1957 - Lina Neuner, Tante Therese (sister to Anni), Karolina with Margaret in back, Tante Anni (Hahn), Walter, Sieglind (Steiner

1957 - Lina Neuner, Tante Therese (sister to Anni), Karolina with Margaret in back, Tante Anni (Hahn), Walter, Sieglind (Steiner) Hadley. (see description) The people in the picture are: Lina Neuner, Tante Therese (sister to Anni), Karolina with Margaret in back, Tante Anni (Hahn), Walter, Sieglind (Steiner) Hadley. In Glasshütten, Nov. 11, 1957

2/6/12 Sieglind says:

I remember the time I was in Germany. (July 1957-Dec.1957)

I took 4 years of high school German and in the winter of 56-57 Papa and I were conversing and he wondered if I would like to go with him to Germany when I graduated. That sounded like a great adventure and so he went ahead and made plans. He had not been back since Dec. 1934 (his marriage) and planned to make it a 6 month trip. He had to fill out forms and apply for a visa to visit East Germany. Momi said I could go on the trip but she did not want me to go into East Germany because she was afraid I might not be allowed back.

Anyway we left for Cherbourgh, France on the Queen Mary in July 1957. I was 17. We spent a few days in Paris and then went on our way by train to Cologne where we met my Uncle Hans and Tante Martel. After a week we continued on the train to Frankfurt and then to Langendiebach where we stayed with Uncle Helmut and Tante Anni. At the time, Gerlinde was at home and Rheinholt was in the (Wehrmacht?)

In September there was a fair (Leipzige Messe) in Leipzig and I and Uncle Helmut and Papa went. The fair was open for all. I met my Uncle Walter and cousin Juergen there and I was then to go back to Langendiebach with Uncle Helmut while Papa continued on into the East Zone for a month. However Uncle Walter felt bad that I could not go on with my father to see the places where he and my mother grew up and meet all the relatives still living there besides so we went to the embassy and Papa asked if I could be allowed to go with him. "Why didn't she fill out the necessary forms when you did" was asked. "Her mother was afraid to let her go"......."Wass, wir kochen mit Wasser und wir essen Brot"(1) was the reply, along with permission to go with my father. We didn't tell my mother until I was back in the west.

I had a great time visiting Chemnitz (which the Russians meanwhile had changed to Karl-Marx Stadt, but as soon as the wall came down they were back to Chemnitz) Aunts and Uncles and cousins and seeing my mother's beloved Erzgebirge!

I do remember that the difference between the East and the West was like Day and Night.

After returning to Langendiebach I went with Tante Anni to visit her sister in Nurenberg (Teresa I believe was her name) and that is when we visited Glashuetten and met you and your family.

(1) "Wir kochen mit Wasser und wir essen Brot" translates into "We cook with water and we eat bread". An expression which everyone understands to mean that we don't have three heads and sprout tails, we're just like everyone else. :o)