A French company Comsip Entreprise to Paris, with KHD Humboldt Wedag AG continuously measuring Roentgen fluorescence equipment for a cement plant in Algeria had bought, which we ourselves to optimize only the measuring head had developed were bought by GE and with us improved around the measuring accuracy.

Picture left, the measuring head and on the right of the double cabinet with the control for the entire plant and the analysis part of the results of measurement. The composition of CaO, SiO₂, Al₂O₃ and Fe₂O₃ in per cent of the raw meal was measured, which as raw product for the production of clinker was used.

The plant was in our laboratory developed over the customer the effectiveness to be demonstrated and the acceptance at the customer to be interspersed, for the purpose the Mr. Henry Margoto and Alain Pons came to Cologne. The Mr. Henry Margoto was busy, naturally I on weekend after me at home invited him several days in Cologne with me, where he was regaled by my wife and me well, which was confirmed later us, this was in the late summer 1974. To 24.02.1975 I had first for a pair days after Annaba in Algeria on the building site around the installed Roentgen fluorescence plant to examine. The journey went from Cologne with the airplane over Paris and Algiers, where I had to transfer for the far flight for Annaba, the six hours of waiting period in Algiers drove out I with a gentleman of the company Linde in the city, unfortunately was it at raining. At the airport Annaba I was fetched from the Mr. Margoto and driven in the middle to the hotel Hoggar in the city. The hotel dated still from the colony time of the Frenchmen, which owner of the hotel corpulent, much, is an Egyptian and is called Briki Mohamed, speaks only Arab and from the Hotel lounge to entered, a room as mosque had furnished, because except Frenchmen also still Algerians were in the hotel to guest. The Hotel owner sat, if he were present, beside the entrance of his mosque and looked on the happening in resounds, then he could observe also my behaviour, because he knew that I came from Germany, him was noticeable as calmly I behaved contrary to the other guests (later I come on it still back which he from me had thought). My room was small and had compartment with shower and plumps lavatory, the shops before the windows was down left, because of the sun, could not however no more be pulled up. I was me not reliably whether the bed linen after the last guest was changed, because it saw so crumpled out. At the time still another German, Mr. Preis in the hotel, was who had to demonstrate the farmer in the environment a potato typesetting machine. On the weekend following on it I was invited by Mr. Preis to a travel into the mountains, organized by one of the farmers. Over six clock fifteen early in the morning we drove already on the fifty kilometres, in the interior, distant building site or the cement plant, on the area arrived, saw I everywhere the disorder, it were appropriate this way and that for steel girder and heaps of wood, which were not work roads fastened, full impact holes and by the rain were everywhere the mud present.

On the picture left, my wife and my son before the hotel, her stand participated however only with the second attendance in Algeria. The responsibility of this disorder on the plant site had the Algerian manager of the factory, because only for the new production line the Frenchmen were responsible. In a secondary room of the control room two process computers of the company GE, which should steer the enterprise of the lines already producing, were located however out of operation were, because the line of the work was not able the air conditioning system to operate and thereby the sand come into the computer cabinets to remove, because the doors were not closed to the computer area.

