European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 01, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse Friday. September 1. 1989 the stars and stripes Page 9 Over Here taking a one Way trip to Freedom e. Germans overflow refugee processing censer b to Ufa vis staff writer Giessen. West Germany the austrian approached the Iii i isl germans vacationing in , with a travel offer they could t refuse. If Martina Schneider and Jens paper were interested he could take them on a free one Way trip to Freedom. We did t said Papurt 22. Schneider. Paper and the Friendly austrian then climbed into a car. Several Miles before they reached the hungarian austrian Border the East germans climbed into the Luggage filled trunk of the car and began the final leg of the journey. Twenty minutes later they were Home free. It was a scary 20 said Schneider 18. Hut 1 would have done anything for like Schneider and Papurt hundreds of other cast germans watched earlier this year As Hungary Cut Down portions of the barbed wire Iron curtain shutting Oft Access to Austria and decided the lint had Corne to abandon their cars Homes and friends for a new life in the West for some it s been a trip filled with the tension that gripped Schneider. For others the journey West amounted to a group hike through the Woods. The different paths that the East germans take to Austria end in one place the West German embassy i Vienna. At the embassy they arc Given about $ 15 in austrian schillings and a train ticket to Giessen West Germany and the Central processing Center for refugees from East Germany. The Center is a triangular shape Complex of buildings some four stories used to House feed and administer to refugees from East Germany for the last40 years. The Center in Giessen about if Miles North of Frankfurt has been popular place this summer. Originally designed to House 500. It has taken in about twice thai number this year. To Cope with the overflow. West German authorities have been housing the refugees in nearby schools As Well As buildings up la an hour s drive away the refugees Are collected in the morning and taken by bus to the Giessen Center to finish the paperwork required before they Are set free to fend for themselves in the West. For Schneider and Papen arrival in the West was a time to offer thanks and think about the future. Let me add that the austrians we met were just great. A big fat thank you to the m Papurt said. The slopped us on the Street took us to dinner to the movies and gave us Money. We love them Papert. A train Engineer and Schneider a sales clerk intend to live in Cologne. We have friends there who fled the German democratic Republic a couple of years ago. We re confident Well find work because we re willing to do Papurt said. Not everyone in Giessen was As fortunate As Papurt and Schneider. Such was the Case of a 29-year-old teacher from girl ii who was smuggled out of Hungary in the car of a Friend from West Berlin. Both asked to remain Anonymous because they feared reprisals against the teacher s relatives and worried that the Friend s business contacts in the East bloc would be endangered. The teacher and her Friend made two l Rumolt Lewi i hundreds of refugees from cast Germany line up in Complete their paperwork at the Een Trul Prncess Ink Center in Giessen. There Are areas in East and Poland thai Aie ecologically dead. The pollution is Soba that the people who live there Are also dead they just Haven t fallen Over Kretschner said most East germans have miserable morale and poo working conditions although their country is the richest in the in East Germany Only work about four hours a . They can Twork More because they Don t have any materials land have miserable work Oij i aim and no desire. Work i Junias Are faked so they can he plans to move to Northern german1, near the town of vile i have ii great illusions about what to expect Here but i i expect Well live lot Freer than we he said. Like Kret Climer Holgar and Eva Trede left East Germany legally wit their two children. Hut they know Why their fellow citizens Are willing to Lake the illegal Way out. I was a lecturer at Rostock Holgar said. I have two Fields electro engineering and economics. When i put in an application to leave the country. I lost my Job on the spot. I was t allowed 10 work anywhere not even As a also lost her Job with the East German railway son had a Job. Thank god. And we survived on his Small salary those three worst pan the Tredes said was the ostracism. Friends and neighbor forbade them to visit or Call them. You really can t blame them Loo much Trede said. They re frightened of Trede said he had to leave East Germany because personal initiative on All Levels is not Only stilled but punished. You dare not Rise above the Gray masses. "1 found 1 could not look at myself in the Mirror without thinking i was becoming a is i of Nett be i or White mailing fur his parents in till nut papers amid their Lukka e. A nuni Kasterman boy experiments by dribbling milk onto cracks in the " Ocsid Uttal. Earlier attempts before succeeding on the third try. The hungarian authorities arrested and interrogated us both times but let us go the Friend said. We were looking for a place along the Border 10 make a dash for it the first time. The second time they stopped us at the Border crossing. The third Lime the teacher said. My Friend packed me against the Wall of his vow Van. He built a Wall of camping equipment and Luggage in front of me and we tried again the teacher said. The Friend said the guard stopped me and opened the Side doors and started feeling through the Barrier of Luggage i d constructed. 1 thought he had her. Then he suddenly stopped and the ordeal was i d never thought of fleeing before Imet my Friend. It s something everyone in the East thinks of at sometime in their life the teacher said. Behind such adventures on the Border lie a deep dissatisfaction with life in East Germany and an overwhelming yearning for the Freedom in West Germany refugees in Giessen said. Wolfgang Kret Climer 37, a truck Driver from bad Libra. Knows thai feeling of discontent Well. And then one Day you can t stand it any longer and you try to gel out. Not to dance around the Golden calf of capitalism hut to try to live a Mure honest kind of existence he said. Compared with the teacher. Kretschner was especially Hicks. Hews allowed to leave legally with his wife 9-year-old child and even his vow Golf. Kretschmer. Who drove his truck All Over East Germany and be eral neighbouring countries described the East bloc states As a horrify ing v Ision of pollution that is destroying people As Well As the environment
