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Broemme project planner in front of a plan of the Berlin exhibition halls
Photo: CLEMENS BILAN / POOL / EPA-EFE / Shutterstock
To person
Albrecht Broemme, 67,
is the former president of the technical relief organization.
He was torn from his retirement life twice: he built a hospital and planned vaccination centers.
I actually wanted to enjoy my retirement in 2020.
On January 1st, my children asked me at breakfast: "How do you feel now, as a pensioner?" There are people who are afraid of retirement, of doing nothing and of not being needed.
I was looking forward to it.
I wanted days without business trips, without flights and train journeys.
Sleeping in your own bed is a real treat.
I wanted to have an appointment calendar without appointments.
Dust off hobbies, go out to eat, play the cello, clean up the cellar.
I wanted to do gardening.
I wanted to go to the theater or an exhibition once a month.
I didn't want any more disasters.
But I had heard of this new lung disease.
I don't want to be seen as a prophet, but I felt that something was coming.
Then in March things got serious.
The number of infections rose rapidly.
The first shutdown.
I was in the garden cutting roses when I received a text message from a friend who said that I would get an assignment the same day.
A few hours later, Dilek Kalayci, the SPD health senator from Berlin, called me.
She asked me what I would think if Berlin would set up 1000 extra beds for the corona emergency in the fair.
I said I thought it was great, prevention was always good.
Then it was over with retirement.
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