IN a sign of international solidarity, two German brothers are hoping to track down and reunite with an unidentified Australian fellow pilgrim they met at World Youth Day 2005 in Cologne, to make their celebration of the international event in Sydney next year complete.
At the closing service of World Youth Day 2005, German pilgrim Martin Janz, 19, exchanged his national flag for an Australian flag.
Martin was at World Youth Day with his younger brother Emanuel, 18.
Later, in the flurry of excitement that surrounded the closing event, Martin failed to exchange names and addresses with the Australian youth who received their flag.
The boys’ grandfather, retired policeman Hermann Mackauer, 71, has enlisted the help of Bill Kauter, 68, a distant Australian relative, who attends St Mary’s Parish in Casino, northern NSW.
Bill said Hermann was used to solving puzzles before his retirement.
He would visit crime scenes with his police-trained German Shepherd, much like the characters in Inspector Rex, an Austrian-made police television drama seen in Australia on SBS.
Bill contacted The Catholic Leader for further assistance and said the brothers believe the father of the Australian boy to be German or an Australian of German origin.
He said Martin and Emanuel are keen to make contact by email with the unidentified flag exchanger and keep their promise to meet again in Sydney.
Both brothers play football, are members of a brass orchestra and active volunteers in their local fire brigade.
Hermann and the boys’ family live in the small, predominantly Catholic village of Arfurt, about 60km from Frankfurt.
If you can help find the Australian pilgrim write to The Catholic Leader, GPO Box 282, Brisbane, Qld 4001, email editor@catholicleader.com.au or phone (07) 3336 9100.
