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What a boyhood friend reveals about him
Where the Federal President is simply human - we found the place.
Home was an early blessing for me. "When Joachim Gauck (72) thinks of his childhood today, beautiful pictures come to his mind.
The Federal President grew up in the 1, 200-soul community Wustrow (Western Pomerania). On the sandy beach, little Joachim let stones jump on the sea, collecting shells. Memories that he wants to keep alive.
As we learned, Joachim Gauck now spent his summer vacation in Wustrow, returning to the people who had always been there for him. Their childhood friend Hanns-Jürgen Wunderlich (67) belongs to them.
Even the parents of the two were friends with each other. Hanns-Jürgen Wunderlich tells us exclusively how Joachim Gauck is private : down-to-earth and homely!
"For us, Joochen [nickname with a long O] has not changed. He has remained the old man, "says the former mayor of the neighboring town of Ahrenshoop.
Yes that's true. Every year, the President meets up with his old friends at home and spends a nice evening with them. "We are almost 20 people. Every time we are invited to another. Two years ago we were at the Gaucks. This year with me, "said Wunderlich.
Then it is eaten, talked, laughed. Even the favorite dish of "Joochen" Gauck is now and then on the menu: fried potatoes with quark and black bread. "It is good for him and us that we have this old circle of friends. Everyone can be human here, "says the familiar.
Gauck's partner Daniela Schadt (52) feels well in the circle of friends. Because it is maintained a warm, relaxed manner. Hanns-Jürgen Wunderlich: "When Joochen welcomed my mother, who is about to turn 100, it was as if he had never been away. He calls her Aunt Renate. The connection is still very close. "
How nice! Joachim Gauck was still a child when his family moved to Rostock. But Wustrow remained home. "It remained a haven for me, a comforting reference point for a lifetime. Even if I only come for a visit, I feel at home here, "he once said.
He owns there a thatched house with his siblings, which you can even rent (high season for 570 to 910 euros per week). A dream! "This family house manages his sister Marianne", tells us the youth friend. When the seagulls squeal and the evening sun shimmers over the Baltic Sea, it becomes clear why Joachim Gauck loves his homeland so much.
