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Crossing Paths Again

12/13/2023

15 Comments

 
By Jessica Rath
​​
What are the odds that two people who were born and grew up in Germany and who ran into each other a few times in Munich during the late 60’s counterculture movement would meet some thirty years later in a tiny village in Northern New Mexico? Pretty slim, wouldn’t you say. And yet, that’s exactly what happened to me and Renata Zimmermann.
Picture
Renata in Sag Harbor with her bicycle. Image credit: Renata Zimmermann
I had moved to Abiquiú from Berkeley/California in the fall of 2000, and when I got to know my neighbors a little, everybody asked: “Have you met Renata yet? She knits these amazing sweaters. And she is from Germany, as you are!” Hmmm. I wasn’t really all that interested in meeting other Germans; I had left the country for good in 1973 with no intention to ever move back.  But when I was finally introduced to her – a kind neighbor had invited me to a Thanksgiving Party – both of us were thunderstruck. We had actually met in Munich! We knew many of the same people! Since then we’ve become good friends and I learned enough about Renata’s life to decide to write about her adventures.
 
She was born and grew up in Bavaria, Germany’s most southern state. She trained to be a dressmaker and moved to Munich, the hub for intellectuals, radicals, and artists. It so happened that a German avant garde filmmaker, Michael Verhoeven, made a movie in the flat below the one where she lived, which started her career as a wardrobe and costume maker. She worked for and with people who later became famous, such as Wim Wenders, Mel Ferrer, and Dennis Hopper.
 
I also knew Wim Wenders at that time, not so much because of his movies (he was a student at the Munich Film School), but because he was part of the political anti-establishment, anti-Vietnam war movement, as I was. We were all hanging out in the same coffee shops and pubs in Schwabing, Munich’s famous bohemian district frequented by artists and students ever since the 1900s. I left Munich at the end of 1970 and never heard of or saw Renanta again until we met in Abiquiú, just about 30 years later.  
Picture
Still from the movie “Die Sweethearts”. Renata is second from right.
​That’s when I learned that she not only made costumes, but also starred in some movies: “The Sweethearts” for example, about four girls who like to sing and then start a band. The director was Klaus Lemke, and it opened in 1977. Renate told me that the band really existed, and they performed in Frankfurt and other cities – just for fun! “They don’t sing beautifully, but are successful” states a newspaper critic. The Internet Movie Database (IMDb) has several entries about Renata: as actress, costume designer, and wardrobe maker.
Picture
Newspaper write-up of “Sweethearts”.
​But at some point she had enough of all this. When did she leave Munich and Germany, and why? I recently gave her a call to find out more.
 
“Everything exciting seemed to come from the United States at that time”, Renata told me. “I loved Bob Dylan’s songs, I met Dennis Hopper, but I never learned English at school and couldn’t understand anything. I wanted to understand Dylan’s lyrics!  As long as I can remember, I was impressed with American culture; I longed to get to know it better.” What a unique motivation!
 
“I left Munich in 1981”, she went on.  She had to vacate the flat where she lived because the owners needed it for themselves, and the Munich housing market was always difficult, even then. So she decided to visit a friend in New York City, a German journalist who had relocated to the United States a year earlier.  Renata used the time there to research whether she could find a place to live and support herself, and once that was settled she returned to Munich and sold everything she owned, except for her records, a feather bed, and her books.  Then she left Germany to live in the United States, unfamiliar with the language, without a safety net. That’s quite courageous, don’t you agree?
 
For about one and a half years she rented a room with a woman in Uptown New York. That’s when she started knitting: she bought a knitting machine, taught herself how to use it, came up with unique designs, and sold her creations. 
Picture
Renata’s shop in Sag Harbor. Image credit: Renata Zimmermann.
“I met this Danish woman who had just opened a store for knitted items in Sag Harbor on Long Island. I went to the opening reception, and I liked it there so much that I decided to move to the Hamptons.” And a little later she had her own store which she called “ZIRE” – for Renata Zimmermann. 
Picture
Inside of Zire. Image credit: Renata Zimmermann
​A few years later the Hamptons became ever more popular as a getaway for people from New York City. Movie celebrities and other rich and famous folk bought summer residences along the Atlantic Ocean beaches. Rents skyrocketed, and Renata was looking for a more affordable site. A friend told her about Santa Fe – how stunningly beautiful it is there. And it would be perfect for her knitwear; the city was known for high-quality art and attracted a steady flow of tourists. After her second visit she decided to move to Santa Fe – that was in 1986.
 
With a streak of luck, she was able to rent the Gustave Baumann  house on the east side of town. It was within  walking distance to the Plaza – that was important, because Renata didn’t have a car yet. She went everywhere by bicycle. Several stores and galleries carried her work, and everything went well for a year.
 
