A NIGHT IN THE CASTLE

October 1945: Allies enter into Germany by crossing the Rhine River; soldiers occupy Furstenau castle immediately after the Germans leave the area.

From a vantage point in the forested area, German soldiers heard the shots of the GI’s and knew that their location was compromised. Since the war had already been officially declared over, the Germans quickly moved further into Germany hoping to escape any more direct confrontation with the Allied forces.

With only a few casualties, the Americans claimed the victory. It was only a short distance to the castle that loomed ahead in the distance. It would be a safe place to spend the night. It was a simple yet elaborate castle but it provided shelter. Soldiers looked at the ransacked interior and found some interesting items to keep. A couple of Nazi knives, some German music taken off the piano stand, and a German rifle left behind in haste were just some of the spoils of war. An old picture of the castle hung over the fireplace and words in German indicated that it was the castle of Baron Von Fursteneau. Every man found something to claim and keep. But with all the spoils that were confiscated that evening nothing anything that was taken that night paled in comparison to the victory that the Americans achieved.