Back to 1991

Found my diary for 1991 during a clean out of drawers this morning. Mostly empty pages but there are entries for January 1991. I lived in Bremen then. I worked part time on a project sorting out books in English, to be used for a new MA course under Frau Dr. Hella Ulferts, Dept. of Aufbaustudium Dritte Welt, Universität Bremen.

I also taught evenings at a small private school called Schola, at Contrescarpe 13. A very nice central location It was owned and run by Cosima and Anja Martina. I had a very good relationship to Anja and she helped me a lot.  I was also still teaching Herr J.C. Kahrs, the boss of the German division of a large heating company based in Helsinki. Meetings were conducted in English.

I remember having access to accounts and investment details for millions of DM. I had to sign a secrecy document before I could read them and help the boss to talk about the investments and budgets. In early1989 he invited me to go to a business conference in what was then West Berlin at company expense. Of course I went and saw the Berlin Wall in front of the Brandenburg Gate. As I climbed the viewing stairs and stared over the top of the Gate, I noticed East German guards staring back at me and one was filming the event!

I note that on 18th January 1991, I set off for an interview at the Hochschule in Güstrow. I had to cancel it for the connecting train at Hamburg was late so I missed the interview. I returned to Bremen – “angry” it says in my diary. On 22^nd January I went for an interview at the Oskar Känner Schule in Braunschweig. I didn’t get the job but there is an interesting connection. Years later Jan went to university there!

I have now destroyed the diary but I found these images next to it. Although they have nothing to do with Bremen, I like them. Perhaps you do, particularly Mr Hanger. I like his determination to finish the job. It always makes me smile :-))