My last days in my former hometown Braunschweig. Which I all well remember, having survived the war and grown up there till I left in 1961. Our house was in one the best areas at the edge of the city and directly across a big park. Nearby was and still is my high school, a gymnasium for new and classic languages and science. I walked up there, had a look. It is now an integrated lower and high school system housing many classes at all levels.

In 1945 after the American army tanks had entered Braunschweig, they occupied this large building for the distribution of food to the remaining civilian population,  mostly children. A few days ago I walked up that path, past the school, and uphill. There are train tracks, and crossing them there is also a large private garden area, where my family also used to have a garden with a little stone house. I do remember, having visited there with my little boy when he was 3 years old. All lost in the 1070s after my mother died, when I was already many years in North America, then Canada. I made a picture of the Solanger entrance, now locked.

Up on top of this same road,  just behind the train tracks, used to be bunkers,  shelters from the WW2 bombings. As small children during the early 1040s we had to run up there every night for shelter. Interesting life. At least a little bit more exciting than just boring kindergarten.

My last visit there, that’s for sure, no living relatives. But the city as such is very pleasant, with many greens, parks, trees everywhere. I mostly enjoyed the inner -restored- city center of the old city with the dome and the lion, surrounded by many old half timbered buildings. Meeting nice people, discussing the past as well. Predominately, I guess as in most of Europe, are the enormous number of bakeries and pastry shops. It’s fun, just to hang out for a good cappuccino, sitting outside in the sun.

Some of the following pictures show our house, still there, the park across, the road past the school and uphill.