An unusual class trip
In the summer of 1967 the 12th class of Rückert-highschool in Berlin-Schöneberg planned and realized a class-trip to Milos. A trip from the "island" of Berlin surrounded by the Wall, to the little known island in the middle of the Agean Sea, that would last five weeks as part of the summer holidays. Neither before nor ever after has there been such a long class trip of a Berlin highschool.
An unusual project of this kind called for a special teacher. Rudi Segeletz was such a one. He had made friends with a young man from Milos, who had visited Berlin and had talked enthousiastically about his island. Rudi got infected and infected his students, talking them and their parents into the idea of making a class-trip there. In the end, 15 young girls and boys and 3 teachers took off, after a long preparation.
Through the "zone", how the German Democratic Republic was called in the west, they took the bus to Munich, where the train Acropolis Express left for Athens. The ride took 2 days and 2 nights. They had booked berths in a sleeper plus meals in the train restaurant. After entering Yugoslavia, space shrunk in that train though. Not only large numbers of passengers got on, but also animals (even donkeys, says Birgit) as well as all sorts of goods and packages. There was no way to get through to the dining car anymore. But as we know, hunger does not only make you courageous, you even become inventive. Thus, the frequent train stops in the middle of nowhere were used - running alongside the tracks - to rush to the feeding troughs. What would have happened if the train had set itself in motion just in that moment??? Later, after he had become director of the Sophie-Scholl-school, Rudi has admitted that he would have severely disciplined any teacher who would have behaved like that.
After finally arriving, they went for the obligatory Greek Cultural tour around Athens, by bus. Ships to Milos were rare then, never more than twice a week. Finally, the motor vessel Marilena took Rudi and his school-gang to Adamas/Milos after a long sea journey with several stops at other islands. There the real holiday started, together with the exploration not only of the island, but also of its young male population. For the girls at least. There were three Jorgosses, who danced beautifully together Hassapiko and impressed them, one of whom much later became a hotel owner, the second a ship-owner and the third a physical therapist.. This one played romantic tunes on his guitar and sang very well. Until 2010 he had served as Mayor of Milos for many years.
The class trip did have consequences. Birgit still likes hard-boiled eggs with honey for breakfast, as she had learned it at Renia's. One of the German-Greek love stories ended in a marriage. A few years later our friend Reinhard bought a beautiful old house in Plaka for very little money together with Janni Pritti. Rudi the teacher spent all summer holidays in Tripiti and lived there permanently in a house, that he had bought after retiring together with Tobi, his dog. His daughter Katerina married a man from Milos and is now a successful business woman on the island. Birgit visited the island a few times and arrived there in 1996 after a long time to see Rudi, who took her to Pollonia where a friend of his, Christian Fischer, had invited him to celebrate the famous "party of the hole".