After 30 years of no contact,former apprentices stand by their word

Meeting during their apprenticeships

With some people, you immediately sense that you are on the same wavelength. Conversations feel natural from the very beginning, and time seems to fly. That is exactly what happened to Anke and Karin when they met during their apprenticeships at Orenstein & Koppel, a predecessor company of thyssenkrupp. Anke was in her second year of training, while Karin was already in her third year at O&K. “We spent every lunch break sitting together and chatting. And whenever I didn’t know something or needed help, I could always ask Karin,” Anke recalls.

They spent every lunch break together – but Anke and Karin always knew the end of their training period was in sight. Karin would take her training exam in January 1990, after which they’d part ways. That they still wanted to see each other again was clear to the two aspiring technical draughtswomen. That’s why they came up with an extraordinary idea on July 7, 1989.

Pledge recorded in writing on drawing tubes

September 1, 2019 was set as the day of their reunion – more than 30 years later! On the one hand, this date marks the starting date of their training on September 1, on the other hand, they would both turn 50 in 2019. All they needed now was to decide on a location that would be just as celebratory as their reunion would be. “I can’t remember exactly who came up with the idea and how we decided on the venue,” says Anke. They made a written note of the Eiffel Tower in Paris and of the date. From that moment on, this mutual pledge adorned the drawing tubes of both Anke and Karin.

30 years of silence do not invalidate a promise

In fact, it was these very tubes that continually reminded Anke and Karin of their pledge over the years. After her training, Karin moved from Ennigerloh in the Münsterland region of central Germany to Munich in the south. “Life was different back then. There were no social networks or WhatsApp, not even the opportunity to call each other regularly. That’s why we quickly fell out of touch,” says Anke today.

For a full 30 years, the two women did not talk to one another once. Absolutely no contact – not a single phone call, e-mail or letter. The only thing that connected them was written on their drawing tubes: September 1, 2019, 1 p.m., Eiffel Tower.

And that’s precisely what made these drawing tubes so important for both women. “Every time I moved house, my husband asked me: ‘Hey, does this have to go too?’ And I answered: ‘Of course it has to.’”

Such an incredible story that even close friends couldn’t believe it

Hardly anyone in Anke’s circle of friends believed this reunion in Paris would actually take place. “No way she’ll turn up,” they said. Anke however was always sure that Karin would show up. But: “What if Karin’s not well? Or she can’t make it for some reason? You can never be totally sure,” says Anke.

That explains why she was so excited as she traveled to Paris together with her husband. “If she doesn’t come, at least we can spend a nice weekend together there,” they say to each other. At 11.30 p.m. on Sunday, they stood in line at the security check – Anke with her drawing tube slung over her shoulder.

A long-awaited reunion under the Eiffel Tower

A drawing tube isn’t something that goes unnoticed for long in such a place. Employees approach Anke and her husband and soon discover the story behind the long-planned meeting. So you now have not only Anke and her hubby but also lots of security officers, photographers, and tour guides keeping an eye out for another woman with a drawing tube.

Given the crowd of love-struck couples, tour parties, and families milling around, Anke briefly worries she may never find Karin. But then everything happens very quickly – a woman walks by just a yard away from Anke. “Look, she has a drawing tube,” says her husband. Anke calls out her name three times before Karin turns around – and they’re standing face to face again for the first time in 30 years.

The chemistry hasn’t changed even today

At second glance, neither of them seems to have changed. And the chemistry between them is still there. Like in the old days during those lunch breaks, they hardly stop laughing. And time still flies. For six hours, Anke and Karin reminisce and, together with their husbands, talk about all the things they have missed out on sharing over the past 30 years.

And both agree that they certainly don’t want to wait such a long time again until they next meet up. “Even if we briefly played with the idea of whether we would like to schedule the next meeting for 30 years’ time, leaving it until we’re 80 would be crazy,” says Anke, laughing. There’s no way they could go that long without seeing each other. They’re going to meet up again next year – and they’ve also moved with the times and swapped cell phone numbers.