Karl-Horst Schmitt, the master watchmaker from St. Ingbert, is almost 92 years old. He has a mischievous smile, bright eyes, and a lightning-fast mind, even though his arms and legs no longer cooperate properly. "The food tastes good and I can think clearly, that's important!" laughs Mr. Schmitt during a meeting where he talks about his memories of the twin town St. Herblain.
When the first delegation from France arrived in St. Ingbert in 1981, there was no interpreter. So they called the nearby watch shop, asked Mr. Schmitt for help, and the first contacts with the people from St. Herblain were established. “That's how it all began,” laughs the old watchmaker. What developed was a long-lasting and intensive friendship with a family, numerous mutual visits, and wonderful memories of joyful moments. “They stayed overnight with us and the neighbors in tents, and we grilled, celebrated, and laughed together all night long,” he recalls. The highlight of the friendship: In the summer of 1989, Karl-Horst Schmitt rode his Vespa to St. Herblain. As a passionate Vespa rider involved in international clubs, the approximately 800 km was no easy feat for him, but pure joy. “My Vespa only ‘raced’ at an average of 45 km/h, so I couldn't make the trip in one day. In the French town of Belgarde, I stayed in a small lodging. Since there was no garage, I was allowed to park my Vespa in the horse stable, and my room was directly above the stable.”
Arriving in St. Herblain with friends, he also paid a courtesy visit to the town hall. "Suddenly, an excited Frenchman came into the mayor's office. 'Whose Vespa is outside? It has been knocked over!'" However, the vehicle was undamaged, and the German was able to continue his journey home without any problems. On a subsequent trip, the Vespa broke down. Although Mr. Schmitt was equipped with some spare parts, the necessary tools were not on board. So he searched for and found a French workshop where he could repair his Vespa. The dealer was so impressed that the two exchanged Vespa spare parts by post for many years thereafter.
“St. Herblain is the city of roundabouts,” the senior recalls another anecdote. When the twin town inaugurated the “Rond Point ‘St. Ingbert’” in the summer of 1989, not only the friends from St. Ingbert, but also the friends from the other St. Herblain twin towns, N’Diaganiao (Senegal) and Waterford (Ireland), had come. Everyone was standing solemnly around the new roundabout when Mr. Schmitt arrived. “Are all these people waiting for me?” he reportedly shouted out loud and still laughs heartily about this funny situation today.
Also during the visits of the French to St. Ingbert, Mr. Schmitt and his family were always hosts to the friends. A special occasion was the 1100th anniversary celebration in St. Ingbert, for which a St. Herblain football team came to Saarland for a tournament. "They always liked our beer so much," he recalls about the many visits. Numerous photos show convivial gatherings with adults, children, grilled sausages, and beer – "… it was a wonderful time that greatly enriched us all." Most of the friends have already passed away, but even today Karl-Horst Schmitt maintains regular telephone and letter contact with the children of his host family.
Schmitt was born in 1930 and trained as a watchmaker. After completing his apprenticeship, he met a French representative of the watchmaking industry living in Saarland, who helped him in 1950 to get a job at a watch manufacturing company, the firm Catin, in Monteaux in the Doux department. At that time, Schmitt did not speak French, but he learned quickly and progressed within four years from Chef d’Equipe (team leader) through Constructeur (design manager) to Chef d’Atelier (workshop manager). However, his father then asked him to return home, where he attended the master school in Kirn and Koblenz to become self-employed in 1956. He has maintained his fluent French skills to this day.
Although life has not always been kind to the very elderly Karl-Horst Schmitt and his family, he is full of beautiful and joyful memories that keep him young. What does he wish for the future? “That there will be no more war. We have learned a lot from it, but I hope that young people today learn it in a different, peaceful way,” is his first response. “Curiosity about other people, countries, and customs is important; it keeps people flexible,” he adds.
G
