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A couple between Africa and Europe

Jule Sommer | Udo Kilimann
June 15, 2024

Irene and Christian love each other and have been married for many years. To receive the blessing of Irene's family, they travel to Tanzania.

https://p.dw.com/p/4h5MK

When Irene Thadei Leony announced that she had fallen in love with a German, her Tanzanian family was shocked. Her friends were also convinced that the German had ulterior motives.

Despite their resistance, Christian Kreisel — an emergency doctor from Marburg, Hesse — asked Irene for her hand. Married in a civil ceremony in Germany, they also went through a traditional ritual in Irene's home country to receive the family's blessing.

Today, the couple live with their two daughters in Marburg. Christian dreams of moving to Tanzania where he wants to work as a doctor, but Irene is unenthusiastic. What's life between the two worlds like for the family? A report by Udo Kilimann and Jule Sommer.

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