Author: H. Rudy Schwarzer
Alternate names: Goes by Rudy Schwarzer
Born: 1930
Bio: Born in 1930, in Haynau, Silesia, Germany, one of eight children, Rudy began studying Konditor (confectionery baking) at age 14.  His family moved to Meissen, near Dresden, when Silesia was transferred to Poland post WWII.  He spent four years, 1953 - 1957) at Waldheim as a political prisoner for demonstrating against the communist government.  In 1957 he escaped to West Germany where he met his wife, Hilde Guenther, on a street car.  They married a year later.  Rudy moved to New York in 1960 and took a job in a bakery for $1.00/hour to support Hilde and Rudi Jr. in Germany.  In April, 1961, he moved to Haverhill, MA, to work as a pastry chef at Bradford Junior College.  His family arrived in June.  A second son, Andrew, was born in 1962, and in 1966, Rudy, Hilde and Rudi Jr. became naturalized citizens, one of Rudy's proudest moments.  After earning his teaching certificate, the family moved to Cape Cod where Rudy taught at the Vo Tech schools and he and Hilde ran a bakery in Dennisport.  In 1973 he bought an accordian and by 1974 had created his Cape Cod Bavarian Band in which he still plays today.  In 1977, he founded the German-American Club of Cape Cod.  In 2001, he lost his wife, Hilde, to cancer.  Rudy speaks fluent German, Russian & English, and always has a smile for everyone.  He says, "I came to this country with $5.00 in my pocket.  Now I have $10.00.  I'm a lucky man!  I've doubled my money.