1918, French POW in Germany and a Hidden Message

About 15 years ago, while visiting my hometown of Hambach in northern Bavaria, we discovered a pie safe in the attic of my parents’ farm home.

We took a closer look and founds this inscription on the inside of its back.

Fait par un prisonnier Français. Le 5 Juillet 1918,

Hambach     Genty Albert …73…

We decided to return it to its rightful owners, his descendants, someday. That ‘someday’ has come as my brother has sold his house now and we had to move it to another storage space for now.

The time has finally come to do some inquiries.

Genty Albert - un prisonnier Francais

My social media friends contributed this link in my search for Albert Genty’s descendants. His name is mentioned in the left-hand column, 9th one up from the bottom.

Liste officielle des prisonniers de guerre

Liste officielle des prisonniers de guerre

The list is more legible if you read it from the website: http://gallica.bnf.fr/m/ark:/12148/bpt6k5770231v/f29.textePage

Again, my social media friends directed me to another possible source: a D. Genty in Champigny-sur-Yonne, and I inquired, but they are not related. My search continues. From Monsieur Genty, I just got a polite ” Non, ce n’est pas un de mes ancêtre. Merci.”

Next, I will be looking for a local historian who might be interested in obtaining this chest of drawers for the local museum, etc.

To my readers: If you have any information on how to locate any descendants of Albert Genty, or know of anyone who would appreciate this historical piece of furniture, I would be most grateful.

It is currently stored in a village near Schweinfurt, Germany.

Pie safe made by POW Albert Genty in Germany

Pie safe made by POW Albert Genty in Germany in 1918

Free Education and Teaching Music in France

The Go Overseas recent post, How to Study in France for Free, written by Allison Lounes, caught my attention. Many  had read my earlier post about Germany the Land of Free Education, and as a matter of fact, it still ranks number one in the statistics. Getting a free university degree, while learning a foreign language and supplementing your income at the same time,  is one of the great advantages of studying in a socialistic country.

Ms. Lounes describes how to study for free at a French university, while also making a living. Some of her pointers are really useful and I would like to add one myself.

I’ve been told the following by an Asian student, whose aunt lives and works as a music teacher in Paris:

In France, being enrolled for a degree in music at university for at least one year qualifies one to becoming a private music teacher. The French also do not require a finished degree to have you give private lessons to their children or adults.

This would be a good way to supplement your income while studying at university. Ms. Lounes had already pointed out teaching English at various schools, but no mention was made of giving lessons in piano, cello, violin, guitar, etc.

Quote of the Day

Nine-tenths of education is encouragement.

– Anatole France –

The Bedouins; Mary Garden, Debussy, Chopin or the Circus, Botticelli, Poe, Brahmsody, Anatole France, Mirbeau, Caruso on Wheels, Calico Cats from Amazon.de

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