Maniwolf – A Very Personal Biographical Account

Born in June 1942 in Mannheim, Nazi Germany, a war baby.

Father, 54, disciplinarian, dominant, abusive. PhD, head of international department of engineering corporation (Grün & Bilfinger). Travels frequently, especially in occupied France, assigned to the Atlantic Wall construction (to prevent allied invasion).

Mother, 39, Bavarian (Munich), warm and loving, housewife, lots of common sense, likes to write poems.

Sister Annelie, 4, first considered a prodigy child, then declared the black sheep of the family.

Frequent US-American air raids, bombardments. The family seeks refuge in bunkers, shelters, cellars. Home on fire.

I am evacuated to the countryside, separated from my parents, abandoned. I end up in a hospital with laryndiphtheria, death experience (“Now we need to put his fate into the hands of god”), lifelong trauma. I still have the Deutsche Reichspost wire to my parents: “Come immediately, M. is dying”. Mom comes. I survive miraculously.

After the war return to Mannheim, an apocalyptic world. We play in the ruins and rubble, soccer on the asphalt, fights with fatherless street kids, tough goings outdoors.

Lessing-Gymnasium, (humanistic high school/college) with 9 years of Latin, 7 years of English, 5 years of French, classic philosophy (logic).

Sister Annelie – victim of emotional, verbal abuse by father, incessant clashes. When she throws a major fit of rage, father calls the police, she is hauled away, put into a psychiatric institution, locked up for seven years, forced abortion and sterilization.

Since age 15 I have been going on hitchhiking trips during all school vacations all over Europe and North Africa, usually with friends. Especially fascinated by Spain, its people, mentality, music, alegría de vivir. Andalusia becomes my emotional home, fluency in Spanish.

First steady girlfriend Uschi. Sweet, pretty, loyal, but I am volatile, not ready for her.

1961 Abitur (university entrance qualification), Latinum Magnum.

Father becomes unbearable: “As long as you put your feet under my table you do what I tell you”. I am a young, furious rebel, confront him with his abusive behavior in his face, brutal arguments. I decide to leave that toxic home. “I will cut off university funds if you move out”, he threatens. I look him in the eyes, say: “I move out anyway”. I get a room in a poor district, hard work and loneliness.

Odd jobs in construction, at shipping company (Rhenus/Fendel), chemistry factory (BASF), foundry (Strebelwerk), meat packing plant, trucking and delivery companies.

Intense, inspiring friendship with Horst for many years, adventurous road trips, ship-hitching in Finland, Italy, Morocco. Spirited discussions about god and the world. Lots of reading, German and international literature (fiction). 

Study of Sociology (major) and Psychology (minor) at Karl-Ruprecht University in Heidelberg (Germany’s oldest university).

1961 – 1962 and 1964 – 1965 Psychoanalysis with Ilse von Kries (a kind mentor, disciple of Alexander Mitscherlich).

1962 – 1963 To avoid German military draft, I get a leave of absence from university, travel on a freighter to Canada, live in New York, road trip across the US. Hitchhike to Mexico, stay with Mexican uncle Maximilian and aunt Chole in Guadalajara.

Stranded in Houston, I sign on as a sailor to the Caribbean, South America for about a year.  A nomadic Death Ship on call. Crossing the North Atlantic it runs in distress, wrecked in rough storms, needs to be towed to the Azores islands for dry docking (beyond repair, though). Shipping company goes bankrupt. I finally arrive in Antwerp with two Caribbean water turtles, no money.

1963 – 1971 Back in Heidelberg, loving, passionate relationship with Hallie (still close friends). We start and run our music club Storyville in Heidelberg-Handschuhsheim, live jazz, international protest/folklore, rock, psychedelic light shows, alcohol and drugs. We organize concerts and riverboat shuffles throughout Southern Germany. Take part in students’ Civil Rights and Vietnam anti-war movements, demonstrations, protests.

