Biography 009

Christiane Fichtner - Biography

25 May 1974: Born in Paderborn to Catholic parents. Father: Thomas, attorney of law. Mother: Angelika, homemaker and head of the church board. Siblings: Bettina, Andrea, and Markus. The family is organized according to traditional gender roles. The girls have to help with the housework while Markus is conditioned to like cars and sports, against his will. Christiane's father spends little time with his family. When he is home, he is very dominating and Christiane's mother never contradicts him. They don't discuss problems and emotions. All the children learn how to play a musical instrument, and Bettina takes ballet lessons. Christiane rides horses and takes photography lessons at the community college.

Early years: 1980-1993: Christiane attends school and graduates from secondary school with an "Abitur" and a grade of 1.9 (good). She is the vice student body spokesperson and member of the city student council. Her main subjects are German and mathematics.

1992: Death of older sister Bettina, who is killed in a car accident with a drunken driver. Christiane's mother believes it is God's punishment. Both parents deal with the accident by watching over the other children even more closely than before. Alcohol is completely forbidden and Christiane isn't allowed to go out with her friends in the evening. Boys are always interviewed carefully when they pay Christiane and her family a visit. Christiane feels trapped and looks forward to freedom when she will leave to study at a university.

1994-1998: Christiane studies Business Management at the University of Marburg an der Lahn. She completes her studies as quickly as possible, not wasting time studying abroad, or the like. She meets Stefan in her first year. Stefan is a young lawyer from a good family. Christiane's parents are thrilled, and the wedding is quickly planned. Christiane and Stefan go on holiday together often. They go skiing in Switzerland, take short trips to Southern France, and even go on a package holiday to the Dominican Republic, where they spend most of the time on the beach. Everything seems perfect.

1999: Christiane finds a well-paid job at an employer's association in Frankfurt am Main. Stefan gets a job in a major law firm. They start looking for an apartment together. Because they work so much, Christiane and Stefan hardly see each other and Christiane feels like they are growing apart. Christiane meets Anja at a fitness gym. Anja has studied art, and she introduces Christiane to the "other side" of Frankfurt. Christiane meets people who finance their art with random jobs and who don't want to live the life she has taken so much for granted until now. She especially spends much time in an apartment where five people live but many more come to dinner, whether they're invited or not. Stefan isn't interested in coming with her and is only mildly enthusiastic about his future wife's new friends. Christiane starts spending more evenings with Anja and her friends, talking over glasses of red wine. For the first time, Christiane starts to reconsider and doubt the path she has chosen. She starts keeping a diary and picks up drawing.

2000: Christiane becomes pregnant. Stefan and her parents are elated. Stefan quickly asks her to marry him. Christiane doesn't want to have the child and starts to talk about having an abortion. Her family is horrified. Stefan is completely stunned and blames her new friends and their bad influence on her for her decision. Christiane leaves Stefan, moves into a small room in Niederrad and decides to have an abortion. Klaus, who lives in the apartment where she has been spending so much time, comes with her when she goes to a clinic and takes care of her for a few days. His friend Nick, who is visiting from England, often comes with him. Nick used to work in public relations at Unilever and quit his job so he could travel for a whole year. He and Christiane hit it off from the start. He asks her to come with him. Christiane sees this as a chance to get over all that has happened and says yes. She gives up her room and spends some of her savings on a new camera and a backpack.

2001: Nick and Christiane start their world tour by travelling for 5 months in South and Central America. Christiane takes lots of pictures. When they realize they are running out of money, they go back to England. In London, they organize several shows in the evening where they present Christiane's pictures. Nick applies for a job at Lonely Planet and is assigned to Eastern and Western Africa to update the travel guides for those regions. Christiane goes with him. They travel Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda, and then they fly to Senegal where they continue their tour. Christiane already falls in love with the artistic hairstyles of the women in Kenya and Tanzania. She starts to photograph the different kinds of hair braids and styles. After 7 months in Africa, they return to London and Christiane shows a series of her photographs of hairstyles. A publishing company likes the idea and the ensuing book is well-received. She applies to study at the University of Arts in London and is accepted to the Digital Arts programme because of her book.

2002-2004: She studies at the University of Arts. Christiane also takes several fashion courses. 2005: Christiane and Nick are still living together. He still works for Lonely Planet occasionally. Whenever she can, Christiane goes with him on his travels. She works as a freelance artist now. Sometimes she earns some extra income by taking portraits or by photographing fashion shows. Christiane and Nick are very happy together.

 

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