As a 13 year old I looked after the children of a doctor’s family every day. When children had gone to bed, I would take Grimm’s fairy tales out of the book case and lose myself in these wonderful and exciting stories.

The love of reading, my mother said I had inherited from my grandfather. She always said that he read every “rag”. Later I read with passion historical books and novels, like for example “The kingdom of France”. Always when the work was finished I read, till late into the night if it was exciting.

Our local newspaper also interested me a lot, the “Solinger Tageblatt”. In this way I could take part in everyday life. I read the newspaper from cover to cover. To begin with the death announcements and lastly the politics.

Until my 81st year I reading books and newspapers was one of my favourite occupations. But my eye-sight became poorer und now at 93 I can sadly no longer see.

Now I get the information from the radio and enjoy listening to music.