WETZCON 1956

Femizine is happy to present the first report in a British fanzine of the successful first German Science Fiction Convention held in Wetzlar over the weekend of 14th and 15th January, 1956. Sponsored by Anne Steul and Jim and Greg Benford, the Wetzcon had many similarities to early British Conventions.

We called it Wetzcon 1956' but we did not get away with it. Not by a far shot! Right from the start there seemed to be certain dissenters who tried to publicise our brainchild as Witzcon. Witz = joke. Though we did not object, it proves what jokers they are, doesn't it? Others, fully convinced that a German nuthouse was on the loose, told Ellis T. Mills he was going to attend a German "Spinnertreffen". But since he is a trufan he bore it in good spirits.

One Saturday afternoon the twins and I got together to type and print the programmes. After addressing them to all the goons who were supposed to get one, we sticked the stamps on, stapled them, and I mailed them at the station in Giessen and was glad to be rid of that job.

The next Monday I returned from town, thinking no evil, when my mother, full of pity, led me to my room. I damn near fainted! There, in the centre of my desk, was every single letter I had mailed. Mailed without my name: mailed without my address! German detectives must be good! After dinner I took of large bag, with the letters, all spare cash available, and grabbed my club. On the way I met an old friend to whom I told the dreary story and he, as a man of the world, decided to protect poor ignorant me. We discovered that it was not easy to see the manager of the local post office but at last the big boss came. My friend offered him a cigarette and pleaded my case. Some time later, like two wet poodles, we left the post office and bought a pair of scissors, rolls of string, glue and so forth. In a quiet wine restaurant we began to unstaple over 200 copies 'printed matter.' Get the stamps off 200 copies 'PM'. Refold over 200 copies 'PM.' Cut wellsized pieces of string for over 200 copies 'PM'. Wrap said pieces around over 200 copies 'PM'. Stick glue on stamps and put over 200 back on over 200 copies 'PM'.

So the two of us sat drinking coffee and slaving. My friend was soon glued to his own fingers. The glue had laid several layers of artificial skin which soap and hot seater would not remove. Poor fellow! Five minutes to 20.00 we hurried back to the post office and unloaded more than 200 copies of stringed and printed matter. The clerk swallowed, sighed and looked weak on his legs. All consideration for others had left me. My hand kept diving into the bag and drawing out bundles of 'PM.' I heard my friend fell sick after this. I saw him after the con and he crossed hurriedly to the other side. Perhaps he had seen my bag with a few old envelopes sticking out? Another suffering had been going on from November. What a difficult thing to convince a German movie-owner he should. bring a SF film for a matinee! Weeks and weeks I ran to his office. So far SF films had audiences of no more than 15 people, the German public being conservative and staying away in Throves. He tried to argue me into 'Rififi' since he did not know what SF was all about - when I explained he said I was crazy, the house would be empty. Since I persisted in a trial he said he would see what 'crazy' films were available. That was Christmas. The argument continued. At last I went to the "Wetzlarer Neue Zeitung" our local paper. Here we discussed SF and they promised me full support on anything they could provide. So I asked why not print an article on SF? They said: "You write it, we print it." So I wrote it. And they printed a special paragraph on the movie and everything was running smooth. "War of the Worlds" was the best he could get and I thought it was better than nothing at all. When the article came out I was promised space for another one after the con. Information would be passed to the radio and so forth. Well, so far the deal was shaping up nicely.

Since I had already provided quarters in November, oh, yes, in Germany this has to be done early because on 11/11 at 11:11 each year starts the Fasching- season and all the nuts have their meetings. But all this had been taken care of. The programme itself was supposed to be the sole responsibility of the other half of the committee. They procured a speaker all right. For a time I was afraid there would be none and I most certainly was not willing to take any part in this. However, I learned a lot from all the things that had to be done and I came to one conclusion: if I ever do this again I ought to be hanged, quartered, burned at the stake, shot, knifed and drowned afterwards.

