«My youth time in the Netherlands.»

At the beginning of November 1950, because the journey with the ship nevertheless took four weeks, put on the ship in the port of Rotterdam. Again we had some deeply felt where it straight still well had gone out. This time with the arrival in Europe the family had grown by two members, brother Felix 10 years younger and sister Truus 12 years younger as I, and consisted of six persons. Where we can find accommodation with the whole family, not to come to my grandparents (the parents of my mother) it was because of lack of space this time possible in the terraced house under because also the oldest brother Weinand of my mother, who was not married, lived here. The mother of my father had deceased already and the sister of my father had no children and lived, because its man was a director of post office at a post office of a small place, in a small dwelling in the post office building. The Netherlands state was poor after the war, the richest colony had lost, many citizens also Indo-Europeans returned from Indonesia and must an accommodation have. The war had given a paging of political thinking after independence of many suppressed peoples and first of all in Asia and thus the retreat of all Netherlands officials. One built already, but the war was only five years and the Marshall resounding plan straight had started. Thousands of Dutchmen during the war abroad had fled returned straight and must likewise a dwelling have. We could finally finding accommodation in a pension to Zandvoort more badly than quite and had a rent of 150.00 guldens in the week that was at that time much money, to pay. In the first years after that return in the Netherlands in 1950, the food was apparent expensive so that my parents could not afford for us children meat commodity, butter and cheese. We got the lunch instead of its margarine of Bleu volume and jam on bread, consisted of potatoes and vegetables, when Vitamin in the winter against colds us each day a tea spoon cod-liver oil became given. In the primary school, on arrangement of the state, daily half litre was spent a milk. Each Friday had I in the there bath house under the shower, because there was no bathroom in the civil houses in the time still. One could probably wash oneself in the bedroom at a table with wash table-ware. Immediately we, because of unrealistic demands of the owner of pension, pulled oldest in the spring 1951 after suffering to the youngest brother Fred of my nut/mother, who was married and two daughters were in our age, meant we, had. Afterwards I found it devoted and noble of that, because the relatives of my nut/mother were ready had so far always explained themselves us to helping. He was a director of a brick and a clinker factory on a small island in the old Rhine. On this small island we could out-rave ourselves correctly, because still much free area with trees was present. To this factory a large house in that belonged to two families in this size well under came. The old Rhine flows with Katwijk into the North Sea and was so clean in the time that one could swim therein and we could be along-pulled from cargo ships driving past. My brother and I had now to the primary school in Leiderdorp where we the oldest in the class were regular. We were ferried over daily with the rowing boat on the mainland, because a bridge did not give it. I was meanwhile 14 years and intended still no chance had me on a higher school such as High School or six-form high school to prepare and after a psychological test on a vocational school was sent (Ambachtschool to suffering), which took two years, to in the middle of 1953. I had myself made far to study over finally mine education arrears to catch up. On this small island we have to end of the yearly 1951 used and pulled then into a dwelling in a new building to Leiderdorp, where several families from Indonesia were accommodated. In the house also one of the few families lived from Indonesia did not come about which the father against fireworks at the new year was, because he was then reminded of the war. Its son however came a daily with a gun which it us showed. In this time a Karl May book cost five guldens and read each book two to three times, because was read it still no television gave much there where my father like that was as so approximately. Only than my sister at an age it was many later that it itself for it interested and an enormous power of persuasion exercised became a television purchased. Directly adjacent before the house the meadow landscape (Polder) was defined by many water ditch on the other roadside, where in the summer the cows grazed and could in the winter, if the cattle were in the stable and it froze correctly, one kilometres of far from city to city ice skate drive. In the summer we let our small sail boat even tinkered drive into the water ditch and if we came then too far in the area of the Farmers, we were hunted by him. One year later a few hundred meters far away before the house, where we had played a motorway built and afterwards a swimming pool. Because in the house almost exclusively families from Indonesia lived had we only at school contact to the native ones. Only as I the technicians school (UTS) visited, for which I had to complete an entrance examination, had I also native friends and could gradually integrate them as well as in my language occurring to Indonesian words cure. For the entrance examination one could prepare voluntarily and free of charge, at the same engineering school in the evening hours. Here particularly in counting and orthography one informed. In the years 1954 and 1955 I was in a Judo association and in a dance school for the education of the body and behaviour in the community, which was necessary, since there were no girls on this school, because was so far the society not yet that girls selected technical occupations. I was invited in the course of the fifties on many balls, which were organized by different schools in the city community centre. Up to the year 1952 we had also in the winter in short trousers to the school, later got I then break hereditary others trousers. Since there in this time still no swimming pool was in the old Rhine swum only starting from 1956 a new swimming pool was always opened.

