Our Heroes in Germany

Interview with a student’s grandmother

1. Do you feel like a hero and what makes you a hero?
There are always problems. If you don’t do something well, you shouldn’t immediately think that you can’t do it well. You should instead try to think that it was a success after all.

2. What is a hero to you?
For me a hero is someone who is honest and reliable, someone who can admit if they don’t know something or can’t do something, someone who stands by their weaknesses, and very importantly: a hero has to be a good listener. For example: if a child says to their mother “we had five lessons today and everything was great!” Then the mother responds, “how many lessons did you have today?” That is not a hero to me.

3. Have you ever helped someone, and would you do it again?
I have helped someone before. The most important is to be a good listener. I am always ready to help anyone no matter what problems they have.

4. What have you done to be your granddaughter’s hero?
My granddaughter can always rely on me. I always try to help her, and she can always trust me. Whenever my grandchildren call, I will be with them as soon as possible.

5. How much time do you spend with your granddaughter? What are your favorite things to do together?
That has been hard in recent times. But when it’s possible I spend a lot of time with her. We haven’t really hugged each other since March because of corona.

6. What does your granddaughter like best about you?
I think that she likes me because she can always count on me.

7. How was your childhood?
I was born in the last few days of World War Two, but I don’t remember that time anymore. I had a good childhood. My dad died very early. After his death my older brother took over as head of the household. I liked going to school, even though I wasn’t always very attentive. For 6 years, I sung in the radio choir, which gave me the opportunity to travel the world when I was still a child. Afterwards, I graduated from high school, learned my trade, and started my adult life.

8. What did you want to be as a child? Did you end up having that job? Do you still work?
I didn’t really know what I wanted to be as a child. Pilot, police officer, journalist? Since I didn’t know I decided I wanted to work the same job as my best friend. That didn’t work out. I became a Chemical Technician and afterwards graduated with a degree in Engineering. Now I’m retired.

9. What do you do in your free time? What is your favorite activity?
I love to travel. Foreign countries and the people who live there are really interesting to me. Right now, of course I can’t go on any of my planned vacations. I’m sure it will be possible again eventually though. Other than that, I also like to read and watch crime shows. I’m a big fan of music. I’m also interested in the music that you like to listen to. And of course I also like to spend time with my grandchildren.

10. What was your best experience?
More than 20 years ago, I got to ride in a helicopter over the Grand Canyon, which is an extremely impressive landscape in a National Park in the USA. It was particularly special because I lived in the GDR and would never have dared to dream of ever seeing this wonderful landscape. I think a lot about this experience and can still feel the emotions I felt back then.

11. Who is your personal hero?
My personal hero is my mom. My mom allowed my brother and I to study in university, even though she worked as a secretary and didn’t earn a lot of money. She gave up a lot to give us that opportunity.

12. Do you want to be your granddaughter’s hero?
Yes, of course!

Interview with two Leipzig Police Officers

1. Did you always want to be a police officer?
Before I was a police officer, I was in the army. After the reunification of Germany, I couldn’t stay in the army. I’ve been a police officer since 1990.

2. Why did you want to be a police officer?
Because my father was a police officer.

3. What you be if you weren’t a police officer?
A solider in the German Armed Forces.

4. What grades do you need in order to become a police officer?
You need ones, twos, and threes.

5. What tests did you have to pass in order to become a police officer?
I had to do a sports test: a 3000m run, an obstacle course, and a long-distance throw.

6. What did you have to do during your training?
The training lasts for 2.5 years. You have to do an internship and pass exams.

7. Is your job difficult?
Every day is different. Sometimes it’s difficult, especially when you see suffering.

8. How long do you work every day?
8 hours a day. If I have to work more one day, I can work less another day.

9. Do you have to exercise every day?
I have to do 4 hours of exercise every month. I get paid for this time. As a police officer, you have to be fit.

10. What do you do in your free time?
I am raising my two sons alone. Because of that I do a lot of housework. I also sometimes lie on the couch and watch football. Sometimes I play football too.

11. How did you earn the stars on your uniform?
If you do good work for a long time, you get a positive evaluation and get a star.

12. What was your most dangerous assignment?
An unpredictable emergency that came out of nowhere. You never know what to expect.

13. Have you ever had to use your gun during an assignment?
I have taken out my gun twice so far. Once I had to shoot a person but not kill them.

14. Have you ever been injured while on an assignment?
Yes, on my shoulder.

15. Would you sacrifice yourself to save someone in an emergency?
I wouldn’t stand by and watch anyone get hurt. I would sacrifice myself in that case.

16. Are all police officers allowed to have a dog?
No, you need special training.

17. Have you ever been in a car chase?
Yes. It is very stressful because you aren’t just chasing someone. You also have to pay attention to the other people, cars, and animals around you.

18. How many women work for police?
There are definitely more women than there were before. In general though, more men work for the police than women.

19. What do you like about your job?
I like to help people.

20. If you could go back in time, would you still choose to be a police officer?
Yes, I would. There have been times when my job hasn’t been fun though, mostly because of political decisions. There were not a lot of police officers and a lot of work to do. Now I like to go to work again though.