Sunday 15th JanuaryJULIAN PARR:The next morning I felt a wreck for a minute or two, but soon recovered my good spirits and jumped out of bed, eager to meet whatever the day had in store for me. My first shock was when Walt Spiegl accepted my joking offer of a cognac - before breakfast, too! My stomach curled up and died inside me. GREG BENFORD: My eyes opened. The light was strong. I closed them. Presently Jim elbowed me in the side and I opened up again. "Time to get up," he said. Jim would give me no rest, so there was nothing else to do but get up and get dressed. This was accomplished in short order and the bags were packed except for some prozines I wanted to glance at before leaving. All squared away, I went out in search of fannish activity. This turned out to be no more than twenty feet away in the form of Walt Spiegl, who informed me that Julian Parr was about ready to have breakfast. About that time JP himself came up the stairs and confirmed the information. We made plans as to when to meet and I went back to pack the remaining promags. About five minutes later Walt met us in the hall and we walked down to Julian's room. He was packing, too, so we had a fine time making comments on his stf material. The poor chap invited us to look for anything of interest in his briefcase, so we all started sorting out stuff. For some reason he was carrying a translation of a novel with him which ran to about 100 pages a file full of correspondence and old fanzines, promags, and a few old manuscripts. Julian told Walt about the cognac and the lighter, so he wanted to see all the equipment and the bottle. Strangely, tho, the bottle had only a little left in the bottom, while it had been almost entirely full when we left last night. By this time Julian was through packing, so we went downstairs to have breakfast. Ernsting and some others were already eating, so we took a table nearby. JULIAN PARR: Downstairs, as we waited for breakfast, I brought Walter Ernsting and the twins together in an attempt to encourage fraternisation. A discussion arose on Anne's references to "filthy pro's" and "dirty old pro's" running the SFCD. At first Greg suggested that anyone who earned money from SF was a pro, but I pointed out that Anne herself was paid for translating SF (one of her translations was published in the Utopia series, and her public complaint that Pabel and Ernsting had not paid for this - in fact her agent had not forwarded the money - had been the start of the feud). Walter was the only full-time pro in the SFCD executive. His wife had a full-time job in an office, Ernst Richter is an official in the court administration, Walt Spiegl works for the American Express in Frankfurt, and Heinz Bingenheimer seems to be a commercial agent. We tried to explain to Greg that the only real distinction between full-time and part-time pros (and thus between Walter and Anne) could only be the measure of their success at writing or translating SF. Greg shrugged his shoulders. Poor Walter! Still puzzled by his frequent references to 'fannish. fandom' in VOID he asked Greg what kind of SF he chose to read, then. 'What, me?" said Greg, shocked. "I don't read science fiction!" Walter's eyes rolled upwards as he tried to work that one out... GREG BENFORD: WE told us he poured water on some nonfans who were yelling or something around the early hours of the morning, which of course drew comment in the form of "minor incidents". During breakfast there was an argument on pros which I mostly agreed with, except for the types of pros. As the room had to be signed out by twelve, we decided to take our luggage to the movie and from there to Ann's house. Jim ran up and got the bags while I checked out and we all set out for the movie. A few pictures were taken in front of the hotel and Julian asked someone for directions. Walking through Wetzlar reminded me of a British convention because of the narrow streets and the general atmosphere. JP said it looked a lot like his home, but Wetzlar couldn't compare because they let monsters walk the street.
ANNE STEUL: Poor me! If I had known the kind. of guests I had, I would have started waking them an hour earlier! At my first hesitant and polite knock at the door, there was no answer. On the second try, a dull grunt was all I received. I was getting breakfast ready and thought the boys were up! How mistaken one can be. When I went to check up, there was no one up and about- I stormed into the room pulled up the shades and wished the gentlemen a very loud "good morning" and has about getting up? Ellis looked at me as if he had never seen me before and Jan lazily remarked that I should shake Ellis out of his feathers and let his sleep on. I told them what I thought of them and they should get the heck up and shave themselves. Back I went to the kitchen, where meanwhile the rolls were a little burned - not much just a little. When I went to my room I noticed that the bathroom was still empty. Now I got het up, looked for my whistle and found it, stormed into the room once more and blew that whistle - and can that whistle blow! It makes a sound to raise the dead and it was successful, I