The Large Family: An Adventure
“We wanted a lot of children from the very beginning. All I have to do to get pregnant again is to look at my husband in his underwear,† quips Anne Katzmarek. Today, their 10 children range from 1 1/2 to 17 years of age. From early morning onward, each day is filled with noise, yet governed by precision organization. The couple, a professional chef and a 38-year-old housewife, manages family life like a business. “It's very trying, but we wouldn't have it any other way!† says Jürgen Katzmarek with conviction. Now they are taking their first vacation together with eight of the ten children at a farm in Upper Bavaria. They have never traveled so far to the south together. The Maurer family farm has a vacation apartment for children with large families. The Maurers themselves have six boys ranging from seven to 16 years of age, so they are familiar with big family life. For years now, never having had enough money or time to take vacations together with the children, they have welcomed guests into their home instead. Gina, Luna, Phil, John, Alyssa and the other children of the city dwelling Katzmarek family encounter Werner, Toni, Franzi, Ludwig, Max and Martin Maurer, who have grown up in the country, in the mountains, where large families are more commonplace and attract less attention. “It's awful to see a mother with one or two children being totally preoccupied with them all afternoon after leaving work to pick them up from kindergarten,† says Claudia Maurer. From the very beginning, her children have grown up on the farm, taking care of one another and enjoying considerable freedom. She still milks the cows herself, and spends the entire day occupied with farm work. Since the farm alone cannot provide for the family, her husband Werner works as an independent chimney and stove fitter. There is little time left over for the parents to spend with one another. Anne and Jürgen Katzmarek found the courage to shrug off financial considerations and concerns over time constraints, simply saying “yes† to many children. “It's really a shame how people see large families in Germany today. A family with more than five children is regarded as asocial,† laments Jürgen Katzmarek. The Katzmareks’ trip shows how much vacation fun is possible for large families, but also how much effort and logistical planning is required to get into the vacation mood. It also demonstrates how much joy there can be when children grow up with many siblings.
