Refugee in search of a homeland

connection with 'Kreglinger & Co' into the firm, and Herr Siemering the French firm 'Dewavrin'. They are both rather old and conservative, but Siemering has a son, Jürgen. I usually deal with him. He is progressive and I hope you will get on with him. Herr Wunder has also a son, but he is presently in England learning the trade there. Are you ready?"

When I nodded he continued: "They want to see you first, but I am sure they will take you on. You see, it might help their business".

"How is that?" "Business people always like personal connections." We caught a taxi and arrived in no time at the Rathaus Platz, walking past an enormous statue of the famous Roland der Riese (Roland, the Giant) keeping watch over the Rathaus (town hall), a most beautiful town hall going back a few centuries, the centre of the proud burghers, the free citizens of the Free Hanseatic city of Bremen. The Hanseatic League was a trading alliance of several cities in northern Germany, including Bremen, Hamburg, Lübeck and Kiel, but also Quedlinburg and others, but mostly on the Baltic Sea. I breathed in the air of this proud city and felt that I was going to enjoy a totally new atmosphere, with new challenges and promises of a better life.

The office of Wunder & Siemering was on the second floor of a bank building, about 100 m from the Rathaus. At the reception desk we were greeted by a young man in a white coat, who showed us to the office of Herr Wunder and Herr Siemering.

"Ah, we have been expecting you. Come in. Please sit down. Do you smoke?"

Neither of us did. Herr Siemering puffed on his big cigar, whilst Herr Wunder began to talk to me.

"So you are a relative of the Kreglingers? They are a big firm and we are doing a lot of business with them, importing our wool from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, but by far the biggest import comes from their Buenos Aires branch in South America."

"My grandmother's cousin, Albert Kreglinger, is the big boss in Antwerp."

"I know him, fine old gentleman. Tell me what do you know about wool?"

"That it comes from sheep. I know the farming side of sheep, but about wool itself I don't know anything."

"It doesn't matter. You can learn it all here. You will pick it up as you work with samples in our office here. I hope you will be able to start here next week?"

"That is very kind of you, Herr Wunder. When, on Monday?" "Yes. You haven't even asked about your pay?"

"Sorry, I'm not thinking straight. I had a sleepless night on the train." "That's all right. Our apprentices receive DM 50 per month in the first year, DM 60 in the second, and DM 70 in the third."

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