Pomeranian Journey: 12–16 May 2010
When my parents told me months ago that they were going back to Pommern this year, I decided on the spur of the moment to join them. A colleague of mine is also currently doing intensive genealogical research, and over the past year I often found myself thinking about the old stories of my grandmother Irmgard Kohlmeyer (née Jandt) and my grandfather, Franz Kohlmeyer. And when Rudi Dorow began to rave so enthusiastically over coffee one day, it was clear that I would seize the opportunity.
I really enjoyed the trip! The cheerful mood on the bus from the very beginning, and the many lovely people I got to meet, were the icing on a journey full of special impressions.
I liked the excursions. However, the days were tightly scheduled, so there was little time to look around at leisure. It was more of a brief glimpse of the towns and the Pomeranian lake district that leaves you wanting more—preferably in warmer temperatures. I particularly enjoyed the visit to Köslin, which was far too short. Gerd Jandt, my grandmother’s cousin who was born there, brought the town to life with his stories and, throughout the trip, gave me a closer sense of his childhood and that of my grandparents.
Because I love the sea, I also liked Kolberg, although apart from the sandy beach and the promenade I didn’t see much… time was too short and, because of the cold wind, we spent some time in a cozy café enjoying delicious cake and hot coffee. Well, if it hadn’t been so windy and cold, we probably would have found another excuse to go into the café. It was worth it!
For me the highlight of the trip was visiting Groß Krössin, since both my grandparents came from that village. I saw both parental homes, the school, the church, the Persante… all of which I had previously known only from stories. It was wonderful to see my grandmother’s house in real life, on the edge of the village, nestled in the fields. I had seen it for years in a photograph hanging on the wall of my grandmother’s sitting room. Now I can also imagine how my grandfather used to drive his wagon to Villnow to the station to pick up things and bring them back to the village.
I saw the Persante where he liked to fish. All of that has become more tangible. And I understand why they both loved to think back to their old home: the landscape is beautiful, still so unspoiled. The forests are even more beautiful and greener than here, the fields even wider and larger. And the animals feel more “within reach,” because there are simply more of them and a greater variety…
And those tree-lined avenues along the roads—dreamlike! You really can’t get enough of the landscape.
It’s a shame the winter was so harsh and the flowers weren’t further along this time: I would have loved to see the poppy fields and even more variety in the greens and colorful tones of nature. The others couldn’t stop raving about it!
Melanie Beck