Our desire for more freedom was boundless!
Table of contents
1. foreword
2. my birthplace Großau / Cristian
3. The diversity of Transylvanian cuisine
4. Großau fortified church
5. Our mother’s work as a castle guardian
6. Baptisms in Großau
7. Confirmation in Großau
8. Memories of Christmas in Großau
9. Candlelight singing on Christmas Day
10. New Year’s greetings in Großau
11. Our youth in Transylvania
12. Departure from Romania to Germany
13. Our German and Romanian lessons in Romania
14. Visiting Romania
1. foreword
I hope you enjoy reading and looking at the photos. I feel the need to write down some memories of our life in Romania and of our departure to Germany. The more I think about it, the more I realize what a special time it was for us when we left our homeland and emigrated to Germany, some of us to Austria.
This strong desire for more freedom was the most important reason for me to leave. I’m sure everyone has experienced this in their own way. There’s a lot to tell. But perhaps what we all have in common is that we didn’t want to accept the closed borders.
During this time in Romania, I was very influenced by this strong community, for example in the family, the circle of friends and the neighborhood. Because very few people had a car and there were always lots of people on foot or by bike, we knew each other in the village. I really liked that. We got on very well with our Romanian neighbors and friends. We are still very happy when they visit us in Germany and also when we go to Romania to visit them. We feel connected to them. Fortunately, we have the telephone and cell phone.
For many people in Großau, maintaining the community is still important today. In a completely different way to how it used to be in the village. For this reason, the HOG (local community) Großau was founded several years ago. The Großauer Blatt has been published regularly once a year since 2002.
There was always a lot of work to do at home, at work, in the garden and in the fields. But we also enjoyed celebrating together. When we were unwell due to illness or excessive demands – which happened often enough – we supported each other as best we could.
For me, the connection to the church was always a “matter of course”. I am still very grateful today when I draw strength for life from prayer and faith.
I’m sure everyone has experienced this differently and can tell you something different.
I look forward to every conversation.
We are still among the contemporary witnesses.
Anna Ramsauer
August 2021
