germany today is divided into two parts what we commonly call west germany is the group of states united into the federal republic of germany flowing through west germany from switzerland to the north sea is the famous r river branching off from the rhine is a tributary named the ruhr river and along both banks of this river is a district called the rural also the ur is a busy place because there are large deposits of coal here and many factories that produce chemicals iron and steel and their products the gray skies always filled with smoke tell us how productive the area is danger mixer tipping the sign says it means that hot molten steel is being poured eventually the steel is made into real road cars locomotives and other products that are important to all of europe the people in these factories work hard to support themselves and their families at home in essen a large city like our detroit our pittsburgh we're going to meet a family named miller they live in an apartment house father are fought there as the german children say starts breakfast with coffee to be followed by bread butter and sausage before mother our motor sits down to breakfast she goes to wake the children while her husband reads about the world's happenings in this newspaper published in the the children would like to stay in their comfortable feather bed with its ruffled pillow cases but they go to school as all german children do at least until they're fourteen after breakfast ham that i leave for work at this hour the sky is always great with smoke especially on a cold december day like this and since the factories begin early there are people already on the street waiting for street cars and buses to take them to work when he gets to the factory aaron miller changes its clothes before he goes to work at a machine which cuts ste at home after breakfast mother help solve and the twins with their wraps five year old lisa and maga will walk part way with their brother when he goes to school this winter morning near the school to patrol guards guide the children across the street safely the patrol guard is proud of his job and likes to wear his white hat as a symbol of the important work he does other german schoolchildren these first graders carry their books in leather book bags on their backs today lessons begin with the name of a musical instrument the flute are in german  the children pretend they are playing the flute themselves then the teacher recites a poem about two boys and the children respond with hand gestures hungry there is a recess period milk is distributed to all who have paid for it the children consider it a special privilege to be the milk monitor today sigrid gets a chance to practice some of the social graces the rest of the children talk and laugh quietly until the reading period begins ross takes his school work seriously because he is beginning to understand that education will help him in his daily living and in the future so he hunts for the right place now eager to find it i mean violet lisa and margaret coming in from out of doors to look for a mid morning snack in the covered shelves that are as familiar to them as the refrigerator is to us a bit later it is time for lunch at the crip works and father miller is hungry too in this clean looking factory cafeteria substantial meal is ready meat potatoes vegetables the workers do not have a choice of dishes but the food is appetizing and plentiful in the dining room shop workers and office workers eat together hammer and i joined some friends who are engineers they talk about the factory and about questions here miller well ask them representative of the union to which workers of different crafts in this factory belong besides wages and hours of work  especially interested in the factories program of instruction for apprentices under this program boys of fourteen or fifteen are trained in the plant after they have attended a vocational school for three years in this way they learn their trades thoroughly and get valuable experience it may be that ralph miller will become an apprentice someday but right now going with mother in the twins to the store will occupy the afternoon from their apartment the millers walk down a cobblestone street past typically german buildings with plain lines steeply slanted roofs and squarish dormer windows and they've walked a few blocks they come to a busy section of town where there are german made cars on the street and mini stores some of the stars are owned by the factories but not this one where mrs miller are from miller as she is called in germany s among the fresh vegetables and salad greens here paying with german marks and pfennigs she made purchased by metric weight cookies and other such delicacies are bananas transported from central america such a modern aspect of life in there or is in contrast with the fish peddler who cleans your supper before your eyes and gives his surroundings and old world look these contrasts between the old ways and the new ones can be seen everywhere in essen here is a building that in style looks backward to times gone by yet not far away is a church so modern in design that seeing it is like peering into the future the children living near accept the modern look of this church as readily as they do their newly built houses they take change for granted as we do and just as we do most of them love to play outdoors this little girl makes up a game of her own older children shout to call their friends as they race across a footbridge in the park or roller skate on the sidewalks of quiet streets out of the way of traffic they enjoy these hours of active play after school and even better than the sidewalk or safe playgrounds some of their playground equipment looks different from ours do you see what's unusual about this slide what skills do you think are needed to go down it just as we do these children hope to grow up strong and healthy with families of their own do you see the miller twins here when they get home they find mother preparing for dinner kind of potato dumpling that is father's favorite dish so maga and lisa get busy too at their own toy cupboard this requires close attention for a while they play with dishes and linens they are learning to be capable industrious housekeepers like their mother good homemaking is the pride of all german women from miller's neat chinese stove burns coal and it works well she grinds potatoes to make the dumplings and with them she will serve beef stew since the family usually has vegetables and fish or meat for dinner ramires budget does not allow many frozen vegetables are pre cooked foodstuffs because such things are not as plentiful as they are here but she enjoys cooking liking for good food for neatness and cleanin this characteristic of the german people while the beef stew and dumplings cook mother said done with her knitting and the children play games in the living room for all of them this is a happy hour they are hungry dinner is almost ready and father is coming home soon at gate fourteen the end of the day is the same as it is anywhere in the world time to go home to family and rest and good food followed miller  so pleased to see his favorite dish that he doesn't wait for the rest of dinner before tasting the dumplings but the family does not linger over dinner for downtown the holiday signs and lighted stores back in the millers to come and do their christmas shopping what will they find on this poem of your street it is turned into a bright fairyland but twins do not know about santa claus but look for the angel child called christe kindle and for a christmas man they call a vine oxman both they hope will bring them presents in these windows the children are sure to find autos and skates and games made by germany's famous toy makers to fit the pocketbook of the miller family's own present giver here are plenty of dolls and animals and birds gay story book creatures to excite the fancy of all children many of these windows contain items of miller's just like to see and us play for christmas is the time to walk through fairy land to look to wonder and to dream the message of christmas this with its deep religious dream of goodwill to man comes to the millers again as they go together to mass on sunday morning they are wearing their best father miller the long leather coat so popular here there are equal numbers of protestant and catholic worshippers in the whole of the federal republic we call west germany but in the ruhr there are more catholics and protestants and the millers go to the catholic church in their parish after the service the streets are crowded with people seeking the amusements and the quiet relaxation offered in the city of essen on a sunday afternoon and indeed it does get quiet in the suburbs weekday traffic practically disappears so that the bicyclists have the roads almost to themselves but the absence of hustle and bustle does not mean that people are not enjoying their leisure they often gather in restaurants for social good times and for the sports they like here the game is skittles a kind of bowling jumping out of the way of the ball is not part of the game though it's safer in this amateur contest where the score is higher on laughter but on points but sunday afternoon hours still grow long when you were the age of the twins seeking adventure there must be some excitement around if you knew just where to look for it real surprises can come your way and sure enough they're here gramma and grampa or as the children say gross motor and gross out there from the others parents and her sister louisa have come to see the miller family they have come to share that warm comfortable state of home in this the germans call to move click kite this cosy companionship the good humor the customs of respect for age and experience and the polite manners but she exists among the very young always support the strong ties of confidence and love that bind a german family together and so before the children go to sleep under their big feather bed both my eyes close now and sleep father let your instead look upon me in my bed let this family be blessed and your god let them rest every person small and groan showed her father as your own