Suspensions sustained at the forest retreat
Andrea Piep, a tenth-grader back in 1969, was sent to the Waldhaus Children's Home in Bad Salzdetfurth at the age of five. This memory, now over five decades old, is still vivid in her mind.
The other day, the smell of some leftovers filled Andrea's nostrils, a scent that was strong enough to make her recoil. The odour was unmistakable - a sour, rotten smell that immediately transported her back to her time at the Waldhaus Children's Home.
The food served at the institution was unidentifiable gruel, a memory that Andrea recalls vividly. The smell of the leftovers was strikingly similar, prompting her to exclaim, "You've eaten something like this before!"
The memory of being sent away was unpleasant for Andrea. She was separated from her family and admitted to the Waldhaus Children's Home, an institution that is not publicly documented regarding the admission of Andrea and her younger sister.
Back then, Andrea was working at a nursing home to fund her art studies. The memory of the smell that she experienced with the leftovers is from her time at the Waldhaus Children's Home, a reminder of the hardships she faced during that period.
The leftovers were likely spoiled or rotten, based on their smell. However, the memory they evoked was more than just a reminder of a bad meal. It was a powerful reminder of a time in her life that Andrea would rather forget.
Despite the unpleasant memories, Andrea has managed to turn her life around. She is now a successful artist, using her experiences to inspire her work. The smell of the leftovers may have been a harsh reminder, but it also served as a catalyst for Andrea to pursue her dreams and overcome the challenges she faced in her past.
