Certificate, 1993
Elena Fridrih is 44 years old when she learns from the newspaper ‘Komsomolskaja Pravda’ that Jews and individuals with Jewish ancestry from the former Soviet Union can enter Germany as so-called contingent refugees. She immediately applies for an exit permit for herself and her family. After lengthy and complicated formalities, it is done: Elena, her husband Jurij, their children Andrij and Nadja, and terrier Irik board a plane to Germany. In December 1992, a few days before Christmas, the family arrives in Frankfurt am Main. The first days are spent in a refugee shelter in Unna, then they are sent to a residence in Gelsenkirchen. The arrival is not easy for the two academics and their children. Everything is foreign, and especially the German language poses initial difficulties for them. Elena and her husband attend a German course, but despite linguistic progress and although the diplomas of the two physicists are recognized in North Rhine-Westphalia, they cannot find jobs. Thus, Elena accepts the first offer she receives from the employment office and undergoes training to become an elderly care nurse. Jurij ultimately must also realize that an academic career in Germany seems to be barred for him. He gets a taxi license and earns his living from transporting passengers. Today, both partners are retired. Despite all the difficulties, they have never regretted their decision to come to Germany. For Elena, the salvation of her children has always been a top priority. Looking back, she says: ‘My children have grown into intelligent and critical individuals who know their opportunities and utilize them. Here, they can determine their own lives!’ The certificate from the city of Gelsenkirchen from 1993 confirms Elena’s status as a contingent refugee. Thus, the document has both personal value and contributes to current and future migration research. As a source of information, it not only tells a personal story but also provides a historical context.
