Refugee in search of a homeland

My financial situation improved considerably, as for the first time in my life, I was earning quite a good salary, DM269 net per month. When I mentioned this in my letter home, Vater suggested in his reply, that I should be able to save up some money for my trip to Australia, "but as I know my son, you will now smile about your father and won't do anything of that kind."

I think my father was a bit severe. I was not that prosperous yet. I had started with very little reserves. To my consternation I had realised earlier, that Wunder & Sohn had paid me until April 1952 the supplement I had received since December 1949 from Uncle John, although, after the initial payment of $200, he had never sent any more money for me. This meant that I had overdrawn money from Wunders to the extent of DM451 including interest, which they insisted I pay back before the end of the year.

Daily living costs were also pretty high. Prices in 1952 for everyday items were for example: A loaf of bread DM 0.90, toothpaste DM 0.75, a frankfurter saussage at a stall DM 0.65, a small bottle of Coca Cola DM
0.40, ticket to the cinema DM1, a haircut DM1.50, postage for a small parcel DM 0.60. In the month of October 1952, I spent on food alone a total of DM68.58. Inspite of this I was able to pay Wunders the amount owed, not only because I was very thrifty, but because we had received two bonuses from Siemering, an autumn bonus of DM115 in September, and a Christmas bonus of DM652 (including my commission amounting to DM20). From the beginning of 1953 I should have been better off, but the events that were coming to a head in January and February concerning my parents and Gerda, meant another drain on my finances.

The news from Emersleben were not good. Earlier in the year, Vater had been given the neighbouring property of Nienhagen to look after in addition to Emersleben. It had been run down by the previous administrator to such an extent, that it would be impossible for Vater to fulfil the quota set by the government, as the end of year quota was combined for both properties. There was no one else at Nienhagen who could help, and Vater's work had virtually doubled, certainly his responsibility had, and he suffered under the additional pressure. In his letter of 15.6.52 he mentioned that he had had enough and that he would like to leave Emersleben. But what then, he asked himself? That question made him hesitate and postpone his decision for a long time.

In addition to these worries, Vater mentioned also the political situation. In May the borders had become even more impenetrable than before. Mutter had applied for an inter-zonal pass to visit her dying sister in the west, even supplying the authorities with a medical certificate. On
24.8.52 she wrote that her application had been rejected. Tante Annemarie died a week later.

A ten kilometer strip along the border had been declared 'no access

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