Auslanders

Think Bremerhaven, think fish. Having suffered from my father's actions more than many other towns in Northern Germany, not much old architecture remains, and that which does dates back no further than around 1910.

Shortly after the rebuild, they put up some truly horrible buildings in the town, and they continue to do so to this day. Bremerhaven was voted the ugliest town in Germany recently, but I think they were being a bit harsh on themselves. I have seen uglier.

The political situation regarding immigration is very complex here. There is a massive museum dedicated to all the thousands of Germans who used Bremerhaven as a setting-off point to begin a new life in North America, right on the harbour where their boats were moored. Americans often come to Bremerhaven's migration museum to look up records of their great and great, great grandparents who left their own country for a better life in another. They are very tuned-in to the idea of economic migration, so is it any wonder that they - on paper - welcome modern migrants with open arms?

Right next to my friend's apartment there is a vast, brick building which used to be the medical examination centre for military service conscripts. How many young men who went through its doors to have their balls handled whilst they coughed is anyone's guess, but the Germans keep good records, so if you really want to find out you probably could.

Today, this building is used as housing for migrants in transit. There are hundreds of bicycles parked outside, and they were all donated by the ordinary Bremerhaven townspeople for use by the migrant newcomers.

My friend took his 1000 euro bike to the priest in the collection centre, and the elderly cleric remarked on what a good quality bicycle he was generously donating. Thomas said, "Yes it is, and I do not want to see you riding around on it in the future."

Thomas is the kindest, gentlest and most generous person you could wish to meet, but recently he has begun attending classes in defensive marshal arts.

We were walking home one night when he spotted two young Arab men walking toward us. I sensed a slight panic from him, then the two boys went into a house. "Oh, it's ok," he said, "They live there."

He told me that if he is walking alone at night and sees two people who could be immigrants walking in his direction, he crosses the street. It is very sad.