UBB.threads Forums General Interest Other Hobbies and Collections, like sports cars, movies, music,etc Roland's Pictures

Picture 1

Picture 2

Picture 3

Picture 4

Picture 5

Picture 6

Picture 7

Picture 8

before I make remarks about the pictures I need to express my gratitute to our Computer help forum leader Aaron and his speedy help. Vielen Herzlichen Dank Aaron.

Picture 1. Yours truly with my next door neighbor in Bertelsdorf/Stein. The reason I included that picture is to show you the tough old german soldier, age 81 compared to your out of shape "SteinMeister". Herr Just spent the last three years of the war in Russia, Normandy and ended the war in Hungary becoming a Russian prisioner, spending about six years after the war in their gulags. As you can see he is well and a great fellow to talk to and spend time with.
2.My cousin Richard on the left...myself on the right and the "Gute Soldat Schweik" in the middle. For those of you who know German Literature well enough you will know him as the German equivalent of "Sadsack". Exept he was a real Check soldier who did not serve the Austrian Army very well...in other words he was their classic F...up.
3.myself and my fellow postal worker on the far right visiting my cousins husband Hans Braun, and his son...we spent an evening together, eating,drinking beer and having a good time...I think that is visible...on the way out Hans wanted to show us his "Wohnung". In the foyerI noticed a handpainted sign with the letters LSSAH on it...I asked Hans how he got that sign...he told me that he made it while in a Russian prison...It also had a skeleton Key on it...so I asked him the question...and he nodded his head...Nobody knows about this he said...and his eyes lit up...not even my son understands what that means...nobody in town is to know...I am only admiting this to you because next week you will be far away from here...I gave him a big hug and almost broke into tears...knowing him as a gentleman all my life who can not discuss his service to his country to anybody...
4.myself and two of my cousins celebrating their 75B.-day in Coburg. Both were in the HJ and taken prisioners by the Amis in 1945 after making a last ditch stand...now get this...the one in the middle...the bald headed one...Fritz of course...jumbed of the lorry and walked back to Coburg following the RRtracks...being hunted by Ami fighters...he says...its not the first one that would kill you...you always had to watch out for the second one...and then even more dangerous the first guy duing a barrelroll and coming back on you
5.My Coworker at the Postal Service inside the partially constructed "Congress Hall" in Nuernberg. It is now part of a Holocast Museum. Like they say...you had to be there to appreciate the enourmous pile of stone and Italian marble.
6.What is left of the "Reichstags Gelaende"...still grand to look at
7. Smile...Brown tourists at the Hess grave in Wunsiedel...three weeks earlier they had three thousand skin heads being kept from the grave yard and destroying down town Wunsiedel...the Idiots...when we went there (my cousin Richard lives about to ks from there) there was nobody but the grave digger...and he told us that of course we were being watched and taped by the German "Verfassungschutz". I have something more to say later about that inscription...Ich habs gewagt...I could give a two hour dissertation on what those words could mean.
8.The War memorial in my hometown of Wiesau, Bavaria...about an hours drive from Nuernberg...its for the victim of both World Wars...amongst them several relatives.

I have about two hundred more pics...but most of them are of a personal nature since we were home for a wedding. At the last moment my wife had to back out because of school...so my College Richard Townsend agreed to come along...He thought he was going to be a tourist...turns out that because of my...well shall we call is portliness he became the body guard...photographer...luggage handler and even baby sitter...and he did a terrific job...and a good sport on top of it all...some of the other places we visited were in order...Regensburg, Walhalla, Veldenstein, Falkenberg, Wiesau, Wunsiedel, Franzenbad, Carlsbad (both Check Republic)Coburg, Mannheim and of course Frankfurt....hope this didnt get to long...regards...your SteinMeister...Roland.

Wow... more beer, brats,relatives,good food,more beer,...are you sure you are related to these good people???? Fantastic sights.... railways, castles, beer, women....many thanks...cheers.....Richard

Many thanks Aaron and Roland.

Roland - Glad to see you had a great visit back to the Old Homeland - Thanks for the pictures , a couple make me want to pack -up and fly to "Deutschland" for some good Food and Drink not to mention a little sightseeing.
Alles Gute

I just noticed this thread and I like to say very nice pictures and great stories with them all. I really need to get there some day some of my families still stays in Murnau am Staffelsee, Bavaria where my great grandfather
Benedict Doll was from, I only wish I knew were my Kirchen side was from in Germany. The Swedish side there all from Stockholm, only my last name side of the family I can not discover were they were from in Germany.

Very, interesting, Roland. Good pictures and good stories, and it is always to see the 'mug' of our Steinmaster as well...