— a purge. At the time it is called a personnel action, and the clerk who files it goes home at five und has their dinner. I had the herring.

Ve were not animals. Ve were a ministry. There was a form, the form had a number — 42-B, I can still see it — und if your name came up under the wrong heading the form went into the drawer with the other forms and that was the end of the conversation.

I did not read the names. I read the numbers. Reading the names was a different department, und, frankly, a promotion.

Zey wrote a carve-out into ours for the old veterans, which I thought at the time was sentimental. It came out later. I did not notice it come out. I was on leave. It was a very nice leave.

Now you have done it with a hiring freeze und a spreadsheet, which I admit is more elegant, und everybody is standing in the corridor asking where the revenue went. Ze revenue went where the auditors went. I could have told them that in 1934. Nobody asked me anything in 1934 either.

I was very good at my job. Twice I was commended. Once in writing.

— Klaus, who filed forms