In the summer of 1973 I had a chance to take part in the International Air Cadet Exchange, thus visiting the United States together with 9 other young guys and an escorting officer of the German Air Force. We toured New York City, southern Texas and Washington D.C. In Houston, we visited the Johnson Space Center, and on August 2nd we were appointed Honorary Citizens of the City (In the picture below, I am the third from the right, sporting a beard. Houston Mayor Louie Welch is at the center, and our escorting officer is to his right).
Following school and military service, I took a job as a civil servant in the Regional Court of Augsburg - which I still occupy.
Having got married in 1982, I moved to the little village of Nordendorf, about 30 km to the north of Augsburg. As Nordendorf does have an official community partnership with a village in France, I joined the local partnership committee which coordinates the different activities and visits between our two villages.
I'm a member of the National Geographic Society since 1983.
May 2007