Katharina Mertel Fries
Renate's mother
Taken
15 Aug, 1946
Katharina with Frau Beuermann and Wolfram - Summer 1969
About 1974
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Katharina Mertel Fries |
Katharina with Frau Beuermann and Wolfram - Summer 1969 |
Katharina (Little Mother) About 1974 |
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In 1958 I met a stranger on the stairwell of our apartment
in Mannheim. I spoke little German but managed to understand it
was Rene's Mother. My first words were "ach, Du bist" - und Kline
Mutte saghte "Ya, Ich Bin". She had it really tough raising four children under communist rule. There was no revitalization plan as in the west. The kids stole what fruit and other vegetables they could, and they would scour the forest for anything edible. Before they closed the borders the eldest brother
Wolfgang left the East and Rene followed not long after. About a
year after Rene's arrival in Mannheim Kline Mutte came to find out why
her daughter was about to marry an enemy soldier. But in the end
she gave her blessing and collected the papers needed by the West German
Police to verify to the US Army I was not marrying a spy. |
Katharina, 28 June, 1944; the baby is Rüdiger. |
 Katharina Date unknown |
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