Page 33

Willi is about 20 here

Romances thread

Dusseldorf

End of the Dusseldorf chapter: girlfriend Grete Werner, a host couple, bad lodgings, and leaving Germany for abroad with Herr Muller's reference.

Diary page 33

Translated from Willi's German.

Towards the end of my time in service in Dusseldorf I often went out with her. Her name was Grete Werner, of Adlerstrasse 2. In the Funken family I got to know dear, good people - two who truly loved each other. He was a well-travelled journeyman, short and rather older, and she the merry, loving wife. I went out with them a great deal, and it was always very pleasant. Towards the end I felt as much at home with them as in my own house. "I had lost my heart in Dusseldorf" was our favourite song (Egon von Eke, the Feldstrasse). I had bad luck with lodgings. For a week I could find no room at all and slept in the journeymen's house; then I took a room with an old woman, who gave me notice after eight days on account of my visitors. At last I moved in with the Kirche family, a childless married couple. I got on well with them - which is to say, I hardly ever saw the flat. While I was in Dusseldorf, Joern came to visit, though he did not think it necessary to send a card first. Kurt came too, and had a splendid time of it. I left Dusseldorf of my own accord, for the travel-bug had taken hold of me again, and this time it drew me abroad. Herr Muller wrote me a good reference and told me I could always turn to him on business matters.

People: Willi Distel, Grete Werner, Familie Funken, Joern, Kurt, Herr Muller

Places: Dusseldorf, Adlerstrasse, Feldstrasse

Interesting facts