In all those turbulent and restless years since leaving Germany in 1965, I somehow managed to keep a small piece of paper issued by the "Bundesversicherungsanstalt für Angestellte" in Berlin which confirmed my contributions to the German Government's compulsory pension fund during my articled years. Those contributions were a miniscule percentage of my then earnings which, being no more than a stipend towards my training, were equally miniscule: 86 Deutsche Mark a month during the first year, 105 Deutsche Mark during the second year, 142 Deutsche Mark during the third year, and so on.
Small as those earnings were, the contributions made from them represented some sort of entitlement to a pension which made me write to the "Bundesversicherungsanstalt" (don't you just love that word?) and, with almost lightening speed, I received their reply that, as soon as I had reached the ripe old age of 65, I would be entitled to a monthly pension of 78 Euros and - with typical Teutonic precision - 28 cents!!!
WOW!!! Let's celebrate!
