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1. What actually drove you to write this book? What motivated you?
As
a result of presentations I used to give in the United States, friends and
colleagues of mine urged me to write a book about this subject; which in turn I
did over 20 years ago. At the time, I didn’t put much effort into trying to
publish; and soon had forgotten all about the manuscript.
When German
journalist Ludger Wimberg accidentally ran across this stack of wilted papers in
my residence in Thailand, it didn’t take but a short discussion to jointly agree
to rewrite this book in German first, followed by an English version.
Reading
German newspapers and weekly magazines regularly, I kept running across horrible
articles and ridiculous views about the communist past, revealing a total lack
of knowledge and widespread ignorance about the true situation back then. To my
surprise, this ignorance could be found amongst West Germans and former East
Germans, and young and old people alike.
Consequently, I felt compelled to
share my negative experiences with the East German Regime as a teenager and a
young man with the young generation of today’s reunited Germany. As it really
was the authentic story of a young man in the East, it was most suitable to
explain what it was really like; to describe the way this particular youngster
experienced Communism, how he came to first dislike and later hate it, and
finally how he eventually tried to leave it behind by escaping to freedom.
Leaving East Germany illegally was a felony back then, and was heavily
punished.
2. Why are you living in Thailand, rather than Germany or
the US?
My motives are solely of private nature; after 10 years in the US
and 20 years in various Asian countries, I simply found my peace on this
tropical Island of Phuket.
Traveling around the world and experiencing the
many different cultures and lifestyles have changed my mentality; I wouldn’t
feel comfortable anymore in those overregulated Societies. I’ve come to value
the easy going lifestyle of Buddhist Societies; they’re less obnoxious about
things, they’re more open and less opinionated.
But as we are a major tourist
destination, I still occasionally encounter some hard headed Germans who rake
and rave over countries they’ve never visited, let alone having lived
there.
In the 35 years I have lived in East and West Germany, I have seen
most of the country and certainly don’t have to return as a tourist. Therefore,
my occasional trips back home are limited to seeing my 94 year old mother for a
few days.
And believe me, I don’t have to miss out on the many German things
that are still dear to my heart; Phuket is probably more German than certain
districts of Berlin.
Phuket features, amongst other things, Bavarian
restaurants, German bakeries, German grocery stores and even German butcher
shops.
And although I prefer speaking English by now, I do have access to
German TV, German DVDs, books and newspapers. And every Tuesday I pick up the
latest issue of Spiegel magazine, even though it’s horribly overpriced at 430
baht per copy.
3. You’ve made your career in the US, and today you’re well
off, so to speak. Are you happy?
Well, you’re leading me on thin ice now.
Yes, I believe I’m happy and at peace with myself. I own a Thai Style Villa,
built high up on a hill, overlooking the Andaman Sea. The house has 4 bedrooms,
a large pool and a sauna. But outside of that, I am not much into luxury goods.
I don’t drink $300 a bottle wine, I don’t smoke $20 a piece cigars, or eat
caviar each day.
As a matter of fact, I’m not much into Brand names at all
when it comes to clothing, shoes or men’s cologne. And Rolex watches are way too
bulky for me. I drive a down to earth Ford Ranger pick up, which has cost me
17,000 Euro only, and is very economical to drive here in Thailand, as gasoline,
tax and insurance are a fraction of what they would be in Germany or the
US.
4. You are revealing many personal details about yourself. For
what purpose?
It’s been an exhilarating eight month during which this
book was created. Many discussions were held, old memories had to be refreshed,
and I had nothing to hide, never have committed any crime and have never been
into drugs.
Thus I was able to write about myself truthfully and not having
to reinvent myself. I tried to come across how I really was, what I felt and how
I had acted in those days.
5. Do you have any goals left in
life?
Not really! I have achieved more than I ever dreamed of, and I
think the one vision left is to make this book a success. I just finished the
English version and, dream on Lothar, I want to make it to the Studios of
Hollywood.
Other than that, I’m comfortable with my life, I have my hobbies,
I swim and I jog. Believe me, that’s still a lot of fun at the age of
62.
Before I started on the book, I had begun learning Thai, including
writing and reading. Now that the book is finished, I will pick up on that
again.