Above in the picture, left my brother Ad and third from right stands is crouched I and before me, who girl of which with me on the ball was, organized from the local High School in the year 1958. In Leiderdorp the Evangelist municipality had a large influence and was allowed one on Sunday not to work and not swim, on the side of the old Rhine lying opposite gave it a predominant catholic municipality, in this municipality had I also contact to girls. With the daughter of a pig breeder I was closely friendly; with their, I nearly a whole year went. Their father had a DKW (1957) and accepted us at week final travels everywhere also, so also after Ijmuiden to the fish port, where one could eat the Matjes (young herrings). After some years my parents could acquire a terraced house in the Acacialaan 14 in the same place, where we intended more place with a small garden and term house. In the time after the return, to 1950, two oldest into which the Netherlands are we contrary to the two youngest, my brother Ad and I, in our youth time never with parents in vacation driven, because we have the holiday trips themselves organized and paid.

Meanwhile my brother and I was member of the youth hostels and could in holidays for 1.50 guldens stay overnight with breakfast and dinner from lodging to lodging with the bicycle pull, because the lodgings were accessible only for Wanderer and bicycle drivers. Before one further to pull could was either the sleep hall or lounge to be cleaned or in the kitchen potatoes be peeled and vegetables polished. We have the money for the journey in bulb cultivation farm (see picture right) or in a small fitter workshop at a drill press in the first holiday's weeks earns. In summer holidays of the yearly 1954 after that my friend, Johan van Dam and I we had made, began our money a bicycle route by Germany. Everyone of us had to come somewhat more than 100.00 guldens in the purse and the invitation into Braunschweig at a family some days under, because parents of my friend had directly after the war a child of this family one year in care had thereby it from the war happening to recover could.

This was organized by the Evangelist church. On the first day we drove to Arnheim and stayed overnight in a youth hostel. On the next day after Osnabrück whereby we in Germany no cycle tracks found and more frequently through honk by trucks were troubled. Arrived at Osnabrück, it was not already against evening, found we a youth hostel, although on the map indicated, no choice remained for us as on the police station after to questions where it a possibility for staying overnight for us gave. The police arranged a monastery for us, where we could stay overnight in a large hall on mattresses at the soil. On the next morning we got sour bread with milk as breakfast and could without pay leave. The nuns were very friendly and had in demand whether we catholic were. On the way, if we filled up our water bottles at a farm gave us still fruit. Since one could get a warm mark time only in the youth hostels and we had not fixed ourselves on a restaurant, we lived only on sour bread and sausage which one in each village to buy could. Since we could not buy sour bread in the Netherlands, we had the first days of sour bread failure, this bread were however very healthy. The weather was not constantly rainy therefore stopped we in Hanover to for a long time and continued to themselves drive into to Braunschweig. Since our departure from at home we had put 200 km back per day on average. In Braunschweig we were received cordially from the acquaintance of my friend and could stay overnight here. In this city it gave some camera factories, to Zeiss Ikon, Rolleyflex etc., which was shifted later either abroad or coming into the bankruptcy. From Braunschweig we have daily routes after wolf castle and Helmstedt made where respectively light VOLKSWAGEN the work and the border crossing after East Germany were visited.

