the cemetery, over there.
Then I said to myself:
"You must do something."
"You must rescue at least this memento."
I pulled it out of the garbage
and took it to our church.
And I kept it there safely.
This is the cross. It's made of larch.
It stood there and was destroyed,
as you can see in this photo.
It was pulled out, thrown to the ground.
This happened several times.
I've recorded this here.
It became part of the church register?
Yes, exactly,
it became part of the church chronicle.
I don't know, should I read from it?
"An assumption becomes the bitter truth.
The son of the deceased,
also an asylum seeker in Gelbensande,
is found dead in a cornfield
close to Greifswald.
Allegedly,
the victim of a hunting accident."
The last time I saw him,
he was leaving for Romania.
My father wanted to get the documents
to transport his mother home.
I remember how furious he was.
He wanted to take her body to Romania.
He bought a big car,
I can't remember what kind.
He told us:
"Stay here and wait for me.
I will return in two or three weeks."
He got into the car.
We stayed there. End of story.
In April 1992,
the grave of Ecaterina Siminica
in Gelbensande close to Rostock
is vandalized.
A month later, her son Grigore Velcu
drives to Craiova to get documents
to transport his mother's body to Romania.
On June 29, 1992, on his way
back to his family in Gelbensande,
he is shot in a field close to the border.
On July 1, 1992,
the body of Grigore Velcu
is identified
in the Greifswald pathology.
On the same day,
hunter Heinz Katzor is arrested.
On July 2,
guest hunter Gerhard R. is arrested.
Four days later, on July 6, 1992,
the bodies
of Grigore Velcu and Eudache Călderar
are transported
from Berlin TEGEL to Bucharest Otopeni.
When he was transported home,
he had nothing on him.
He was stark naked in a wooden box with...
...with zinc.
Like a tin, you know?
We opened the coffin.
We weren't actually allowed to open it.
You can mention that.
I'm not afraid anymore.
I went to the public prosecutor here.
You couldn't look into the coffin
but I wanted to know who I was burying.
They told me
I had five minutes at the gravesite
to look into the coffin.
But I didn't do that.
I opened the coffin
in the morning in my own apartment.
It was risky.
I wanted to know who was in it.
One couldn't recognize him.
He was naked and full of worms.
One couldn't be sure it was him.
Let me show you the photo so they see it.
How did you recognize him then?
By his teeth and facial features.
Look, that's how he arrived.
You can see it better here.
- One should make a distinction
between how he left us
and how he was brought back.
Without an explanation.
We want everyone to see how we suffered.
When I saw it, I fainted.
When we were older, we saw the photos.
I showed them the photos
when they were older.
She'd hidden them.
One day we found them.
We didn't see the photos
when we were children.
I didn't show them, so they don't suffer.
I only showed them these photos.
Did you find the photos?
They knew about the photos
and found them one day.
I didn't want them to see the photos.
I was afraid they'd suffer.
Him in particular, as he's the eldest.
See how many people were at his funeral.
They came from all over
to say goodbye to him.
He was an honest man.
That's why we wonder: What happened?
In 1991, Eudache Călderar is working
for window producer TREEFZ in Wüstenrot.
His pay slip
from September to November lists
these deductions from his gross earnings:
about DM 803 income tax,
DM 64 church tax,
DM 381 health insurance,
DM 539 pension fund,
DM 207 unemployment insurance
and solidarity tax of DM 60.
On June 29, 1992,
Eudache Călderar travels
back to Wüstenrot from Alba Iulia
and is shot in a field
close to the border.
On July 15, 1992,
on his 31st birthday,
he is buried in Alba Iulia.
One day earlier, in Germany,
Gerhard R.'s arrest warrant is revoked.
He was in prison for one day.
Five days later,
Heinz Katzor's arrest warrant is revoked.
He was in prison for four days.
At this time, the Romanian eyewitnesses
to the Nadrensee shooting are
at the central refugee center
in Rostock-Lichtenhagen.
The facility is overcrowded.
Refugees have to wait outdoors
for many days
for their applications to be processed.
On August 22, at about 6 p.m.,
a group of around 300 neo-Nazis
and residents try to storm
the central refugee center.
I first need to orient myself a bit.
It all looked quite different here.
Over there, all that was a meadow.
Jürgen Siegmann, photographer,
Rostock-Lichtenhagen, June 27, 2011
I arrived on Sunday evening.
