Family

Here I just show family photos at random together with anecdotes.

My great-granny, Ur-Oma Ida Pufahl, was actually my father’s granny’s sister. Ida had promised to look after my father’s Mum (Frieda) after the early death of Frieda's mother. Throughout my childhood, Oma Frieda and Ur-Oma Ida lived in a house in Plaaz near Güstrow, right next to the railway line. My granny, Oma Frieda, had been employed by the railway to operate the barriers across the train line to let traffic pass or not. After Frieda's retirement, both Frieda and Ida continued to live in the first floor of the "railway" house for many years. The house had electricity but no running hot water and no modern toilet, instead a wooden outdoor dunny at the back. The dark cellar served as the fridge for home-made cherry wine and other goodies. There was a deep well and hand-pump in front of the house, and beside the house was an old-fashioned wash-house to scrub and wash all clothes. Shops were miles away, but the garden delivered many fruits and vegetables.

The photo below was taken in the garden of my parent's house in Koln Porz-Langel, Germany, probably around 1980. During this very special and very rare visit of my great-grandmother Ida (this required a visa to cross from East to West Germany and long train ride), I filmed a bit with my super-8 camera. My Ur-Oma would stop and pose as for a photo. She was quite a character with long white hair, usually all tied up in a bun, a sweet tooth for peppermint liqueur hidden behind the wardrobe, and a great skill for cheating at card games.