March

Big changes effecting our life happened late in 1961 and early 1962.The Berlin Wall was put up in August 1961, making it impossible for people from the West to visit family in the East. And our relatives, like most in Berlin, lived in both parts of the city. So we could no longer visit our parents if we were to return.The 'East' was closed off from the 'Free World'. 

Also Hartmut received an offer of a study place at Sydney Teachers College and a scholarship for a one year course to gain a Teaching Certificate. So we decided to move to Sydney. And before we could let our parents know that we wanted to stay longer in Australia my mother died. 

We moved to Sydney and found soon a very nice place in Balgowlah, near a bay of the harbour with views to Manly. A lovely very old widowed lady lived on the ground floor of that beautiful house and we rented the upper floor.There were two bedrooms, a large living room, a kitchen and a bathroom. The kids got the large bedroom, the very small second bedroom became the study and in the large living room we put a bed for us and made it look like a sofa during the day.

We lived in Balgowlah for four years and they were happy years. Hartmut became a teacher; our two eldest started school and our third and fourth child were born there.