European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - November 20, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse Immigrants Attila into their new country. Below end right the one roam apartment with communal Kitchen which the family rents. Left russian and polish immigrants study German in a Hanau Church building. In and a Job not an easy task in a country plagued by housing shortages and ploy men. Sister told us it would be difficult but we re o Schuler says. We figured we Dake any Grid of work just to earn some Money. Not afraid of of Tara Are those other things Schaler has learn those Day to Day things that westerners or granted. She had to learn How to Catas and coconuts Boh of which she says exist in her area of the Sevics Union she had to now to older in a restaurant. In Kazakhstan id been out to eat Only once in Hor Hie and. He had to learn How to eat pizza. Pampers also. I Novelty Loi sealer they Don t have Able diapers in Russia. Re you can get anything As Long As you have Russia oven if you. A photos by l Emhe Otlewis jul. Have Money you can t get most important was a lesson in one o the Basic -. Principles of to learn How to bargain Shopin Russia if there was sugar in the Gio cry store you had to buy a whole sack because you never knew when they were going to have sugar again. Here if you find. Something in one store you Don t buy in. You go to the next store because they might Havo it cheaper the hardest thing Schafer has had Loreain and. used to is to relax to open up to lose her. Inhibitions. She is ill Speaks Only when spoken to and when she does her voice is and Llred. The germans somehow took so relaxed so unrestrained. But we Stilt run around like this Schaler hunches her. Shoulders and presses Bolh arms tightly against her sides. But Schaler knows thai too will soon pass. Right now the most important Ihrig is that we re Here,." open doors open arms the names on the mailboxes Are German mostly Schmidl. and Milller. Bui inside the apartment building the lifestyle i anything but German. Inside the schmidts and he sch lers speak russian polish romanian or an antiquated dialect of German. Inside entire families live in a rare cubbyhole lather Mother and children cramped in a room barely the size of a Normal German bedroom. The rest is shared four families to a two room eight to a Kitchen. A stale Musty odor pervades the rooms and the rundown stairwell of the building. Intermingling with the Aroma of slavic dishes. Simmering in the communal kitchens. Bui prevailing Over the sour smells or poverty and pickled cabbage is the Sweet scent of Contentment of quiet satisfaction that a Mekong dream has been fulfilled and of the knowledge thai better limes lie ahead for the schmidts and Fie Schafer and the Kochs and the mullers have finally come Home. The families clustered in apartment buildings throughout West Germany Are part Al a giant wave of ethnic germans flooding into the country from All Corners at the soviet bloc the newly opened doors of he Gorbachev. Regime and the open arms of the West German government have brought a record number of Eastern immigrants to West Germany in the past two years the total for 1988 is expected to reach 200,000 More than double the figure for last year. Before the Hood abates of finals estimate Between 600 000 and 2 million More will resettle in the West. Some 3 Ujj million people of German ancestry live in countries behind the Iron curtain not counting Iho German democratic Republic. Most reside in the soviet Union Poland and Romania. Many of the soviet germans can Tiace their family some 200 years when germans were invited to Settle in russian territory by German born Empress Catherine the great. Polish germans most olten come irom Silesia and other regions Germany lost in world War ii. The West German government welcomes the East bloc immigrants As Long lost citizens and oilers Thorn the same social benefits. Awarded native germans including subsidized housing welfare Federal child welfare subsidy unemployment compensation and pensions far the elderly. In addition the government spends big Federal Bucks to help care for the immigrants. And to ease their integration into German society. After registering at various transit. Camps such As at Friedland on the East German Border the immigrants receive pocket Money about $108 and Are transferred to other parts of West Germany to live in temporary housing a cities. They Are then Given 10 months of intensive German lessons and Are eventually assisted in finding their own housing and a Job. V the immigrant situation has been the cause1 of controversy in the nation. Soric West germans believe their tax Money and resources would be bolter spent elsewhere others however fee the influx of mostly Young and Able people will help Otlet the dwindling birthrate and contribute to the German. Economy for the immigrants economic and political hardship in the East Are Only part of the reason behind the great tide. Many View their. Resettlement emotionally As a return to the land of their forefathers. A.g.jmber2u.19bb the stars and stripes paga15