The new computer was located thank God in a separate air-conditioned area and still was under the responsibility of the French company. Without the employment of the computer no good cement and will the heat of steady stones could be manufactured inside the rotating kiln in shortest time, by a rapid cinders in different places, breaks off and would have the kiln to be cooled down more frequently and continued around these places to repair, which naturally cost money. The two raw meal mills and their electrical control had not been supplied by the Japanese company Mitsubishi, who had its substantial difficulties with start-up also, to a discussion with the Japanese personnel came it, from reasons of their stubbornness. On the way to and of the cement plant attention was required, because sudden a herd cows could cross or sheep the way. To the work, when I was again back in my hotel and had made fresh me, I went into the city, on the search to a restaurant or a post office, and was noticeable myself like many Algerians on the way was, most women was dressed in the usual way black with head cloth and take a walk by the shopping street on and off, who were located in groups and it debated somewhat apart was two men with one another at arguing, about which the other one with a measurer threatened, but generally was the population of peaceful nature. To 12.03.1975 I, after whom the assembly of the cement plant was successfully terminated, flew over Marseille, of Paris "airport Orly", to Cologne where my wife me fetched and home drove. During the flight before the airplane landed in Marseille, became I by all sides of Algerians addressed, held its passport and the airport light me which can be filled out against with the question whether I might you're welcome the light for it have filled out, see only now one times like many illiterates among the Algerians am. To 09.05.1975 I flew with woman and son again, but now to the start-up of the plant, after Annaba on the building site and also this mark, already installed, we were accommodated in the hotel Hoggar. Immediately the Hotel owner came to Rouichi Hamma, which understood English, to us and brought, because he spoke only Arab, its son-in-law as a translator also. It placed usual questions, from where we from Germany came that he is Egyptian and had already come before the Second World War to Annaba and on weekend into the interior around would like to drive us around objects of interest to visit, when it was so far then brought he us, a translator do not need we no more, to a place where hot water from the soil came, this place from the Arabs Hammam Meskoutine called. The water was in some places of boiling hot, the host used the opportunity and bought a few eggs of chickens put it in the water for cooking, offered us to consume them, but we reject with the reason, the eggs are spoiled, it however ate them and got after a while stomach pain.

It had become so bad that it asked me whether I its car home to drive wanted. On the picture of the Egyptians after the meal of the eggs, showed however still no pain. Before the departure we gave him our pharmacy. On the return trip we drove at a young woman, who at the roadside, past, who suddenly showed its dress from cheerful sky highly main headers and us their naked body. Our host told us that he had gotten during the Second World War of German soldiers the following sentences with: - nur arbeiten - und - Franzose heraus -. As memory Briki Mohamed had given us a large photo of the Hammam Meskoutine (see picture left). My wife understood it in the time, in which I had to do on the building site to be occupied by be with our son in the city.

Picture right, shows the typical landscape outside of the city in the country and sees no forests, because it rains in this area only during the winter months times. When we were in May here, there were already no more rains and the temperatures were sometimes 30 to 35 degrees Celsius. At this time were many storks, which its nests on mosque - had built for slender turret and masts, because there was here before the dryness began still enough damp places with frogs and other small animals for feeding.

Picture left, shows a mansion in the outlying district of the city, these mansions before the independence of Algeria from the Frenchmen was built and inhabited. The gardens are not be-draw and the mansions require a painting, unfortunately had the Algerian population a sense for order and the number of inhabitants are after independence precipitously risen without equal step of the infrastructure, thus developed still for more poverty than before, this are also the reason why many Algerians to Europe travel around money to earn.

Also with Annaba there is a Roman ruin complex, which is not as beautifully received as the ruins in Libya. On the hill in the background a monastery from the colony time of the Frenchmen stands. Also the Romans built at the sea, so that they came with their ships comfortably to Rome, without having to transport before still over country.

At the old outskirts of a town at a bay apart of the industrial area one has built, as I mean, well succeeded again, sees picture left above. Picture right above was made in the centre of the old city, where we were accommodated in the hotel Hoggar.

Picture right, the beach in a bay closed Annaba. To swim we could not, since this was in the time after Moslem customs immoral. We saw nevertheless a mother with their child, who skin excursion had, for recovery in the sea on the bank.

We met also outside of the city in a place at the Mediterranean coast an Algerian standing at its car with Netherlands number sign and dreamed before itself. It told us it vacation would have taken and is around a woman to be searched here to marry and take also in the Netherlands.