6. Throughout the book, you’re expressing your very personal,
political opinion. Why?
Why not? It’s one of the blessings of freedom to
express one’s views without facing prosecution. Remember, we didn’t enjoy that
luxury back then in the East.
In the context of the book’s contents and story
I inevitably had to express my true feelings. The simple truth is that I was
against the Regime; against any kind of Socialism or Communism, and I have been
pro American since childhood. Very early on, it became clear to me that
Communism didn’t stand a chance when competing fairly with the Western
Democracies.
Admittedly, Capitalism has its pitfalls too, one of which we’re
experiencing in the Financial Markets right now. But it’s clearly the lesser
evil. Because they protect basic Human Rights, freedom of speech, freedom of
choice and free flow of information. And that’s what really
counts.
7. Who are our idols?
Now you’ve got me! I don’t have
any. As a matter of fact, I never had any. Sure, as teenagers we were fascinated
by the Rock- and Pop stars, but God forbid, a John Lennon or Mick Jagger were
certainly not my idols.
Yes, there are people who I greatly admire, people
like Bill Gates, Steve Jobbs, the Google and Yahoo founders; people who with
courage, perseverance, risk taking and ingenuity have built empires out of their
garages.
Or James Cameron, who pushed the Titanic through against all odds; a
movie project he believed in, despite its unprecedented budget of a staggering
$450 Million. And we all know what happened; he had created the most successful
movie ever made. That’s the kind of people I have utmost respect for, and I sure
wouldn’t call them my idols.
8. By means of this book, are you trying
to convince people of something?
No, that has never been my intention. I
simply wanted to confront people with my story and my views, enabling them to
form their own opinion. I tried to give an impulse to, let’s say, a 16 year old
teenager of today, who knows nothing about the communist reality in the country
of his parents, and now reads about another 16 year old boy from back then,
about his aspirations, his anxieties, his fears, his dreams and his sufferings.
And in turn, he may then face his father, asking him questions, wondering, why
his parents have never talked about this.
Sure, there will be plenty of
people who totally disagree with my views, who might even despise the book and
its content. They may not be able to identify themselves with this story, simply
because they experienced life differently back then. And that is totally
acceptable to me, and it’s normal.
However, any open minded reader has to
come to the conclusion, that there had to be something wrong, if a Regime was
forced to prevent their citizens from leaving. Why would thousands of ordinary
people risk their lives or years of imprisonment, if everything was
all right?
After all, there had always been the Irish, the English, the French,
the Swedish, the Dutch, the Italians or the Spanish, who wanted to leave their
countries in pursuit of happiness in America, Canada or Australia. It’s been
like this for centuries. But these people simply bought a ticket, packed their
stuff, took their passports and said ‘Good bye’. And nobody would hold them
back; and certainly nobody would shoot at them.
9.
The perseverance of the character ‘Lothar’, his conviction to escape, and his
courage are very appealing. In your opinion, does this kind of conviction still
apply to the average youngster of today? And if so, why?
Well, what’s
the alternative? To give up? There are situations in every person’s life which
seem hopeless at the time, like the feeling of being stuck in a dead end street,
with no way out. And if they all would give up, there would be no more cultural,
social or technical progress.
AIDS is a terrible epidemic and there is still
no final cure in sight. The research costs Billions. So wouldn’t it be easier
and cheaper to quit worrying about it?
Global warming is a problem of immense
proportions, and the staggering economic growth rates in China and India seem to
render all plans for the reduction of CO2 emissions useless. The continued
clearing of thousands of square miles of rain forest doesn’t help either. So why
not give up, and let destiny take its course?
As far as the book is
concerned, let’s not exaggerate. The "Lothar" in the book is not a hero and his
endurance and courage are rather limited compared to what many other people have
to face in life. People, who, after an accident, find themselves in a wheel chair and despite their handicap make it all the way to the Para Olympics. We’ve all
seen the incredible footage broadcasted from China.
Nothing has to stay as it
is. Giving up is simply not an option. I hope this book does encourage some
people to review their situation and keep pushing for a way out.
10.
Can ‘Lothar’ be an idol to others?
No, I don’t think so. And I’m not sure
that I even wanted to be one. But the story shows, that with the right
conviction, putting in great effort and believing in oneself, everyone can
achieve his or her goals in life. A little luck helps too.