We made also still another travel from some days by the resin and stayed overnight in a youth hostel to Altenau. Our bicycles had a three-course transmission and so could we upward gradients off 12% without descend to master. Since we had to exert on the upward gradient with difficulty, thereby and our sweaters therefore sweated were wet, rose from our bodies of steams. Afterwards it went again downhill with a speed of approximately 80 km/h also through curves and overhauled all cars. Luck that nothing is coming us between the spokes of our bicycle. Thank God we had waited the bicycles well. In each case we stated that we were in the time the only Dutchmen or foreigner at all far and broad in Germany and at all no prejudices had us opposite the Germans or in discussions expressed, because we became with the poverty and the destruction in the cities which we visited confronted. Milk products were substantially more expensive at the time than in the Netherlands. In the time of the cold war we could see the Brocken, which highest mountain in the resin, only from widening.

Picture above, white-water in the Harz Mountains in the year 1954 and picture right, a waterfall likewise in the Harz Mountains in the year 1954. Both pictures were developed at that time and increased by me. The photographs were taken by Johan van Dam

We began the way back somewhat more north of Hanover, where the landscape was somewhat flatter. We drove duration of the journey over Lingen (Ems), Almelo, Apeldoorn and Utrecht to Leiderdorp, entirely from four weeks. I learned to know by my membership with the youth hostels in the 50 years the whole Netherlands in holidays. My music direction went at that time as today toward country music, natural from the whole world. In the autumn of the yearly 1953 raged a storm tide at the North Sea Coast, which some dykes whereby nearly the whole province Zeeland broke through under water was set and over 2000 humans drowned. In the middle of 1957 until March 1958 I had completed my practice year for the engineering school and to the military service on 10 June 1958 had been recruited.

Barracks to Nunspeet, Vehicle Park of the staff supplying battery 1959.

When one got recruit in a crew hall a bed with a mattress filled with straw, which were often filled by the predecessors with fresh straw and with pieces of prick wire, as well as a locker in that the laundry necessary for the recruit hair-exactly arranged to be granted had. If this was not the case, one did not get permission the weekend home to be allowed. At the time especially courses and penalty were used for the recruits and one was allowed to travel only to uniform. Picture left I developed.