It was the second night
of demonstrations or riots
in front of the central refugee center.
When I arrived,
this street was full of stones already.
As a photographer,
you hardly dared to leave this area.
It was totally weird,
also since you hardly slept.
When you're in the midst of it,
you don't know where it's headed.
Then it really started.
They smashed the windows.
At some point,
they even threw Molotov cocktails.
On Monday evening,
it reached a point
where the police simply withdrew.
A proper mob was approaching,
extremely aggressive and dangerous,
and many residents, who were having
a great time, were egging them on.
By then,
the police had completely disappeared.
Without my camera, I wouldn't have endured
this for half an hour.
You also took this photo
of the evacuation.
Yes, but I can't remember exactly.
Suddenly buses drove up.
I think the buses were
back there somewhere.
This photo here had a certain irony
that I guess
the people in the photo didn't understand.
They had a bag with the slogan:
"Now you can pack up."
This was actually meant to be
a funny marketing slogan
but of course
it fit the situation perfectly.
Do you recognize yourself?
Yes.
Look, that's you.
- That's me?
That's you. Do you see it?
Yes, of course.
On this photo, you can see my wife
and my older daughter Arabella.
That's her.
The second child is Ahmed.
He was born in Rostock in 1991.
That's him.
See how desperately
my wife is holding on to him?
That was when the refugee camp
in Rostock was set on fire.
We saw the fire in the camp
and tried to escape the flames.
These people threw Molotov cocktails
and no one arrested them.
No one arrested them.
It seemed like it was well planned.
Even today I can't understand
how it could've been so simple
to break into a government building
and set fire to a refugee center.
The police came after some time
and could calm down the masses a bit.
There was a park
in front of the building.
We were taken there
after we'd managed to escape.
I'd like to add
something very significant:
It wasn't an isolated case.
There was
a chain of such incidents at that time.
The criminal gangs or Nazis,
even today, I don't know who they were
and if they were paid
or recruited by someone.
If they caught one of us,
he was beaten up.
In Gelbensande or elsewhere.
Like many Roma families,
I thought about leaving.
Especially after the incident
with Grigore Velcu.
One month after the pogrom
of Rostock-Lichtenhagen,
Germany and Romania sign
a readmission agreement.
In 1993 alone,
27,000 Romanian citizens are deported.
Tens of thousands "voluntarily"
leave Germany to avoid deportation
and the accompanying five-year ban
from entering Europe.
On May 26, 1993,
the German parliament
adopts an amendment to the asylum law.
An individual's right to asylum
is factually abolished.
On July 30, 1993, Paul Mihai,
a witness to the Nadrensee shooting
is deported to Romania.
On October 5, 1993, Ion Bica,
a witness to the Nadrensee shooting
is deported to Romania.
On May 11, 1994, two years
after the fatal shooting at Nadrensee,
the public prosecutor's office
in Stralsund prepares a charge
against three hunters
for involuntary manslaughter
with attempted murder
and failure to render assistance.
"July 12,1995,
recordings of the death of Parizan.
From ZDF on cassettes 37 and 38."
Let's see if I can find them.
This is it.
Did you see how I found it?
It took the public prosecutor's office
in Stralsund two years
and three expert reports
to arraign two hunters
on the attempted murder.
In January 1995, the regional court
in Stralsund dismissed the charge
and opened no main proceedings.
The public prosecutor's office complains.
After three years,
is meant to shed light on the inquiry.
Mecklenburg-West Pomerania's
top prosecutor admits
to mishaps in the investigation.
The crime scene investigation
was said to be sloppy.
At the start,
inexperienced prosecutors were allocated,
expert reports were
"awaited for an absurd length of time".
We finished this piece
just in time for the broadcast.
Imagine a group of Sinti and Roma
had shot two Germans
and, three years later,
hadn't been brought to trial yet.
A reconstruction by Lutz Panhans.
It's as if it were just a week ago.
Lutz Panhans, TV journalist,
Berlin, September 6, 2011
In 1994, I asked them again
and they said they'd requested
an additional expert report.
Meaning the investigations
hadn't been completed yet.
I wanted to wait.
Before that it made little sense
to get hold of the investigation results.
And then, the inconceivable happened.
In 1995, I called the public prosecutor
in Stralsund and he said:
"We're shelving it now.
