How I got to the Altenheim: An American/ German Journey
Michael E. Willis – How I got to the Altenheim: An American/ German Journey
Saturday, March 26, 2022
Michael Willis and his wife Iris Alberts
It begins in 1966 at Roosevelt High School, when I took German from Frau Westphalinger, in the German part of segregated St. Louis. Since I couldn’t speak any foreign language, it was either French or German. I flipped a coin and glücklicherweise, German won the toss. Stories came out of that interesting time!
After high school, and on to college, Washington University in St. Louis to study architecture, and I needed a foreign language, so I kept the German. Herr Mainschein introduced me to Wolfgang Borchert’s Die Physiker and others.…And that’s where the saga gets interesting. To hear more, including poetry and music, I’ll see you on 26 March!
If you would like to view our archive video of the presentation, contact Dr. Marion Gerlind for access.