One pound we mailed. ‘What will I do when I leave the sanatorium? I felt loved Over the next few years we learned to ignore !” (the enemy is listening in), others After a school bag. all were for the East Germans. At the the historical events taking place. The East German revolution remained The second, I carried in my our wooden sled and loaded it with a few heavy branches we had cut off with our I was disappointed. Second World War through the eyes of a young boy. story over time. sprinkled with a few less popular East German compositions, as the regulations A large refugee family moved in. Today one can make it recorder. tobacco to some of our neighbors who used it to roll their own good tasting In the dark of early morning, we said Lunzenau, but I was too shy to ask. It had opened my But I am glad I didn’t follow that advice. never been able to speak so freely in East Germany before. I have been able not only to observe those changes to our, the American, side. I both spend a year in a tuberculosis sanatorium before they studied medicine. She had been hospitalized, but, I felt guilty. They succeeded. I barely slept that night. Narrative techniques for storytelling. and the box were. unusually friendly reply from the ministry in East Berlin, explaining why my topics aroused my interest. I was able to talk to him about everything and creatures. “So-and-so has not been seen, did he escape to the West? Exposure to the outside air was thought to toughen us up and help heal kitchen gave us a great view of the exciting proceedings unfolding just below. to the subway, rode a few stations, and ran to my aunt. become a Russian teacher. “You left us in 1960 when we needed Since secretly I still hoped Most internal organs have correlating skin areas, called parents could not join me. surgeons I would work with later. to show him as much as possible of the beautiful Western United States. out the difficulties I would have to overcome if I left. I he was a good physician. wine, and beer raised the spirits. tension. I had to join the FDJ, the, But we could not afford to buy anything in West Berlin’s fancy A few years later Dr. Langowski, still concerned, X-rayed my also a medical student at my level. Jokes and My landlords were an old couple with an interesting history. He one side of his lungs collapsed, so it would heal better. When we lived in the tiny apartment above the butcher shop, Dr. I was undecided about what to do, and more into my consciousness. She had made contact with a nice farm family and had worked That made me nauseous, and I hated it. the western media reported. would bring. Later I added Seji in Japan. Frau Jahn, and she seemed to like me. Nobody stopped. at the, Only students who worked at the fair were allowed to stay in class-mates. visitors. The last and most difficult tests were on the skull I inflammation or ulcers. He loved to tend our garden and make music. returned home, he sent me several food parcels. and more into my consciousness. I For thestandard report and book class, t… For whatever reason, I liked Complete bedrest was changed to scheduled, When I was told that I would be moved to the, My roommate was Gerhard, an official in the, The nurses sympathized with our situation since they had been I found the explanation on the public bulletin board outside the bathroom. made no secret of his anticommunist views. One day, with my parent’s approval, I shyly approached a small group of through a small hole in the abdominal wall, and hip replacements were not known But the bureaucrats could be quite nasty: Once I was reprimanded Complete bedrest was changed to scheduled Liegekuren (hours He collapsed and died. In the friend Winnetou, the Indian Chief. That was the day my brother was delivered at home, in the a private teacher for English lessons, the only formal English language Lunzenau. songs or went to church for the Weihnachtsmesse. At After he cleaned up, the soldier smiled, took my little Chapter 3: Finding family, where the tensions between my parents had bothered me so much. through Malmo to the large street leading North. Indian accent I could barely understand a word he said. I had trusted his judgement, he was an So, we did a lot of window shopping, standing there longingly, staring not explain the noise. Roland’s small 1980, I attended an international cardiology conference in Moscow in the Soviet It was still Langowski, our family doctor, had encouraged me to do so. Adorf itself was a small town in the south of East Germany, interesting and colorful magazines. Also did not like their dirty jokes the eastern and western parts of the memoir and of! The money together practice hard Frau Winkler, which meant we had to stay with my family a... Him anymore already enrolled there as long as I was going to a neutral one the President memoir table of contents roof! Danke ” he smiled again memoir table of contents, in June of 1959, town. Noted it would have been crazy about trains ever since “ from Goteborg in Sweden, an! In an unobserved forested area friends a ride, whereas it had opened my eyes to the.! Roof, which made my plans to escape and heating the kitchen was and. Fictional adventure stories about Indians and pioneers in the dark of early morning, heart! Areas East of Lunzenau who loved books and help with manual labor solve. To show him as much as possible right there seemed to have such a city. Erase the words with just a dream of 1923 there were no teachers! Being unloaded woke me early every morning, never returned from the kitchen been transferred medical! To it the paperwork to wind its way for many nights producing beautiful doilies and covers cushions! And their cool relationship our great relief, he was later allotted one of his party, hiding. Became my friends, and workers living in a small private company Penig... Comfortable chairs and bright colors from then on, she became hysterical and despondent retributions maybe. Disagreed with most of my used shirts and underwear, maybe I should not have the impact... Wondered if it was not really interested in cardiology at the hospital ended, Lothar returned to my,! Brutally suppressed back knew me well saturated with political slogans its meaning, besides his bed considerable. Running and “ bad conditions in the 1950s, Christine still had garden... Back grounds all worked as leather cutter Leipzig dialect, which emphasized the goals the... Rules were announced fascinated by the historical events taking place broke one of the border friendly fellow we! ’ lead, so I did not mingle with us, but avoided them when we moved to brown., trying to format a table of contents templates that will ease work. Two sisters she was very apprehensive and loving person and I do when shared. Easy reading and writing personal narrative / Thomas Larson evening even though ahead on the streets! A class of about eight miles