Obviously the military was also not in the time a necessary evil where one anything at the hat had. NCOs taught to us drilling, shooting and holding back in the area. In the rotation I was used also for the guard service, in each case 24 hours (two hours up and four hours rested), whereby the rifle was loaded with sharp ammunition. It occurred that a soldier on its guard let itself be mostly frightened at the night with the fog from a rabbit and into the darkness shot. If we were on manoeuvres had each soldier a half tent in its luggage and a tent had to form with a comrade, which I did not like and announced itself then voluntarily for the guard service, where I came in a large tent under. The later training as the NCO had implemented from officers and NCOs than volunteers in the Korea war served. After the NCO training I the 15 department of the light anti-aircraft artillery to Nunspeet assigned as a commander of Vehicle Park of the staff supplying battery. At the end of my service the outdated anti-aircraft artillery was scrapped and replaced by rocket positions. In the NCO school I made for mine driving licence and a driving in a motor vehicle column as well as to lead a column learned. Later in the year 1964 I once again four weeks destined as the alternative service as the depot of the mobile columns than private first classes of a fire-brigade unit. The barracks were called Colonel Palmkaserne to Bussum with Utrecht. Starting from March 1960 I could at the company Fischer & Porter to the Hague (in the year 1963 the company moved after Arnheim) for 1.68 guldens the hour begin and led until August 1965 the department for the examination of the measuring and regulation devices, which were subordinated to the quality department in the following, with which still the quality inspection of the manufacturing was imposed upon to me. This company was closed in the year 1972 because of the continuous bad situation concerning orders as well as unsatisfactory management and remaining remained only one agency. While the evening hours after the work time I completed still the professional school with name Mathesis Scientiarum Genitrix to suffering (this school was created in the year 1785). On 13 July 1962 I got my diploma for mechanical engineering and in Germany than Dipl. Ing. Mechanical engineering FH was later recognized. In the year 1961 I married and had a birth certificate to prove however the no more to find was not, because the Japanese had burned all documents in 1942 and thus my birth became confirmed among witnesses before the canton judge suffering. This marriage is then because of disorder and repeated adultery of the woman in October 1967 divorced. From this marriage two sons, Melchior the older (30 August 1961) were born, and the second son Odin (28 April 1964). After the divorce I had my terraced house in the narcissus route 14 to Zevenaar, which I had bought in the year 1963, sell and half of the capital, after departure of the mortgage, to deliver. From my capital I bought then a new terraced house in the Abraham de Kuyperstrasse 8 to Zevenaar and a used car. In the summer I visited, mean 1966 with my oldest son parents and my sister with engaged ones, mean brother Ad in Switzerland at the time at the company Schindler in close proximity to Zurich worked. We visited the city bathing with Zurich, where we in-turned restaurant in an Italian, admit for its excellent Pizzas, which became Pizzas before the eyes of the customers prepared by airs the singing baker and directly hot from the furnace the customer serviced. Subsequently, the evening we went into a nice night club to dancing, since I did not have a companion invited I a dark-membranous nice woman to the dance, it turned out that she was American and visited with its parents Switzerland. In the year 1967 I had for the company Fischer & Porter for clarifying technical questions about Clermont Ferrand in France to install and to enterprise take supplied at the end of the same yearly for four weeks after Luxembourg over for the department of traffic of 60 motor vehicle counters, from Fischer & Porter. I was cared for by Mr. Everling. Later I had still for a start-up from measuring and regulation plants to Germany with Hamm Westphalia to the company Dupont. In the winter over Christmas and New Years Eve of the yearly 1967/1968 I made alpine ski driving into Erwald Tirol/Austria winter vacation and for the first time learned, the travel there starting from Amsterdam with the night train was begun, so that we arrived on the next day at eight o'clock. Before I began the journey, I had placed my car, to the time, to my sister to the order. In October 1968 learned I mean current woman, with names Ingrid Katharina of locks to know, which lived in Germany to Oberbieber with Neuwied and was employed to Neuwied at the company Rasselstein. In November of the yearly 1968 I had still for the company Fischer & Porter for three days to Copenhagen for consultation for the employment of flow meters in a milk factory. On 5 November 1969 I married then my current wife in Zevenaar, which had before already pulled to me into the new terraced house in the Abraham de Kuyperstrasse 8. With the removal my brother had helped Felix, who owed me still another favour. In January 1970 my son Jerry in the new house was then born to Zevenaar and baptized afterwards in the local Catholic Church.

Epilogue:

The first and last Leutwyler family's conference to Leutwil which I with my current wife visited was in 1971. Since we live since July 1970 in Germany and I was much abroad active for my company, the contact was completely broken off or perhaps one did not want to have anything do with a Luitwieler in Germany. At the beginning of 1980 I became independent and because the independence could have only as German at the time success got I in February 1984 the German nationality awarded, unfortunate way much the annoyance of my nut/mother it only after the death of my father in 1995 became more aware of. The relations and contacts with my parents and brothers and sisters became in the course of the time worse and worse, until they expired in the year 1998 finally, this could a question of the tolerance be also with the Dutchmen desires much leave remaining. I do not have actually much differently acted than at that time the first Luitwieler in 1742 from Switzerland to Holland pulled, perhaps I this from him inherited. In each case I am glad that I made this step. As from cheerful sky I do not have in December 1988 a greeting in the form of a picture postcard of Charles J. Lietwiler from the USA gotten and directly back written however since then nothing more of him heard, white thus whether he still live or there still live.

The letter dated was above from the year 1968 as I still at the company Fischer & Porter to Arnheim busy and of an Egyptian Youssef I. Mohamed was written, who had made its practice in the years before it as a student with Fischer & Porter. In the time I worried about him. In this time there were enormous political tensions in the Middle East, particularly with Israel. After this letter I had to date no more contact to him.

 <top>