On one weekend I rented a car, had however not the certainty over the fitness of the brake assembly, because we wanted to drive to the high rocky coast on the narrow Country roads along. After a detailed examination of the brake assembly and the oil level we could begin and have the journey the beautiful landscape at the Mediterranean coast enjoyed. Picture left, my wife and the width of the coast with the many small bays where it steeply down goes and deserted is. The population concentrates with 85% in the cities where it hoped work to find and their children on schools go could. The border with Tunisian was about three hundred kilometres distant from Annaba to drive time over to Tunis or into the Sahara had we no more. At the time put on also for luxury - ships with tourists from Europe in the port by Annaba, which were then driven with penalties without air conditioning system, which were located already longer time in the glowing sun, into the interior where it were still hotter.

One evening we by the French family Margoto were home invited to them and should bring along a giant hunger. Its wife was the daughter of an officer of the French army, thus as a child everywhere in French the colonies had been and felt here at home. In the evening also the other colleagues with their families were present, since my French was not the all best, had we in English to maintain and in such a way came themselves the conversation to conditions. It much us up that a woman of a colleague of the Mr. Margoto was not so maintenances and inquired as I, told it an unbelievable history, which sounded itself in such a way: It be with their one in Germany on a building site, have their first child, at that time still a baby, for which it milk needed, which only in a business to buy be where it then in a queue of human before the shop stand, which it, when they notice, that it was from France, say, get your milk in France and strike here off. Which did not know it and me was incomprehensible, was the fact that history took place in the DDR, because with us in West Germany there are no queues before the business, which I also explained, all was relieved and the evening found a merry end. To the meal there was an Arab court with names "Couscous" and had tasted excellent, for which we thanked you cordially. When the start-up of the Roentgen fluorescence plant was successfully final the fact that is called was assigned the sampling from the main stream of the raw meal to the homogenizing silo for the x-ray unit and the measuring data by the computer were seized to me the discharge and could fly I with my family on 6 June 1975 home. Before my departure I was allowed to select a small carpet beyond that at expense of the company Comsip Entreprise in a carpet business, as gift of my outstanding work and performed assistance. To come on 20 April 1976 I once again asked for some days on the plant site, here gave it additional difficulties with the interface, computer to x-ray unit. The data were not conveyed to the computer correctly, when I stated then all examined I that an enormous amount of spurious signals impaired the data communication, which had gradually in-crept with the start-up of the entire work. Also at other interfaces the signal level was overlaid with spurious signals and has with my knowledge helped the problem to solve also here. The reason of these disturbances was not with the control cabinets supplied by the company Mitsubishi, here entire electro-technology and electronics with a separate grounding had perfectly been equipped. One had already looked for lasting for weeks for it. To 24 of the same monthly I flew off again, got with transferring in Algiers, because the flier from Annaba had delay, difficulties with the time, one wanted me any longer to be let through and have not be let through energetically continue nevertheless. When one finally drove me to the flier, I could admire the first airbus at the flier arrived, that was open to doors far, which became sounds of the discussions over the intercom between on-board personnel and Tower sounds out and of the Algerians inside as well as outside belonged as the Frenchmen would say, here are we with our newest technical achievements and where you remain. When I sat correctly was the flier already for initial position to roll, that start was fameusement, the engines hardly heard one, which was thrust enormously, I became pressed into the backrest and saw like the flier fast from the soil took off. Also in this flier I had to fill out all airport lights for the Algerians. If one is hang-sent so everywhere in the world as an engineer, the people rely on your them towering above knowledge and above all if one comes from Western Europe, one is to however never see on that down and let feel the fact that they are stupid, which is not correct naturally, because it had never the chance good training in their country to get.

Picture left, my wife with the son Jerry outside of the city Annaba at the Mediterranean in Algeria in May 1975. The landscape is typical for the area in interior at the road to the cement plant.

Algeria under the past rule of the Frenchmen, possesses hardly a typical Arab culture, only the Moslems state religion betrayed the Arab origin of its ancestors, this contrary to the Moroccan culture, which is again purely Arab coined/shaped. French Wine producer referred their corks from crusts of the cork trees from Algeria. Before the independence of Algeria, French wine farmer in Algeria common grape vines had bred, from which wine manufactured there I had been able to drink also some Glasses.