Alcohol problems since late teens for many years. Wild life, hot nightlong parties.

1969-1975. Chipiona, Costa de la Luz, Andalusia. Meaningful relationship with Loli, maestra nacional (still friends). Simple life by the ocean (Tres Piedras). Addicted to amphetamines, Andalusian wine and cheap Pedro Domeq sherry and coñac. Hitchhiking trips with Loli around Spain, Portugal, Morocco, Netherlands, Germany. Visit of von Kries in Chipiona, lifelong friendship. Group psychotherapy with Don Conrado in Sevilla. We order (from Argentina) the Spanish version of the Primal Scream by Arthur Janov, mind-boggling. 

March 1975 Move to Los Angeles (West Hollywood) to undergo Primal Therapy, a deep-feeling psychotherapy. No alcohol or drugs from first day of therapy, it never has been an issue since. “Once I re-lived my (childhood) traumas and felt my real needs, I didn’t crave drugs”. “This therapy changed and saved my life”. Primal Therapy becomes a lifestyle of personal healing and growth. Sessions with therapists (Bernie, Jonty) and primal friends continuously up to the present. “I get high on life now”!

Hedonistic lifestyle in the primal community, lots of love, relationships, affairs, friendships, creative workshops, boisterous concerts, exciting happenings.

I borrow $1,500, start out with a run-down 1966 Ford truck and end up with a fleet of 9 moving vans (EZ-Move). Finally I sold the company to my employees.

Home in Venice, California, marriage to Marianne, rocky, Italian-style relationship. No children, “Never felt mature enough for children.”

Rustic giant home (“my castle”) in Encinitas. Persian girlfriend Afsaneh (Afie). So much fun!

Oasis Water Wells, drilling wells during the California draught (early nineties). I was badly defrauded by shrewd, criminal partner, lost everything.

1993 Again Los Angeles (Malibu, Pacific Palisades). Back in the primal community. Training as Primal Therapist with Arthur Janov in Venice. Working with him on editing projects. Friendship with Anneliese Pestel (author of Betty, Ahmet). 

1993 to 2021 “Now, after having lost everything, I can as well do what I love doing.” Languages! Start and operate WordExpress Corporation, Worldwide Language Services, dba USA Translations (still alive and well).

1995 Sister Annelie dies. Officially a suicide, I believe it was a femicide.

1996 Mother dies (93) from an overdose of anethetics at hip surgery.

1985 – 2021 Numerous travels within Latin America, Europe (especially Germany, Spain, Portugal), India. Lived in Argentina (Buenos Aires/Palermo), Brazil (Rio de Janeiro/Copacabana/Ipanema), Peru (Arequipa), Costa Rica (Alajuela), Mexico (Guadalajara, San Cristóbal), extensive road trips in all Latin-American countries. “I am a German, Latino and Californian!”

2003 – 2008 Nirvana Ranch by the ocean, North of Santa Barbara, a paradise. Time to write, date and enjoy life!

2009 – 2021 Pacific Palisades, Santa Monica, Brentwood. Focusing on making WordExpress successful.   

Sweet romance with young Lulyta in Buenos Aires (still friends). “My alluring Fata Morgana for many years”.

2021 Toxic, paranoid, psychopathic drug dealers defame, conspire and push me off my Brentwood home, ruin my life. LA police does not help, nor anybody else.           

December 2021 – 2023 Mulegé, Baja California Sur, Mexico. Tropical hacienda retreat where the river flows into the sea. Spectacular Bahía de Concepción. Road trips in camper throughout Baja.

February 2023 to present Enjoying the Great Outdoors in California and beyond. Road trips up through Alta California, Oregon, Washington State and down to Mexico. Settle down in a spacious, peaceful home in semi-rural Bonita (San Diego), focus on creative writing.

Practicing Primal Therapy and exchanging stories with long-time friend Paul. 

2025/26 Finally I decide to publish a few stories online. 

© Maniwolf