A look back – and forward
Dear Anna, Dear Simon, Dear family, friends and guests who have travelled from near and far!
Allow me, as the father of the groom, to say a few words.
We are truly fortunate to be here today at your wedding, dear Anna and dear Simon. Because right up until Simon's birth in November 1992, all the specialists who had accompanied the pregnancy were convinced: it would be a girl. We parents had already prepared lovely names – Clara-Isabella, for example. But when the baby arrived, one thing was absolutely clear: it's a boy. This left us in quite a predicament, because even days later we could only shrug our shoulders when people asked about the name. Eventually we began going through various options. Benjamin was at the top of the list – but no, Bettina's parents' dog was already called Benni. Gradually a whole list of names came together, and the first name that stuck was Simon. I hope, dear Simon and dear Anna, that you both like this name.
Two and a half years earlier, Florian had already joined our little family. At the time we were living in Berlin, in the Halensee district at the far end of the Kurfürstendamm, and space was getting tighter by the day! At least both our boys – Florian and Simon – are true Berliners, unlike their parents, and could say, paraphrasing Kennedy: Ich bin ein Berliner.
We decided to look for a larger home. But after German reunification the housing market had become even more difficult, and so we were drawn westwards again. An invitation to work at Furtwangen University brought us to the Black Forest.
At one point Simon, who was a teenager at the time, reproached us: where on earth had we brought him – things were so much better in the big city of Berlin. I hope and believe that this view has changed somewhat today. Because Furtwangen in the Black Forest was an extraordinarily family-friendly place for a happy childhood. And now, as you have chosen Obfelden for your family life and are moving away from great Zurich, I can see certain parallels.
After successfully completing your physics degree and defending your doctoral thesis, dear Simon, you found your professional path. It came as a surprise to me that you chose the field of micro- and nanotechnology, because during your school years you firmly rejected that possibility.
And only one component was still missing – the family one. One fine day Simon introduced us to Anna. It was immediately clear that this was serious. We took Anna into our hearts at once. She joined in the work in our garden in Seefeld with great love and truly blossomed.
And today you are married, and we sincerely hope that a long, shared and happy life together lies ahead of you.
We wish you a wonderful start to your shared future, much harmony, mutual understanding, tolerance in difficult moments and many years of happiness together.
With that, I raise my glass to you both and say: Cheers! Long live the young couple!
All the very best!