Women's Portraits

Juliane Ludwig

Childhood, Youth, Marriage

Juliane is born 1936 in Ulm. Parents and grandparents are also native of Ulm. The family has three daughters. One of Juliane’s sisters has already died.

Frau Ludwig remembers very well the nights when the town was bombed in 1944. When American aeroplanes attack Ulm in 1945 the family has to find protection from the bombs in a nearby air-raid shelter because their own basement has become too dangerous.

After primary school the young girl enters the secondary school for girls, changes into the business school and finishes with the exam in 1953. The young woman starts working in a savings bank where she will stay until she gets married.

Her husband although born in Java is a citizen of Um. The family has two sons and one daughter.

Travelling

After 34 years of marriage Julianes husband dies. The last present for his wife is a journey to Israel. Years before Juliane has visited a class- mate in Australia. Her husband flies by air to South Africa. Because the parents won‘t leave their children alone, the parents go on their journeys separately.

The kids leave their home one after the other. So the mother is able to go on trips round the world. She travels to India, Shanghai, China, the USA. In China she visits the famous horse troops. America with Argentina and Costa Rica, where she meets her friend on a Finca, are the next destinations.

The European countries from Norway up to Italy will be next. After an operation of her hip-joint and a fall from the bike, Juliane prefers one-day trips by bus.

Birthday party in Ulm

Frau Ludwig has got knowledge of the „world“ by travelling. In honour of her 75^th birthday she wants to invite the „world“ to come and see her in her place. She sends letters of invitation into the countries from Australia to America. To find the home addresses is not too difficult. End of January, 35 former class-mates have already given their word. Some will come with their partners. They will come from Australia, the USA, Costa Rica, France und Switzerland.

A sight-seeing tour is projected because the city of Ulm has changed since the sixties. Lunch will be in a „Ristorante Italiano“. The highlight of the evening will be the meeting with their 88 years old former teacher. Juliane hopes she will remember some funny stories about the years when the ladies were young and at school.

Some Reflections on the Future

Asking if there might be a similar party to her eighties, Juliane answers that then she will enter a home for the aged citizens. It is because keeping her house in repair becomes more and more difficult. Her children don’t live near enough.

Juliane Ludwig believes in God. On Sundays she visits the service.and she wants ther children to do the same. She reflects on her own death but still she has some duties on earth.

She cares for her stamp collection that her father has begun in 1948.

Erdmute Dietmann-Beckert, September 2011