A man you won’t forgetst
Klaus Schrader was appointed the 23rd honorary member of the Schrader Family Association.
Tangermünde.
As part of the 76th Tangermünde Family Day, the deputy chairman of the Familienverband es Schrader e.V., retired captain Klaus Schrader, was appointed the 23rd honorary member by the general meeting on 26 September 2021.
This was also the anniversary celebration of the association’s 100th anniversary, which had been postponed for a year due to the pandemic.
Below is the speech given by the chairman, retired pastor Harald Schrader, at the 74th Family Day in Eisenach in 2018 on the occasion of the honouree’s 50 years of membership.
„Cousin Klaus joined the Schrader Family Association on 23 May 1968.
At that time, he was 24 years old, born on 16 May 1944, and had already begun his studies to become a sea captain.
Strictly speaking, cousin Klaus has been close to the family association since his embryonic days; today, we tend to say that it is in his DNA.
And that is true, because cousin Klaus absorbed his family association membership with his mother’s milk, so to speak.
And this is how it happened:
Klaus’ mother Anneliese Schulte, born in 1910 – older members will remember her vividly – had become a member of our association as a young woman. It was here that she met her future husband Karl Schrader from Hagen/Westphalia.
I don’t know when Anneliese first took part in a family day. But I do know that she and her sister Ilse, who later married Wilhelm, were present at the 13th family day in Bad Harzburg in 1937. They can be seen in the group photo. Two extremely attractive young women in their mid to late twenties.
When cousin Klaus appeared at family gatherings – I joined the company in Bückeburg in 1975 – he was usually accompanied by two somewhat older but extremely elegant ladies, namely his mother and his aunt. And the pride these two ladies felt for their son and nephew was obvious.
Sometimes cousin Klaus was absent – for good reason. From 1973 onwards, he was a captain on long voyages and a qualified navigator on the high seas or in distant ports. That fired my imagination at the time: where could Klaus be right now, in the Caribbean, the Antilles or somewhere in the Pacific?
He sailed for several years as second officer on cargo ships, later on the passenger ship MS Europa, also as second officer; finally, as the crowning glory of a remarkable career as a sailor and naval officer, cousin Klaus was first officer on the MS Europa for eleven years, from 1988 to 1999.
Cousin Klaus also has a military rank. He has been a lieutenant commander in the reserve since 1986.
Knowledgeable viewers of the Traumschiff series on ZDF immediately think of the ‘Captain’s Dinner’. The captain and officers in white gala uniforms made of the finest fabric, and fascinated passengers who are proud to be allowed to attend this dinner, with a select few even sitting at the captain’s or first officer’s table.
Occasionally, cousin Klaus would fly in from a European port in Spain, France or England to attend family gatherings. He was, I would say, something like the personification of the connection between a small German genealogical association with roots in the Harz region and the big wide maritime world. And this statement fits well with his appearance. Klaus is tall and stately; he is impossible to overlook.
At a recent meeting of former crew members of the MS Europa in Berlin, all participants remembered Klaus Schrader and knew his name. Cousin Klaus – a man you don’t forget. It may be a characteristic of our jubilarian that Klaus remains in the memory of those who meet him, that people remember his name and don’t forget it. This is not due to his imposing stature, but, it seems to me, has more to do with his character. Klaus is extremely communicative, attentive and friendly. He is someone who approaches problems pragmatically and always acts in a solution-oriented manner when conflicts arise. This is complemented by his impressive cosmopolitanism and generosity. This has something to do with seafaring.
Klaus is the one who knows how to guide the assembled members at the family day to a cosy restaurant late on Friday evening, where the exchange between those who have not usually seen each other for a year can take place in a more relaxed and informal atmosphere. Or he treats everyone to a round of sparkling wine, which also helps to make everyone feel included in certain situations. Cousin Klaus was a member of the advisory board for many years and has been a member of the executive committee as deputy chairman since 2013.
Due to his almost lifelong membership of the family association, his willingness to get involved and take on responsibility, cousin Klaus is undoubtedly one of the few members who can be honourably described as a “pillar” of the association. He is a man who provides and can provide guidance because he has a point of view, a man who is confident enough to treat everyone with respect; he is a man who is experienced and calm enough to defuse difficult situations and ease tensions, as already mentioned.
When I met my cousin Klaus at the family reunion in Bückeburg in 1975, I thought: He’s a typical sailor, tall, clear, unambiguous – and single. Because the song by the singing sailor Hans Albers resonated within me: “A sailor’s bride is the sea / and only to her can he be faithful! / When the storm wind sings its song / then the great freedom beckons me to happiness.
How wrong you can be!
In the spring of 1989, cousin Klaus married Ursula Daubenspeck. Where did the two meet? Just think of the ZDF TV series Das Traumschiff (The Dream Ship) and the Captain’s Dinner. Uschi and Klaus have long since celebrated their silver wedding anniversary. They live alternately on Lake Ammersee and in the Lech Valley in Tyrol. At the end of 2005, they established the Ursula and Klaus Schrader Foundation in Fischen am Ammersee and have been caring for the cancer-stricken children of affected families from the Chernobyl region in Ukraine for many years. Cousin Klaus reported on this wonderful work at the 2006 family day in Lüneburg with the help of a ZDF film.
Dear Klaus, the Schrader Family Association would like to thank you for your loyalty to the association over more than half a century.
We thank you for your commitment, your presence, your responsible cooperation and collaboration.
We are proud to have you among us.
Harald Schrader
(Chairman of the Schrader Family Association)