The public prosecutor in charge
is leaving,
so we're closing the case."
And that was the sign for me:
The story must be told now.
Or it will really disappear.
They really wanted to shelve it.
Case closed. End of story.
I can still picture it very well.
For me,
the story began with the autopsies.
Sorry, my phone's ringing.
I can't talk right now.
Bye.
Dr. Philipp, senior physician,
Institute for Forensic Medicine
Greifswald, September 12, 2011
So you were watching television
one evening?
Yes, in preparation
for the court proceedings.
To my surprise,
some people in that TV report
weren't mentioned in the police files.
They reported on observations
that one of the victims
might still have been alive.
Meaning that he still moved.
A paramedic also appeared, who said:
"We had one of them in our ambulance
and tried to resuscitate him."
One doesn't do that
if death had occurred hours ago.
I must of course say,
these were results
of journalistic inquiries
that were very important for us.
So I immediately called the judge
and asked if he'd seen the TV report
and that I'd really like to hear
these witnesses in the courtroom.
Because our statement
four years earlier
in the provisional autopsy report
stated the possibility
of one victim surviving for several hours.
Now we have witnesses who confirm this.
For me, the story begins
with the discovery of the bodies
and ends with the legally binding verdict.
Senior public prosecutor Ralf Lechte,
press officer
of the public prosecutor's office
Stralsund, June 29, 2011
Why did the case take so long
to get to trial?
The factual and legal questions
that arose were quite difficult.
We needed many expert reports.
During the autopsy,
a part of the bullet was found
in the head of one of the men killed.
The special thing was
that both were killed by one bullet.
Meaning that the bullet
went through one head
and got stuck in the head
of the second victim.
It was special ammunition that splits.
Meaning that we only found
one part of this bullet,
although we searched the crime scene
with metal detectors.
That was what we had.
From thereon, you had to find out:
Who shot this bullet with which weapon?
On September 16, 1996,
four years after the Nadrensee shooting,
the local court in Pasewalk
opens the main proceedings
against Heinz Katzor and Gerhard R.
on the charge of involuntary manslaughter.
The proceedings start at 9.10 a.m.
Around 10.15 a.m. the court declares
that the Romanian witnesses
are not accessible.
Their testimonies are read out.
Around 2.15 p.m. an optician states
that with the binoculars and riflescope
used by the hunters
a mix-up
between people and wild boar is unlikely.
Based on the official weather report
of the time,
she couldn't judge how dark it was
on the morning of June 29, 1992.
An inspection of the crime scene
by the court never took place.
At 2.40 p.m.
two police officers are questioned
on their perception of signs of life
from one of the bodies in the field.
One policeman saw something
but heard nothing.
The other heard something
but saw nothing.
None of the firemen who were
at the crime scene before the police
are ever questioned.
At 2.55 p.m. an expert of the regional
bureau of criminal investigation
of Saxony-Anhalt is questioned.
Since he only studied
the bullet part microscopically
and not its material composition,
it isn't possible
to make an accurate correlation
to the seized ammunition.
At 4.50 p.m.
the proceedings are recessed
subject to submission of a further report.
Three years later,
a new report is submitted.
In 1999, seven years
after the fatal shooting of Nadrensee,
the second court day begins
at the local court in Pasewalk.
Everything is still here.
All my notes from the court proceedings.
It was also about the chances of survival
of one of the victims
and the legal implications
of not assisting a person in danger.
This time, the material composition
of the bullet part had been tested.
As a result...
What have I written her?.
"The shots can't be clearly traced back
to accused 1 or 2."
Somehow the values
measured for this bullet part
matched neither the ammunition
of one of the accused
nor of the other.
And no third party had fired.
On October 20, 1999 at 4.00 p.m.,
Heinz Katzor and Gerhard R.
are acquitted.
The public prosecutor's office
appeals against this verdict.
Three years later,
a new hearing takes place
at the regional court in Neubrandenburg.
In the verdict of January 24, 2002,
the appeal is rejected as unfounded.
Based on the addresses you gave us
from the case files,
we contacted the families.
We found them very easily
through these addresses.
That required no big research effort.
It was very moving as neither
of the families knew of this trial.
Yes, but quite frankly,
they don't play any role in this trial.
We had a criminal case in Germany,
a homicide in Germany.
