Carol joined our Walk and Wine Group two years ago in a typical Carol way: She called me on the phone, told me she couldn’ t find my apartment, been walking around in circles, had always been a terrible girl scout, and could somebody please send out a search party— which, of course, we did. She was always a pistol. A lively member of our group, she had story upon story to tell us about her colorful, adventurous life, and we loved hearing whatever she had to say and looked forward to seeing her headgear and scarf of the day. Even when she got to the point where she could no longer walk with us, she made sure to take the bus from Barmbek and show up with her walker for the wine part of our event— often bringing filled dates and other goodies, and even celery from Denns, which she adored. In many ways, Carol B. was our beloved queen bee: We will truly miss her vitality, upstate-NY-quirkiness, many stories, and sense of humor.
Donna Heizer
To me, AWCH and Carol Battenfeld go hand in hand. Carol was president when I joined in 1978, and she was so welcoming. I didn’ t yet have a babysitter and she allowed me to attend my first club event with my two-year-old, in spite of the no-children policy. When I moved to Berlin in 1985, she provided advice on what part of town to live in, etc. since she had previously lived there herself. When I returned to Hamburg, we were both regulars at Becky Tan’ s dining table to proofread the monthly newsletter. Many years ago, I was invited to join a small non-AWC group( Silver Surfers) of which Carol was a member. We got along well— both upstate New Yorkers. She was witty and wise, well read and informed. To use Carol’ s own slang, she was a real“ live wire” who will genuinely be missed.
Thelma Friedman
I will remember Carol B. for her infinite energy, her zest, and her wit. Carol had what we call here Zivilcourage: she was courageous and would always state her standpoint clearly and stand up for what she believed was right. This could even mean demonstrating in a small group at the Rathausmarkt on a cold morning, holding up a homemade cardboard sign despite back pain and a long confusing trip on public transport. She was my source of books unveiling spy secrets, worldwide political corruption, and recent behind-the-scenes party politics. She had many stories to tell about her times in East Germany before and after reunification, but also about small-town Ithaca in the Finger Lakes region of New York( a region we shared in common). Carol always showed up to our Harbor Explorers meetups impeccably dressed, and she was unquestionably a foodie, looking for unusual or exceptional dishes in our moderate-price restaurants. Occasionally she would take home a loaf of the chef’ s bread if she thought it was special. On the other hand, she wouldn ´ t hesitate to give feedback if she thought the locale was disappointing. In short, Carol was a phenomenon of nature, and we will remember her questions, her retorts, her pluck and her stamina. We will miss her.
Ann Gebauer-Thompson
CURRENTS 13