March 19, 2014

Wednesday, March 19, 2014 NewsLeader A3

Infocus

OPINION page 6 | LETTERS page 7 | NEW WEST WINS page 9

Author inspired by tales from ‘the other side’ New Westminster doc pens novel about Eastern front based on father’s stories Grant Granger

ggranger@newwestnewsleader.com

Robert Hirzer didn’t know much about his father’s Second World War experiences fighting for “the other side.”

When he did find out, though, a novel was born.

“I just always thought that would make a great book,” says Hirzer of his father’s stories.

Karl Hirzer was an Austrian conscripted into the Nazi German army and trained as a mountain trooper. His unit was never used for that purpose, spending the war on the Eastern front.

He didn’t talk much about those years to young Robert. But in the last decade or so the stories started to tumble out of him.

Hirzer loves fiction.

He loves to read it. He loves to write it. The family physician and New Westminster resident has written many unpublished short stories.

“Sometimes in medicine there isn’t always an

opportunity for creativity,” says Hirzer.

His father’s recollections inspired Hirzer to write a novel based on the stories.

He calls The Last Plane a “fictionalized memoir” which he has self-published.

After the war, Karl Hirzer spent a couple of years in Soviet prisoner of war camps before moving to Canada. He settled in the heavily German Kitchener-Waterloo area of Ontario where Robert and his siblings grew up. Karl worked in construction and also made furniture, some of which Robert still has in his Queens Avenue home.

Most of Hollywood’s history of the Second World War focuses on the Allies and their exploits on the Western front.

Hirzer says they were hard to watch for his dad.

“My father would leave the room when those shows were on (TV) and not talk about those things,” recalls Hirzer. “My father was a good man.”

In his later years, Hirzer’s father talked of the hardships on the Eastern front. He spoke of harsh winters and cruel conditions.

“It was just a horrific conflict,” says Hirzer.

side,” says Hirzer. up.

Those anecdotes have Hirzer, 59, retired from evolved for Robert into a his Coquitlam practice last fictional yarn about a poor October but still fills in for family with five children in other doctors when needed.

Austria between the world But he doesn’t expect he’ll wars. be doing another novel The storyline intertwines anytime soon. with those of their “I much prefer the descendants in Canada and writing process to the elsewhere. Hirzer says it’s a marketing process,” says mix of historical romance, Hirzer. “I haven’t bet the adventure and mystery. farm on this, and haven’t “By making it fiction quit my day job. It’s just there are fun getting a few a story out advantages,” there you feel It was a story that just says Hirzer. wasn’t told on the other passionate “With about.” side. fiction you His sister can get into a character’s loves the book, and his spry head and create more of an 84-year-old mother keeps interest that way. It’s just “flogging it to her friends,” more readable.” says Hirzer.

Hirzer says he was Unfortunately, although also inspired by advice his father knew he New Westminster author was writing a book he Annabel Lyon gave during developed dementia and a talk. died in December at the age “She said write 200 of 92. words a day. If you follow The soft cover book is that rule you start to layer available at amazon.com things together bit by bit,” and at Renaissance Books says Hirzer. “It starts to on Sixth Street. Ebook pour out of you.” versions are also available Hirzer worked with at amazon.ca (Kindle) and an editor for six months kobobooks.com (Kobo). to strengthen his novel.

An official book launch is He decided to publish it at the New Westminster himself when two of the Public Library on Saturday, five publishing houses he April 12, 3 to 5 p.m. sent the book to went belly

CHOICEquotes

GRANT GRANGER/NEWSLEADER

Robert Hirzer, a retired family physician, has written a novel, The Last Plane, inspired by his father’s experiences as an Austrian conscripted into the German Army and fighting on the Eastern front during the Second World War. Karl Hirzer moved to Canada after the war and as a hobby made furniture, some of which Robert has in his New Westminster home including this box.

Karl told him about the Seige of Leningrad, which lasted 28 months. Hirzer says it was “terrible for both sides.”

“Not many returned to Austria. A lot of them

succumbed to starvation and disease,” says Hirzer.

Two of Karl’s brothers were not heard from.

“They just didn’t come back. It was a story that just wasn’t told on the other

Superintendent to meet NWSS PAC on April 10 ⫸

continued from FRONT PAGE

In January, the PAC called for the district to produce a projected budget by mid-February. They wanted the board to decide which programs would survive and which wouldn’t so parents could plan for the next school year.

Bruyneel said it’s already too late for some parents to switch

school districts. He noted, for example, deadlines for International Baccalaureate in others districts have passed.

The district said in January it couldn’t draw up a budget until the province determines its funding. But Bruyneel said they should have been able to come up with a good estimate.

Bruyneel said he met with

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new district superintendent John Gaiptman at the end of February shortly after he took charge.

Gaiptman has agreed to come to a NWSS PAC meeting to talk about what’s going on but won’t be available to do so until April 10.

“I’m really hoping he can come and shed some light on the high school situation,” said Bruyneel.

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In January, the NWSS PAC called for the district’s trustees to resign and for the provincial government to take over. It also wanted a meeting with Education Minister Peter Fassbender.

None of those requests have materialized.

“We’re disappointed with that.

To look at it realistically, we know that PACs don’t have any power.

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Passing resolutions are symbolic,” said Bruyneel.

The preliminary budget will be presented at the board’s April 1 meeting. There will be public discussions about the budget at the NWSS library on April 9 and 16 (7 p.m.).

Trustees will discuss it further on April 22 with a final decision expected April 29.

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