About me: Heide Göddert

Your Romanian-German travel organizer for your trip to Transylvania

Were you ever a Christmas present? I was one! At least I hope so 😀 On Christmas Eve 1972, I appeared at home for the first time. I was allowed to leave the neonatal ward at Christmas and so came home to my parents in time for presents. There, my big brother Manfred also looked at me with big eyes 🙂 .

Seven days before, my first cry sounded in the small town of Agnetheln (Agnita, Hungarian: Szentágota) in the Harbachtal (Valea Hârtibaciului). There near Hermannstadt (Sibiu, Hungarian: Nagyszeben) I grew up, attended the German-speaking kindergarten and the German-speaking school. When I was 2 ½ years old my younger brother Wolfgang was born. In school lessons I always listened to my mother tongue and wrote all class tests in German.

I still feel that way today: I was allowed to experience a wonderful childhood and youth in middle-class circumstances. The whole extended family lived on our farm: Mom and Tata, Grandma and Ota, my aunt and uncle, my cousins, my cousin ... Together we, the Preiss family, had a real small farm: chickens clucked, pigs grunted, there was always something going on 🙂 .

To this day I still remember the great community and the strong cohesion among us Transylvanian Saxons. Easter, for example, we celebrated together not only in our big family - but we sat together with all the neighboring families. We always celebrated Christmas in a large family circle. When I came home on Christmas Eve as a "Christmas present", a great community already welcomed me there, from the very first moment.

Did I want to leave? Never! But when I turned 17, I suddenly had to pack my bags - forever. After the fall of Ceausescu in March 1990, I ... well, let me put it this way: my parents emigrated me 😉 Virtually overnight, I saw myself waking up in another world; this one bore the name Ludwigsburg 🙂 .

The first two weeks there, near Stuttgart, I experienced in a dormitory. After that, things continued excitingly: I went back to school and caught up on my advanced technical college entrance qualification. I then completed an apprenticeship as an office communications clerk. A well-known global corporation said "yes" to me and hired me. I worked here for many years as an assistant to the head of department and did a lot of organizing, including traveling.

How was your private life? Also very well! My dear Harald also said "yes" to me and since then my name is no longer Heide Preiss, but Heide Göddert. By the way, my husband is also from beautiful Transylvania and even from near Sibiu; which is why we have remained faithful to the Transylvanian dialect at home 🙂 .

Our two sons love Transylvania, even though they were born in Germany: Fabian, the big one, and Robin, the little one - although the little one can now already look at his mom's head and is all grown up 😉 My family is fully behind me and has my back as I now live my dream of fulfilling other people's dreams of a wonderful Transylvanian trip.

During my first visits to Transylvania, I realized: As a child, I didn't really see Transylvania at all. Although I made some trips as a child, I took the wonderful landscape, its great people and the highly interesting culture for granted - my homeland.

Now, with adult eyes, I see Transylvania again ... and marvel at how incredibly beautiful this land is! I hear the old songs there and see: The traditions we had as children are still there, they live on there. I want to show this beautiful country to everyone. And to make it a dream trip, I make sure that the trip is perfectly organized.

I am very happy about the great interest in traveling to Transylvania. Just six days after I founded Heide Reisen, I was already allowed to organize the first trip, although there was neither a website nor advertising from me 🙂 I owe the idea for Heide Reisen to my childhood friend, Camelia. She stayed in Romania, where we met regularly. Now she, like me, is always there for you. Camelia supports us with her knowledge and experience from 50 years on the ground.

Do you remember the beginning? I was a Christmas gift 😀 Your trip to Transylvania should be a gift for you. You don't have to worry about anything - I'll organize everything for you. You will enjoy Transylvania with all your heart, I promise you! Your Heide

P.S. Just get in touch with me → Contact. I will be happy to show you Transylvania from its most beautiful sides.