should have thought of it in the first place. Perhaps it might be a good idea to take it along on further Conventions. How about Kettering and "Anne, blow your whistle!" What a slogan to keep people away! Well, the lazy dogs finally appeared, and I rammed the breakfast down their throats and hurried them out. Jorg Teichman, ”painter" for FANannIA was already waiting for us. With all the trouble I had with those guys, I forgot my glasses and without them I am nearly as blind as a bat. Well, we were, of course, very late. When we rounded the last corner, the other part of the convention was coming to us and together we entered the place. Here I and we all got the surprise of out lives! There was a long line waiting in front of the paybox and the owner was all polite smiles. JULIAN PARR: We wandered through the streets of old Wetzlar towards the cinema. This was our only real glimpse of the town. We passed below the cathedral, a confused pile of masonry, hemmed in by houses which prevented one from seeing it at the distance which might have lent it harmony. We crossed the Lahn and met Anne, Jan, and Ellis outside the cinema. We were all astonished to find the cinema almost full, for the attendance at these Sunday matinees (at 11 am) is usually poor. The manager was overwhelmed. GREG BENFORD: There was quite a crowd in the lobby, so we just stood around and tried to get rid of some of the quote cards I had. Ellis thought it would be a daring stunt to give the ticket man a real faaaaaanish quote card instead of the fakefan things sold by the management. His hopes were dampened somewhat when Ann came around collecting money to buy all our tickets at once, but Ellis persisted in giving one to the guy, and Jim, Jan and I decided to do the same. The time approached for us to pass by and one by one we filed by. Ellis hid his under his coat. JJ dropped his. I crumbled mine up in my hand. Jim put his in his pocket. We're all cowards. JULIAN PARR: We were given the best seats in the house: double snogging seats at the back. During the short documentary on Turkey, prior to the main feature, Walt Spiegl came out with his description of the con till now: "A Thousand and Last Night." Then, specially booked for the con, the dubbed version of "The War of the Worlds". It was only during this film that we realised how closely Wolf Rohr resembled the young scientist in it... ANNE STEUL: I collected the money for the entrance and the members of the convention were shown into the booths by courtesy of the house. While they lounged comfortably behind all the people present, 277 of them, I sat in the fourth row - due to the glasses left at home. The theatre was packed and never before was an SF film attended by so many people! With a full house behind me, I regretted that this was not just a game of poker. GREG BENFORD: Ann had gotten the movie "War of the Worlds" for the theatre, so the con group just settled down when the film started, so the usual fannish wisecracks lingered on through the travel film. Most of us had already seen the movie, but came along just for kicks. When it was over and right had won out, I got up to leave since I didn't remember the discussion to be held later. Ann made the announcement and 31 people stayed behind, most of them teenagers. Walt Ernsting and a few pros whose names I've unfortunately forgotten stood up and put in the plug for good ole UTOPIA and then started a free discussion, which by all appearances was fairly successful. Shortly after it started Jan and Ann started passing notes back and forth about future plans. And they used *my* notebook, too! ANNE STEUL: Afterwards, we had much fun in the discussion. There was a guy from Berlin. The Berliners are famous for their "Schnauze" and whenever a guy from Berlin discusses anything, you bet that most of the laughs are on his side. I enjoyed this fight of words mainly, since I was sitting in a back row now and the bigshots from the SFCD were facing the music. But also true to Berliner custom, his bark was worse than his bite. I deeply regretted my ignorance of shorthand, because this guy was tremendously delicious in his arguments. JULIAN PARR: As had been planned, Anne slipped down to the front at the end of the film and invited all who were interested to stay behind for a short discussion. Although her voice did not carry through the whole auditorium about thirty remained behind besides ourselves. Anne introduced Walter Ernsting and then disappeared to the back seats. Walter gave a rather flowery description of the development of Utopia and the SFCD, but soon got involved in a discussion with a loud-mouthed heckler with a broad Berlin accent. Heinz Bingenheimer rescued the situation by subduing the Berliner with tolerant and quiet common-sense explanations of our interest in SF as a hobby. At this point Anne passed down a note asking that an open invitation to the hotel that afternoon be announced. GREG BENFORD: The people who stayed, a more than average percentage, kept the discussion going for about thirty minutes until it was decided to break up and leave. Another film was to be shown afterwards, so we had to vacate the movie soon.
