“To be satisfied with that which one has.”
Elfriede Bachmann is born in Basel in 1922 and grows up with her brother and sister. Although her parents do not have much money, she has many fond memories of her childhood.
After finishing school, she dreams of becoming a nurse. However, as she is not yet 18 years old, she has to choose a different career. As she always enjoyed sewing, she decides to become a seamstress. However, due to the political situation, there are hardly any apprenticeships available. When Elfriede Bachmann finally finds an apprenticeship, it soon becomes apparent that she is mainly being used as a maid and is hardly allowed to work in the studio. She therefore breaks off her apprenticeship.
Shortly afterwards, the Second World War begins, a terrible time for her. The Basel native remembers food rationing and the great fear that Hitler’s troops would invade. At that time, she is working at the Sandoz chemical factory, where she is employed in the packaging department. When the men are drafted into the army, she moves to the laboratory department. She enjoys the work there, even though she experiences difficult times: Elfriede Bachmann remembers the laboratory being bombarded and, due to its proximity to the border, she repeatedly witnessed bombing raids. However, she has her most frightening experience one day when several fighter-bombers fly directly over her head at very low altitude.
At the age of 16, Elfriede Bachmann meets her future husband, a friend of her brother’s. They marry in April 1942. In the years that followed, they live in an apartment near the Ziegelhöfe in Basel. They do everything together: they travel through Switzerland on foot and by bicycle, with backpacks on their backs. Later, they also explore other countries by motorbike and car. They visit Italy, France and Germany – always taking their tent with them.
The couple’s big dream is to own a house. The two decided to save up and fulfilled their big dream in 1949. They renovated their house in Allschwil (BL) together. At the age of 29, Elfriede Bachmann has her long-awaited son. This is followed by the happiest time of her life. Her family is always the centre of her life. But the friendships she made in the women’s gymnastics club and later in her work as a maternity counsellor are also valuable and important.
After 73 years of happy marriage, her husband passes away. At 101 years of age, Elfriede Bachmann still lives in the family home in Allschwil. She continues to live independently, goes shopping, cooks, reads newspapers and books, maintains her social contacts and enjoys visitors. She would like to do more in the garden, but her body is no longer up to it. However, she is not sad about this; that’s just the way life is.