The family history - Villingen and the German cousins
Three sepia/black and white photographs: top left shows a person in military uniform; top right and bottom show people in outdoor settings in Villingen, Germany with trees and buildings visible.
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What the page says
MY COUSIN, ALBRECHT
VILLINGEN, GERMANY
Villingen is a walled village; not really very big. It is a beautiful old place; it's a place never taken by force, not damaged by war. There was a period that they came very close to it, very close to it under siege. But the enemy gave up and retreated. The villagers were desperately trying to reinforce the back wall at the time and were unaware of what was happening. We have a big book about Villingen which depicts the town beautifully.
Agnes, my aunt in Germany, is the last living relation of my father's era now and she has told me a lot about events during WWII. She relates about the time she was riding between villages when the planes came roaring overhead. Unfortunately for me, she only speaks German and I don't, so it makes it rather difficult to communicate.
People: Albrecht, Agnes
Places: Villingen, Germany
Interesting facts
A uniform portrait was a rite of passage. Germany had universal male conscription from 1871, and having your photograph taken in uniform marked the year you served. A man in uniform in a family album is not necessarily a man at war.