One of our local bookdealers had agreed to order books and hold a sale connected with an exhibition of SF books and magazines from anywhere. In fact there must have been over 300 books on exhibit (mags included). Three large tables were flowing over and a good part was arranged on the carpet. Hardly a mag worth mentioning that was not there. Friday afternoon I got a telegram from Ellis T. Mills, now stationed at Rhein-Main in Frankfurt, and I hurried down to the station. Ellis had promised taperecordings from US conventions and especially a recording of Willi Ley. This had to be translated for those who did not understand enough English, so I was anxious to lay hands on him. The more so since I had learned the hotel vas not available till next day and the poor guy had to sleep somewhere.

I was early, so sat in the waiting room solving crossword puzzles, a favourite occupation. At last I was able to check the passengers on the train. Ellis was supposed to be on. One after another they went away, none burdened enough to be him - you cannot hide a taperecorder in your pocket. I hurried outside and checked the taxistand. No heavily burdened American. By now I was desperate, Half of my programme was highly endangered! I went back to the station. Finally I saw someone leaning placidly in a corner. On the ground his two legs nearly covered a blue bag. A BLUE BAG! That was it! These guys at Rhein-Main ought to have blue bags! "Pardon, did you cone on the train from Giessen?" I enquired in my Sunday-best German. He looked stupidly at me - probably thought I was nuts , and made an enquiring noise. I looked him up and down and noticed a copy of the latest GALAXY sticking out of his pocket. It had to be him! It was. So we hastened outside and drove home. I paid the cab and in we went. The only thing I distinctly remember from this evening, eve of big events, is Ellis sitting dog-tired before a taperocorder and stopping Willi Ley every so often in order to let me take down what he said. Since I am no shorthand expert, it took quite a while and the heel was reading while I slaved! Then he went to bed and I sat till 3 o'clock in the night and translated the darned thing. Worse, since I had to get up early in order to get Jan Jansen from the train.

Jan was the next to arrive and Ellis was up early for once to come along to the station. We decided to wait for breakfast until Jan was there and my brother drove us down. Jan was supposed to be heavily burdened too, since he would be bringing 170 copies of FANTUM. He only brought 100, the Schlauberger! I checked up on the train schedule and was amazed to see the train Jan was arriving on was a very slow one. Was it slow! And did Jan have a lot to say about it? You should have heard him! We recognized immediately and grouped arouna his luggage while he got rid of his tickets.

Most of the time Jan and Ellis were busy discussing things and ordering me to go on with my work. I was still slaving at my typewriter while they were taking it easy, drinking wine, smoking, laughing and generally making themselves at home. Whenever I wanted to know what they were taLking about, Jan chased me back to the grindstone. At that same spot I was still typing my fingers down to the very bone when the Benford twins came in. We had supper and a coke and then settled the books for the exhibition. My brother had agreed to drive us to the Convention hotel. In the afternoon Julian Parr 'phoned and notified us of his arrival.

A lot of the German fen had arrived too and so we made ourselves ready. I will never understand how two bags, one large valise, a tape recorder, and several other pieces of luggage went into that Volkswagen and less will I ever understand where Ellis, Jan, the two Benfords, me and my brother ever managed to get into that fourseater. Fog was settling on the town as we drove to the hotel and - what luck! - there were no police about.

At the hotel we met all the bigshots of German fandom, who are herewith introduced, to you:

Waller Ernsting, founder and president of the SFCD - Science Fiction Club Deutschland. He is co-editor of UTOPTA, one of the only two promags on the Garman market. The smaller volume is exclusively kids' stuff, the larger one translations mostly of American and British authors, but there, too, the space opera is overwhelming, The Sonderband is new and prints a few articles, short stories, mostly on space-travel and similar subjects.

Heinz Bingenheimer, second chairman of the SFCD, but not professionally interested in UTOPIA or fandom as far as I know.

Ernst H, Richter, author who writes under a pseudonym. A very nice and friendly fellow.

Wolf Detlev Rohr, also an author.

Walter Spiegl, editor and young enthusiast for SF.

Many others too were present and attending the Convention. Alas, we were not able to hold out very long after midnight, since the movie was important for all of us and it was scheduled for 11:00 in the morning. So Jan, Ellis and I went home for a bite to eat before retiring, watched by the cat, a nice red and white fellow.

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.

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.

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. By the way, this winds up my Conrep nicely and if there should be any "funny" interlineations appearing, especially in VOID, better ask Mills or Jansen for the details, the twins were the only ones who took notes.

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 till meet F A N S....

....Anne Steul.