When her landlady took her along to participate in a section of the Hands Across America event (planned to raise awareness and money for homeless and poor Americans) along Interstate 40, she met many of the people she’s still friends with today, including her future boyfriend who lived in Medanales. In 1987 she moved in with him. A bicycle wasn’t sufficient any more, and she learned how to drive a car and got a driver’s license. 
Picture
Renata in her first car. Image credit Renata Zimmermann
​In 1992 some land was for sale further up on the mesa, and Renate bought some property – for $1,500/acre. Soon after she started to build her house; it took six or seven months to finish. 
Picture
Newspaper article about Renata’s life in New Mexico.
​And that’s where she still lives. After many moves she found her ideal place, the one she loves. The pristine, natural setting all around her has inspired her creations which easily found buyers. For many years, Renata drove to art fairs all over the country – from California to Florida and almost every state in between. And she is part of the Abiquiú Studio Tour, she joined just a few years after it started.
 
Nowadays she doesn’t drive to art fairs any more, but she sells her wearable art at several stores and galleries in northern New Mexico, and she still participates in a few studio tours. I think if one would ask her how to become a successful entrepreneur she’d say “Find out what you love to do, and then DO it”. Sound advice, especially if one is gifted with talents for creative design and for matching colors and patterns in a unique way, as she is. 
15 Comments
Sievernich Lilyan
12/15/2023 08:59:30 am

Renata is a wonder ! Her designs quite beautiful and we are proud to be her neighbor — having also been a part of the German new wave we have lots to talk about !!
Nice story about her life on our Mesa.

Reply
Jessica
12/21/2023 08:32:38 am

Thank you, Lilyan! Yes, there are lots of interesting stories about German film's New Wave!

Reply
Wanda Roach
12/15/2023 09:08:21 am

Thanks, an article filled with eventful experiences by two motivated ladies. A good read...

Reply
Jessica
12/21/2023 08:34:54 am

I'm glad you liked it, Wanda. Yes, those were interesting times...

Reply
Christopher C Kunz
12/16/2023 10:38:55 am

Incredible story. Such a lot of life and travel before finding your place.

Reply
Jessica Rath
12/21/2023 08:37:52 am

Thank you, Christopher. One learns so much when one travels to unknown places.

Reply
Hannah-Leigh Bull
12/16/2023 10:54:26 am

Jessica, it was delight to read your story of Renata's colorful life. Appreciated the photos and narrative. Renata was a dear neighbor during my two-decade tenure in Medanales and we remain friends since my relocation to California.

I remember you, too, over the years, and appreciate your care of other species who also reside in our environs.

Thank you both for your contributions, art, and caring.

Reply
Jessica Rath
12/21/2023 08:44:04 am

I remember you also, Hannah -- you took care of some llamas, correct? I didn't know you moved to California. Thank you for your kind words, it was fun to write about Renata's life; although I know her for over 20 years now, I learned something new when I talked to her!

Reply
Pia Gronning
12/17/2023 11:16:34 am

Renata and I met when I was going to open my store in Sag Harbor.( Yes,I am THAT Dane ).I remember we met in my apartment in NYC and I talked and talked about the concept of my store.Renata did not say much just nodded and i later realized she did not understand what I was saying.But we hit it off right away and have become fast friends since then.She is so so talented in knitting,sewing,designing and I am so proud of her and so happy to still be her friend.

Reply
Jessica Rath
12/21/2023 08:51:54 am

Hello, THAT Dane -- Renata told me your name of course, but I wasn't sure whether you'd want to be mentioned by name, so I left it out. I had to laugh when I read about your first meeting! I had a similar experience when I was traveling in India and met some Americans; we learned British English at school, and I didn't understand a word.

Reply
Juanita Girardin
12/21/2023 08:33:34 am

Though I’ve known Renata as a friend and colleague for a long time her story never ceases to amaze me as I learn more and more aspects of her adventurous life! Talented and resourceful and full of surprises! Renata!!! Long life and happy Holidays 🎄 Wonderful article.

Reply
Jessica Rath
12/25/2023 02:08:36 pm

I couldn't agree more, Juanita! Thank you for your kind words.

Reply
Pit Schröder
12/24/2023 06:31:40 am

What an amazing background story! What a tough, courageous girl. And somehow I am angry with myself I never started to ask. I wll always remember those cosy christmas parties together with Peter and Martin at Christian's place. And the evenings at Capri, Klappe and Tiffanys. Nowadays Schwabing lost its charm. The best times are gone and will never come back. So Renata made the right decision. Happy Holidays to everyone!

Reply
Renata Zimmermann
1/7/2024 09:53:49 am

Danke lieber Pit Schroeder....ja our days in Munich....unforgettable..thanks for your nice comment.

Reply
Renata Zimmermann link
1/7/2024 10:01:39 am

Danke lieber Pit Schroeder.yes you were a big part in the movie scene in Munich at that time.thank you for your nice comment.

Reply

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