This is our ancestry … the Burmeisters and their origins in Germany.
On top, three brothers Burmeister, from left Carl Hein, Fred, the oldest and Wilhelm, the youngest; the photo below is Wilhelm, Carsten’s dad in WWII with the “butter-truck” he drove, the canteen; below Fred Burmeister at the entry to their spirituosen business that produced gin, cognace etc. branded “Sporn”.
Carsten’s parents, Wilhelm and Elly Burmeister
My children never knew my dad, Wilhelm, he died at 59 years of age when I was in my mid-twenties, but they knew my mum … Nanni
Mutti and Vati on holidays
My dear grandchildren … this is my Opa, Carl Fraass … Nanni’s father. I didn’t know my paternal grandparents very well, but I had a close relationship with my Opa. He used to come and visit us in Essen and when I was a teenager, I used to catch the train to Hamburg – all on my own – and visit my Opa.
Opa was a sailor, in fact a cook on ocean liners for Hapag Lloyd, on the Hamburg to New York line. And guess what?! One day they were at see and that night they saw fireworks on the horizon … the ship the fireworks came from was beyond the horizon. The date was 15 April 1912, and what they saw were not “fireworks” but flares pleading for help … from the Titanic.