Outside we paused for a few minutes to use the movie's poster to pose in front of for pictures and then split up. Jim and I returning with Ann's group. A few blocks from the picture house I happened to notice a lamp post that looked exactly like the Martian ray gun, and everybody started to run in mock terror. Ann screamed and Ellis made slobbering noises, while the rest of us just ran. Of course, every corner we rounded had another one, but Ann, with her clever knowledge of the back-alleys of Wetzlar, soon eluded the deadly aliens and we were safe. I wish it had been a better picture. We probably made a strange picture as we slogged down Falkenstrasse with its mud holes, a car came slowly down from the other end of the street. Ann, knowing full well what would happen, warned us that the auto would probably coat us with water from one of the many pits which dotted the road. Jim, Jan and I went into a dead run for the house, and Ellis started jogging along, too. We reached the safety of the drive just in time, but this time the car was moving so slowly it didn't even splash any water. Ellis hadn't made it, but he didn't get splashed either. Ann came along with a smug look on her face. Huh. We all enjoyed a heart meal at Ann's and left quickly for the hotel. Ellis had a very heavy suitcase to carry, and I was quite happy to let him lug it all the way, but after a mere block he shoved it into my hands and bade me luck. The bag weighed at least 50 lbs, or seemed so, and I had one heckuva time carrying it a few blocks. We crossed the Lahn river again and Jan tossed over a cigarette to see if it would return with the natural backwash. To everyone's amazement it did, and soon the air was filled with scraps of paper, quote cards, bits of handkerchiefs and other material which returned in the current. Everyone acted like they had discovered a new scientific wonder and talked about it for some time afterward. Ellis had the suitcase back by the time we reached the hotel, since both Jim, Jan and I were tired from carrying the thing. Everyone was there, plus a few who had come over from the movie, and soon our party was spread to the four winds (or is it five?). JULIAN PARR: The result (of Anne Steul's open invitation to the hotel) was of course, that although only about four youngsters turned up, their presence made a free-for-all discussion all the more difficult. Walter took the teenagers under his wing and discussed space travel with them, while Anne Steul began a heated conversation with C and Heinz. We non-Germans watched this scene in the dining room; I with mixed feelings, for by observing the expression on Anne's face I could see that no progress was being made. I could see Ernst Richter getting redder in the face, although he bravely refrained from making any comment. GREG BENFORD: A few of us got over at one end of the table and started a bull session concerning mostly gravitation and logic. There was supposed to be some sort of conducted public discussion that afternoon, but most of us were content to talk among ourselves and not bother with group order. However, Ann thought we ought maintain something that looked like a program, and wanted to start the discussion. She wouldn't do it herself, and since Jim and I don't know German, we asked Walt Ernsting. He started a small one in the middle of the table, while on both ends we formed private groups. Ellis told us a few facts about centers of gravity and from then on the talk went from books to fandom and on down the line. Near the end of it Ellis once again, and for the last time, told me that Racey Higgs never cuts a letter. JULIAN PARR: As the time for our departure drew near I couldn't resist wandering over to the disputants and letting off a little steam about Anne's choosing this of all occasions to bring the feud with Walter "onto the streets". I gathered that although Heinz had offered a) to allow her three pages in each issue of ANDRO for her to use as she liked, or b) to distribute her FANTUM for her in return for her cooperation in the SFCD, she had stated categorically that she couldn't work together with a man like Ernsting. "If I were to publish my correspondence with him ..." she said loudly, and Walter overheard her and challenged her to do it. When she brought up her old charges about pro's running the SFCD I asked her point-blank whether she really believed that the seven club officials could make money out of the club or its fanzine - and pointed out to her that her FANTUM cost more than ANDRO. It was no use, and we began to don our coats and prepare to leave. Heinz did get Anne to agree to think over his offers again. For my part I couldn't help expressing my disappointment as I took my leave of Anne. Perhaps this was unfair, for maybe it was my own exaggerated hope that was at fault. I was really deeply disturbed by the confusion, unhappy frustration and uncalled-for enmity among these founders of Gerfandom. It was only later that I began to appreciate again the privilege of sharing with them the pangs of birth ... GREG BENFORD: Around 4:30 everyone started to leave, and Jim and I cornered Walt Spiegl for a short talk before he left. Ellis, Julian, both Walts and the rest got their stuff together and we all walked out to the street. Julian was riding back with, I believe, Walt Ernsting and some other fen, while Ellis was returning to Frankfurt with Walter Spiegl. I shook hands all around, said goodbye, and left them standing on the sidewalk, waiting for their cars. JULIAN PARR: It was already dark as three cars swung out of Wezlar and followed the Lahn as far as Weilburg. There we stopped for coffee and a final review of our plans for the future. Then we separated: Wolf and Fraulein Frohlich to destinations unknown; Heinz, Walt and Ellis to Frankfurt, and the "Rhine- Ruhr" party squeezed together for warmth in the Volkswagen and headed for home. GREG BENFORD: Walking back to Ann's house with JJ and Ann, we compared the Twerpcon with the one we were at. As Jan said, as a convention the WetzCon had the Antwerp meeting beaten, and as a party the Twerps had it. Jan was to stay one more day with Ann to discuss her further publishing ventures, and then on Tuesday leave for home, stopping to see Julian for a while. Our parents were to come by about 6:00 and pick us up, so we had a little time to read fanzines and talk. I had barely started on an old HYPHEN when the car drove up and it was time to leave. It was an abrupt ending, much to my sorrow. We both said goodbye and left. The con was over. ANNE STEUL: Females at the Con were a crushing minority of 4. It was very interesting to meet the German promoters of SF. How nice it will be when, in a few years from now, we will somewhere meet the German fans! Right now fannish spirit and fandom is sorely missing, and until something better comes along SF will have to do at present. So I am still looking forward to Kettering, the place where I will meet F A N S....
**************** The following are links to contemporary dispatches from German fans in the remaining years of the decade. A report on the 1957 convention inexplicably refers to it as the first German convention. Since Julian Parr was at the WETZCON, I have to assume this was an addition by the editor of the fanzine.
ADDENDUM:
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Haussler is the only pre-WW2 German fan we know of and this is the only photo of him I'm aware of.
It's taken from the cover of VOM #21 (Feb 1942, ed. Ackerman & Morojo).