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247
AURICULA
the silence of 1915
Translated by Kerri Pierce
The silence of 1915 occurred
on September 7 and
encompassedWestern Europe
and the countries from the
Baltic north to the Balkan
south. The event was
unexpected, so there are no
actual records. Many people
did not even notice, it was so
short-lived and random, even
though they had participated
in it. There was neither time
for, nor questionof, resistance.
Silence happened, catching
Europe between two breaths
and with one leg suspended,
so to speak, after which
everyone and everything
continued on as if nothing had
happened. After all, how was
anyone to know that the
si lence they had just
unwittingly experienced had
encompassed all of Europe?
Naturally, it could have been
a subject of conversation
directly afterward, but the
few witnesses were so unduly
scattered – most of them
living in out of the way places
where silence was already
their trusted companion –
that the topic was quickly
changed. The news media,
which aside from participating
in the silence also received
i nc redu l ous i nqu i r i es ,
immediately realized that the
event would be impossible to
verify and could lead who
knows where, and so they
hushed it up. Anyone seeking
enlightenment on the subject
now, after so many years, will