We had all the evidence here.
So we didn't need
the relatives in Romania for this trial.
Does Mr. Katzor know the names
of those killed?
He knows them from the case files.
And of course from the proceedings.
Does he know anything about these persons?
No.
Did he ever try
to contact their relatives?
No.
You know him, we don't.
Doesn't he see any reason for that?
I've never spoken to him about it.
The only thing we did back then
was to notify his liability insurance.
We had no reason to contact these people.
You notified the liability insurance?
Every hunter has liability insurance.
For bodily injury and material damage.
In this case, the insurance
would've also settled possible claims
for damages and maintenance.
If...?
If the families had lodged a claim.
That's how our legal system works.
I can only fulfill demands
if someone files a claim.
That is, seen from a legal perspective.
That might be difficult
for you to relate to.
It is difficult to relate to.
Legally or not.
Someone takes precautions,
informs his liability insurance...
One has to do that, otherwise...
So there would've been
a realistic chance for these families,
who didn't come from Romania
to Germany for no reason
and were in a particular situation,
to have received
some form of compensation.
So, had the families approached
the insurance company,
it would've come into play?
Had insurance claims been made,
they would've dealt with them.
Would that be possible even today?
If the insurance agrees to it, yes.
But generally there's a time limit.
When do they expire?
- After three years.
Three years, from when?
Meanwhile, the regulations have changed,
but back then,
it was from the day of the crime.
From the day of the crime
up to three years.
This means, if anyone had informed
the relatives at the time,
they would've had the chance...
...to assert their claims.
That's certainly correct.
Around 7 a.m. on June 29, 1992,
three hours
after the fatal shooting of Nadrensee,
Heinz Katzor
and the hunting guest Gerhard R.
meet to settle the costs
of the hunting trip.
The antlers of the roebuck,
shot the day before,
are prepared as a hunting trophy,
and the guest hunter heads home.
Gerhard R., August 13, 2011
Dear Mr. Scheffner,
I'd like to inform you
that I'm not interested
in the opportunity to voice my views.
On June 29, 1992,
Eudache Călderar and Grigore Velcu
are shot in a field
close to the German-Polish border.
Today, 20 years later,
they would be
citizens of the European Union.
We're now on the highway to Saragossa.
At the moment, we're living
between Saragossa and Madrid.
The EU is a source of income
for us and our families.
Without the EU, we'd probably be
in the same situation as before.
Before, we couldn't enter Europe legally.
Now it's possible and it's easier for us.
No question about it.
We're better off
because it's easier to find work here.
With good wages
compared to Romania.
Without our work here,
we wouldn't survive in Romania.
In Romania you receive
a monthly salary of about 120 euros.
How can one survive on 120 euros?
That isn't enough for a week.
Water, electricity,
the children's school fees, food.
It's simply not enough.
Life is very difficult in Romania.
And you can't find a job,
even for such low wages.
It's much better here
compared to Romania.
Here we get 4 to 5 euros an hour.
We come here
because we have no alternative.
We do so every year.
We usually come in summer,
for three months during the vacations.
We usually work during the vacations.
I want to be back home
on September 10th at the latest.
In Romania,
school begins on September 15th.
My children are with my family in Romania.
Look at Leonardo.
That's a beautiful photo.
Here, look at this.
That's the photo. I remember.
My cousin took the photo back then.
The photo with all of us?
Yes, this one.
True, here we're all together.
Personally,
I can now picture him exactly.
Maybe we'd be in Germany now.
Maybe we'd all be together now.
Maybe our father would be alive
and we'd be in Germany together.
Definitely some place
where we'd be better off than now.
Do you understand?
Like all parents, he wanted
his family to be in a better place.
For a better future.
That's what he wanted for us.
It's obvious,
as he was on his way back to us
when this incident occurred.
Ever since all that happened in Germany,
I've dreamt of him very often.
For years I had the same dream.
In the dream, he appeared
from nowhere and said:
"That was not me."
Meaning, it wasn't him but someone else.
I dreamt this for years.
The same dream, the same words.
"That was not me."
The days are passing
and we think about how we used to live.
And how we live today.
We can't talk about it much
because we don't have any good memories.
If we had
at least one lasting memory of him.
We'd have at least this memory
when we miss him.
But we don't have any memories.
We have photos.
Subtitling by SUBS Hamburg