Mr. H. was one of my first clients when I started working as a social worker in a nursing facility, fresh out of university. At 57, he was still relatively young, but he had a penchant for beer, which had brought him into his situation. Starting out with him was difficult because he had a rather snotty attitude, had already had various experiences with public authorities, and now some social worker wanted something from him again. Two or three applications later, which we submitted together, we both got along really well, and so I became his regular contact – no matter what the issue. Over time, he recovered and wanted to return home, which is rather unusual in a nursing facility. We fought together to ensure that he could move back into his beloved apartment in Prenzlauer Berg, and we were successful. Unfortunately, he suffered a severe relapse a week before we were supposed to start. He never drank hard alcohol or excessively – yet his body couldn't tolerate another drop, and the two beers in the evening were the last straw. He was admitted to the hospital and returned to the facility a few days later, where he died a few weeks later. I was also able to accompany him on his final journey and was able to be with him as he died. After his death, his brother wanted to show me "the apartment" that we had fought so hard for and that meant so much to Mr. H. When we were there together, he asked me to choose something as a souvenir, and I chose this cactus. Mr. H. was a true Berliner character to me.
