Drogobych. After the entry of the Russian troops into Galicia and the initial defeats of the Austro-Hungarian army on the eastern front, Bruno Schulz, together with his sister and nephew, leaves Drogobych.
For a month now, Galicia has been the scene of bloody clashes between Russia and the armies of the Central Powers, i.e. the alliance linking Austria-Hungary, the German Empire and the Ottoman Empire. After crossing the Zbrucz River, the more numerous Russian troops led by Alexei Brussilov and Nikolai Ruzski ravage the occupied territories. Cossack troops, with the permission of the officers, plunder the neighbouring counties, raping and looting the civilian population, often with the participation of local Ruthenians. Especially Jews suspected of espionage are victims of brutal persecution. The front line is moving closer to Drogobych.
Bruno Schulz, just as most of the inhabitants of Galicia and Bukovina, escapes in fear of Russian repressions. Accompanied by his sister Joanna* and his 12-year-old nephew Ludwik*, he makes his way through the Carpathian Mountains to the Hungarian town of Szerelmes*, three hundred kilometres away. It is not known what he had in common with this small commune, but it was probably there that he decided to wait through the difficult situation at the Prešov* train station (Eperjes in Hungarian), through which, after the fall of Lviv, the only communication route lead from the eastern regions of the monarchy to Vienna*. The imperial and royal railways transported mainly the wounded, sick and prisoners, there were no trains for tens of thousands of war refugees leaving their homeland in a hurry. Most of them, deprived of their livelihood, reached various Austro-Hungarian cities, travelling in freight wagons for the transport of cattle. The railway line running through the mountainous terrain was single-track, so the journey often lasted for weeks. That was probably why Schulz did not reach Vienna until three months later. (js) (transl. ms)