I would urge the young
people of today, not to depend on others, to take matters in their own hands, no
matter how desperate the situation seems. I have tried to get out to freedom and
I have succeeded. And from that moment on I took my life in my own hands, took
responsibility for my actions. The ordinary people in West Germany at the time
didn’t really care whether this young fugitive would end up in the gutter or on
the executive floor. And rightfully so! It wasn’t them who were responsible for
my life and my future; It was me!
11. What in your opinion is so
fascinating on young Lothar? Why should anyone bother to read this
book?
It’s not the person who is fascinating, it’s his experiences, his
conviction and his dedication. Lothar was not some kind of superman, but rather
an ordinary youngster, who found himself living in a country and a society he
didn’t care about. This fundamental conflict then finally determined his actions
and made him follow a path to freedom.
One reason, I would strongly recommend
to read this book is that it’s an honest book. Looking back after 40 years,
Ludger and I have resurrected the emotions and aggressions of young Lothar. I
have laughed and I have cried during the writing of certain passages. One can
look at the past from many different angles, and one can come to different
conclusions. This book is just one angle, my angle, and the conclusion is
obvious: I simply didn’t belong there; they should have just let me leave. I
didn’t ask for nothing more.
12. What was the main purpose for you
to write this book?
Two things, really.
First, this is how I have
experienced living in a communist country, this is how I felt about it, how I
despised them and this is what I did to try to get away from it
all.
Secondly, as mentioned earlier, the clear advice to take your life in
your own hands, be responsible for your actions; don’t blame others for your
misfortunes or your unpleasant situation. Be proud of your accomplishments,
proud of your ability to change things to the better. Because you can do
it.
13. Has the writing of the book changed you in any
way?
Yes, it has. The human brain is a remarkable organ. Given the proper
trigger, it will spill out long forgotten details, emotions and feelings, making
you relive your past, as if it happened yesterday. And just like people laugh
about other people in certain scenes of a funny movie, you can do the same when
writing or reading your own story.
There are plenty of passages in the book
to make the reader laugh, especially when it comes to certain Party Officials
and their sermons, the jokes about them, and their abstruse view of
things.
And there is no lack of sad passages either: The life threatening
experience in the water tank of the Banja prison in Sofia, for example, or the
overwhelming emotions during my first visit back to East Germany. Certainly the
bus ride through the border that night in June of 1970. What once was faded
memory, suddenly surfaces with full force and makes your body tremble
again.
Writing this book, it became apparent to me, how damn lucky I had
really been to get sold. It was the greatest gift in my life, and it enabled me
to pursue a better future. Sure, I had to suffer first; without going to prison
I would have never gotten on that list.
The transport to West Germany that
night, and the first impressions in the Mercedes bus, riding on the highway
towards Frankfurt, remains by far the most emotional experience in my life. I
have spent a lot of time on that particular chapter to try to share these
emotions with the reader.
14. Why did you settle in
Thailand?
I have spent 12 years in Asia before I retired, and lived and
worked in Singapore, China and Malaysia. From there, I took many weekend trips
to Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Phuket. I kind of liked Thailand.
I spent my last
year with the company overseeing a special project with some key suppliers in
Bangkok, and most of the weekends I would disappear to Phuket. I rented a car
and started to explore the Island, noticing a number of great residential
projects coming up. And then I found my dream location, my dream house. It was
love at first sight, and even the "fengh shui" was good.
Thailand is
currently the only southern Asian country with a halfway decent infrastructure,
a fairly solid legal system, and, due to its tourism industry, it’s relatively
safe here.
The Island of Phuket in the Andaman Sea is a tropical paradise
with a fascinating landscape; the rock formations of the Phang Nga Bay are
unique in the world.
As a major tourist destination, Phuket has a bustling
business and an astounding night life. The Island features pristine beaches as
well as secluded mountainous areas of serene beauty. And the weather is
beautiful year round.
If you stay out of trouble and respect their culture,
you will get along with the Thai people just fine. There is a reason why
Thailand is called ‘The Land of Smiles’.
After 7 years now, I feel like home
in Phuket, and I plan to spend the rest of my life here.
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