Interview With My Grandma
Q: Where and when were you born?
A: I was born in Hamburg, Germany, in 1948.
Q: Did you grow up in Hamburg?
A: I lived in Hamburg until I was about 10 years old. Then my parents moved to Hanover, where they opened a clothing shop, my mother designed and made all the clothes they sold. Whilst my parents got settled in Hannover, I stayed for about six or seven months with my uncle in the countryside. During that time, I went to a village school where all the students—from ages 6 to 16—sat together in one room. It was very different from school today.
Q: What was school like for you?
A: When I was in the village school, we didn’t even use pencils—we wrote on small blackboards with chalk. I didn’t hold a pencil until I moved to school in Hanover. Because of different regional accents, I struggled with spelling in German. When I was around 12, I had to take an exam to move to a higher-level school, but I didn’t pass it, so I stayed in the basic school system, which meant I couldn’t go to university.
Q: What is your earliest childhood memory?
A: One memory that stands out is from when I was about five years old, just after the war. We lived in a small apartment with only one heater.
We heated water manually for baths, and the whole family used the same bathwater—my father, then my mother, then my sister, and I was last, when it was cold.
One time, after my bath, I ran into the living room and accidentally backed into a hot iron heater. I got severe burns and had to sit in a saltwater bath for weeks to heal.
Life was very different back then—much harder and simpler.
Q: What did you do instead of going to university?
A: I did an apprenticeship in dressmaking, which lasted three years. In Germany, if you don’t go to university, you learn a trade through an apprenticeship. You start from the bottom—cleaning and observing - slowly learning to master everything about the job. Once a week, you also go to school to study the theory behind your trade. After three years, you take an exam and become fully qualified.
Q: What was your first job?
A: After my apprenticeship, I worked in my parents’ shop in Hannover. We made high-quality, custom clothing for women. I worked upstairs with other dressmakers, creating the designs. Later, I went to Frankfurt to attend a fashion school, where I learned how to make patterns. After that, I became a master dressmaker, which meant I could teach others.
My first official job after that was designing children’s clothing, which I enjoyed much more.
Q: Did you stay in Germany your whole life?
A: No. After working in Germany for a while, I got an opportunity to work in Portugal. At the time, I didn’t speak English well and no Portuguese and had barely traveled, so it was a big risk. But I applied for the job, asked for a salary, housing, and even a car—and surprisingly, they agreed. So I went. It was a big risk, but that decision changed my life, because that’s where I met your grandfather.
Q: Who inspired you when you were younger?
A: My mother. She was very intelligent, elegant, funny, and fair. She was strong, and without her, our family wouldn’t have managed after the war.
Q: How has technology changed your life?
A: Completely. When I was younger, technology barely existed compared to today. Even when computers first appeared, they were slow and complicated. Now everything is instant—phones, payments, communication. It’s amazing, but also overwhelming, especially as you get older because it keeps changing so quickly. We didn’t get a television until I was about 15. I remember when President John F. Kennedy was assassinated—I had to run to my neighbors’ house to watch it on their TV and then tell my parents.
Q: What major historical event stands out to you?
A: The Berlin Wall. Germany was divided into East and West, and when the wall was built, it separated families and people overnight.
Later, when the wall came down, I remember watching it on TV and waking everyone up because history was happening. It was an incredible moment.
Q: What is your greatest achievement (besides raising your family)?
A: Becoming a master dressmaker was a big achievement. Also, buying my own car and earning my driving license. And building a life with your grandfather—we worked very hard and supported each other through everything.
Q: Is your life what you imagined when you were younger?
A: Not at all. I always thought I would just stay in fashion forever. I had many dreams when I was young, I even wanted to be a cowgirl at one point!
Q: What is the best advice you’ve ever received and what advice would you give to me for college and my future?
A:
- Always be honest, even if it’s difficult. It might cost you sometimes, but it’s always better than lying.
- Be responsible for your own actions and decisions and learn from your mistakes
- And most importantly: trust your instincts, if something feels wrong, trust your gut.