Hungarian Driver (Zigeuner)

A Hungarian veteran of World War I was a driver in a German-Hungarian convoy to round up a village of Zigeuner three kilometers south of Nagylengyel. The leader of the convoy, Haupsturmführer Joseph Stieglitz met with the Zigeuner chieftain, who only answered in the Zigeuner's native language, or in Hungarian, professing to have no German. Stieglitz approached the veteran driver as he could see the driver was likely old enough to have served in the previous war. The Hungarian admitted to speaking "military German", but then allowed he knew more, even suggesting that Adolf Hitler's division had served on his division's left. The driver agreed to translate for Stieglitz.

Through the Hungarian, Stieglitz explained to the chieftain the village would be taken to Zalaegerszeg. When the chieftain asked for more details, Stieglitz informed him that the village would be then sent by train to Poland, where they would be housed and fed. When the chieftain protested that the villagers preferred to stay where they were, Stieglitz informed him that the village had to be moved as a military necessity. When the chieftain again protested, assuring Stieglitz they would not help the Red Army or steal from the Germans, Stieglitz informed them they would move; he would do it peacefully if possible, but he would move them. Realizing the impossibility of their situation, the chieftain agreed, telling Stieglitz he was relying on Stieglitz's honor as a German officer that everything would work out as he'd promised. Stieglitz falsely agreed. The villagers gathered what they could carry and loaded on the truck, and the convoy returned to Zalaegerszeg.