POINT BLANK: MINE PIT / GLÜCKAUF
— A JETAMELE/POINT BLANK POJECT —
The last mine here in Bochum were closed down decades ago. This here is not to complain and struggle with history and changes. People here are used to changes and cope with it in a very positive way. This is about that people here in Bochum and the whole Ruhr Area keep the legacy of mining and steel factories precious, because this era shaped the mentality of people living here or moved to that place from all over Europe.
At elementary school we sang every friday the traditional of the “Steigerlied”, which described in a proud way the all days life of a miner. If we behaved well that week, our teacher Mrs Kutscher allowed us to sing even the third verse of that song, that include the words “..and he wear the leather on his ass..” ….sure, giggling and smiling all over the class room.
I never worked at the mine pit. From the age of 16 to 20 I worked at the steel factory… …but there were always this proud solidarity with the miners. Even during my study at the mining school of applied science the professors greeted every morning with the miners salute ‘Glückauf’ (means something like to have a lucky way up to daylight).
In this sense
GLÜCKAUF
Please see as well Andrea’s impressions about the mine pit in Bochum at JETAMELE !!!
POINT BLANK: DIRTY OLD TOWN
I didn’t met my love by the gas works wall, I didn’t dreamed a dream by the old canal and I didn’t kissed my girl at the factory wall… …but all these impressions from Barnsley/Yorkshire were so familiar to me and I’m sure I did these things mentioned in “Dirty old Town’ sometime in my past in my hometown of Bochum.
The history of Barnsley is similar to the one of Bochum: closed down mining pits, second-league football, nice pubs and a bunch of great people.
Thanks Neil, bro, for that days in Yorkshire !!!
POINT BLANK 