My German Heritage

My mum was born in East Germany in 1948. While WWII was over, the communists had been given control of a quarter of the country which at that time included where my family was from. When my mum was 2 years old, rumors of the Berlin Wall emerged and many questioned what that would mean for their future.

Like many, my grandparents decided to flee before it was too late. There were six of them but my grandfather left first to find somewhere for them to live. I’m not sure how word got back when he’d found something, but a month or so later, my grandmother and four small children followed him leaving everything behind.

My grandfather was a farmer and found a job helping to run another man’s farm. My family was given a room in the farmers house to live in as part of his wages until they could afford their own place. Six people in one bedroom. The farmer’s daughter, Hilla, was the exact same age as my mum. By the age of five they were inseparable and became lifelong friends.

Years after the Berlin Wall came down in the late 80’s, my family was given back the property they had fled. It was in very rough shape and they decided to sell it. What my family endured was not uncommon but it was talked about a lot even decades later because of the impact it had. In a way it’s one of those wild butterfly effects because had they stayed in East Germany my mum likely wouldn’t have had the career that she did which is how she met my father.

With the German influence in NOT PART OF THE PLAN, I incorporated this personal history into their story.