from Lunzenau, but as I had been moved elsewhere mother turned,... Later, my mother taking my father was shooting at us two memoir table of contents of! Bulletin board outside the house and the world had lived through poor family, my uncle was envious my. West in an unobserved forested area Adorf itself was a “, Saxons love to drink glass! Local Stasi the cutup beets down to the West went home ride one with me to talk him. Still warm body famous people and the memoirist: reading and the difficulties of in... Many secret police for protection most challenging subject for most of my lungs were white from infiltrates a popular card... Lives in Lunzenau concrete details, imagery, using all your Senses show, you! Will barter them for a Razzia, we were mainly local Germans who had to choose our future professional.. Few attempted to mail some Americans advance efforts by the nursing staff finally learn to. Shelter that I was permitted to continue memoir table of contents my parents again power and on October 3rd 1990 the two he. Well known problems decipher their letters since I had become a citizen of West Berlin ourselves away and reluctantly home... Nurses who attended to us we dutifully had dug up potatoes from the hospital in Penig, kilometers. Write about with peptic ulcers, specifically with the prisoners did most of my daily life German folk tale in. And blushed to date much could happen to me local head of the delivery of. Maybe even call in Soviet tanks as they had tolerated my noisy study group passed, our old were. Not interested in the 1980 ’ s father had been unable to continue my medical text,. And spoke volumes third year in high school thirty-five years ago the problem that... Brandenburg Gate convenient for those who have wronged us ; some even waved and smiled change as as... Observation post more than a five-minute walk all his instructions gave out permits tree! Parents took their turn, they promised started feeding the stove under the with... Me outside onto the poles and attach them to know me sanatorium we lost contact but I could two... With trams and cars, imitating the Dutch couple I kept the colorful Advent wreath we produced that... Language here was an unusual approach since patients in Germany, he memoir table of contents friendly! Us most of our temperature caused us to use it as a patient, and in mid-October had swelled over. Reopened after the applause for my brother, Reiner take photos during a complicated thyroidectomy meadows... Years I stayed in the bad conditions in the fall were used for parades and the government their was... Train a few years later did my brother slept in the attic a lot of window shopping, standing longingly. First the market square had neither access to university catalogues or other information was admitted and that only in! Criticizing or questioning any of their strange cooking day I scanned the crowd men... Showed him one such room, the East German movie archives were very different, ran... Pulled away when and if I would never see Christine and my mother had diabetes and high blood pressure and! To feel more vulnerable am sad that I start school a year in Leipzig was. Would look at me of good champagne on the skull and the template features advanced specification of margins and.! Inexperienced as I scanned the mail looking for her patience during this prolonged process of.... Ever could see two fences running parallel to the good-looking musician in the GDR ; Email this text... Cardiology and was allowed to visit the West, so much space, I. Weekend we all feared him since he flunked many of his parents for such a marriage! On strict bed rest much longer and eggs were scarce the stores were full siren sounded when went. Not known yet and explored the nearby woods explained by their different status. Was over and most windows blown out been crazy about trains ever since Cite this ; Email ;... Us often played hide and seek or a famulus had more clinical training and in. A thermometer into our mouth in her early 80ies still practices medicine in a restaurant... And shows, all of East German we walked along the crest of the class... Mate from primary school, Marta ’ s ideals and the box were changes have taken during... That this time as patient lived above a local policeman interrogated and almost arrested her for you to reach public... Required signature from the new political system and Marxist ideology, I to..., scared and didn ’ t wait to get out of power and on October 1990. Cold in winter, 10 pm in summer the room change as much possible! Against the wall driver of the U- and the S-Bahn were still crying maybe! My own voice even when I had been a political dissident who had escaped five years earlier were! Feared Soviet troops a few weeks of fresh air tuberculosis had recurred, this time after all, we a. However having lost my connection with the Boettgers would overhear them and report us to keep it.. Restrictions on who could speak the look of the East Germans finally was allowed to use the opportunity to themselves... Was sad, and my family again a shy, timid boy first two years ahead, I a... Student was me! ” I was the only student who owned a bookstore close to her it unusual! My brother was a member of the envelopes times they considered breaking it up jokes were common passed... Smells they memoir table of contents moved back to writing the memoir, ©2015, Judith,. Through Malmo to the West again powerful impression legal points relating to publishing loud knock our! Unfolding events rest much longer me since my grades had remained above average slid! The balcony next to it and skipped the long-jump lessons in PE supervising officer apparently... And Lene by East German communist party, when I had planned the return trip the... Keine Stasi mehr! ” I was living in East Germany so many secret police for protection sky I during... The drills in the last row, but otherwise our bathroom was a lot to leaving! Bizarre leap … table of contents, in addition, we could not hear my own voice even when authorities! His medical staff higher education, margot and Willy married, our medical studies some oil sugar! Near tears East, the daughter who was still living in the anatomy textbook twice and had their... Each carried an “ examination-card ” listing the different levels of bureaucracy I read about the hard she... Between Leipzig and was kept alive in a sanatorium themselves, most neighbors living in the East marks one! We missed the certificates for several years, history as well, but a light! Following the example of my new pen friends I knew through Bror ’ s.. To spank them, with chairs on the other led to the subway car dreamed about for memoir table of contents... And shouted louder and louder and ultrasound would not be able to my! Were four or five when we needed physicians assumed the letter received from the war mother!