A trip like any other, just uncharted territory! But we could already count on family help from Ilka in Sao Paulo and Raul in St. Cruz when booking flights! That was the idea, an “information tour with a family feel”!
However, this unexpectedly developed into something completely different, a “journey of the soul,” the beginning of a profound process of insight and change with a lasting effect, which I unfortunately cannot adequately describe in words below.
According to the vague ideas we had about our distant relatives, it was not only the sudden clear view of a very respectable, extremely amiable, and lovable family, who had every reason to be proud, but also the intense reflection of our own values and sensitivities that literally captivated us all (perhaps even our Bolivian relatives!?).
At the end of the 19th century, three Borries brothers (M 115, 117, 120) emigrated to Brazil, Bolivia, and Chile. They all left behind respectable families, which were naturally influenced by the geography and history of their new adopted homeland in subsequent generations. While Brazil and Chile were able to maintain close contact with Europe and Germany, and thus the families remained very German in terms of language and self-image, Bolivia, due to its geographical isolation, was much more focused on itself and largely cut off from German sources in particular.
For scientists and writers, remote islands have always been a highly suitable testing ground and a source of insight into evolutionary and social developments. How do populations or societies develop away from the mainstream? So what had become of the largely isolated “species of those from Borries” in the Andes region?
Occasionally, the family days had visitors from Bolivia: Oscar from La Paz for the 100th anniversary in Niefernheim, Ana Maria and Ramiro in Zons, and Virginia with Mario Adolfo in Stade. But as individual Borries among many others who were also seen for the first time, the effect was of course not comparable to the appearance of nearly 200 Bolivian Borries in an unprecedented, overwhelming atmosphere.
Just look at the numbers! In Germany, which is many times larger, such a large number of Borries would be unimaginable even on family days, despite extensive advertising and preparation. There aren’t that many here! (However, this response was surprising and unique even by local standards.) Admittedly, the Bolivians have it easier. Almost all Borries live in Santa Cruz, Cochabamba, or La Paz, and they are all relatively closely related to each other through Adolf M117 (grandfather of the current “family patriarch”). Incidentally, in keeping with old Borries tradition, the Borries in Bolivia do not own large estates, which could potentially make them politically vulnerable, but are mostly successful freelancers and senior employees with occasional entrepreneurial impetus. The traditional dominance of lawyers is also noteworthy!
But was this alone responsible for the much more cohesive and harmonious impression our Bolivian family made on us? Or is it not also the other “biotope” on which human beings, humanity in its familial form, have a direct impact here?
Of course, Bolivia’s island situation has largely been offset in today’s mobile media society. In Bolivia, too, at least the educated society is internationalized and part of the World Wide Web. Nevertheless, the much-cited change in values and the accompanying uncertainty in interpersonal relationships did not seem to us to be nearly as advanced there as in many other countries, especially Germany, which may even have become a pioneer in this regard due to a number of special developments. Conversely, it may be precisely Bolivia’s isolated island situation that has made Bolivians aware of the advantages of preserving family traditions and creating a traditional identity at an early stage.
These considerations could be approached from various angles, but I will limit myself here to family policy issues:
Marriage in its traditional binding form is disintegrating, with every second child in Germany being born outside of a marital relationship. This inevitably has an impact on the stability of families in both the narrower and broader sense. Even the naming of children has lost much of its original regulatory function. The position of women has been strengthened not least by this development. The “mater semper certa est” no longer describes only the genetic factor, but also the fact that women usually remain “certa” as single parents in the remaining family. However, the dissolution of the marital bond inevitably also leads to a softening and fragmentation of family structures in general.
Another phenomenon of our time is the rapid mobilization and internationalization of the entire human race. Even as a young person, it is almost taken for granted that you will spend at least some time abroad.
The overwhelming abundance of information in turn leads to an increasing arbitrariness of all values and uncertainty in education systems.
But what does that mean for the family with its motto “loyal and steadfast”?
We define ourselves as “Borries” based on a centuries-old tradition. If it weren’t for this tradition, most of us would know nothing about each other, and certainly nothing about this distant yet important branch in Bolivia (except for Melitta, presumably!). This tradition has also carried us through very difficult times, when it seemed that values no longer existed. Part of this tradition is, in turn, integration into the still existing system and network of aristocratic associations. Yes, I also considered this anachronistic, but especially in distant Bolivia, I have come to realize how meaningful and downright necessary such traditions are. Tradition is not just a decorative accessory, not the “von” in our name; everyone can decide for themselves whether they are proud of it or not. But tradition is a force that, especially in this mobile, fluctuating world, provides the necessary stability and roots to prevent us from being tossed about arbitrarily and insignificantly. Tradition is a value that proves to be enduring, especially in the face of the dissolution of many values, and is recognized everywhere across countries. Tradition may often have been a hindrance and occasionally unrealistic in the past, but in our open, dynamic world, it is a real opportunity. You can learn that in Bolivia, too!
Now, the concept of tradition always raises the question of what exactly can and should be “passed on.” This is certainly a difficult question to answer, but asking this question is where the value of tradition lies.
In this sense, we have become even more aware in Bolivia than before of the patriarchal dominance of genealogy, which is zealously guarded by the aristocratic associations. The Spanish tradition that prevails in Bolivia is much more open in this regard, as is of course the case in our own country, and even among the ruling aristocracy internationally, where much is in flux.
This raises the question of whether we are actually still a “German family.” We Germans have even “lost the majority,” and the trend is downward.
What are the general implications of this observation that we have long been a family with an international orientation? Does this have any impact on the statutes of our family association and on our genealogy? It is not the first time that we have discussed this at family gatherings, but it will certainly not be the last.
I mentioned above that we are not entirely free to make our own decisions regarding certain formal procedures, for example in dealing with genealogy, if we do not want to “break” with tradition, which would be tantamount to committing harakiri. But it is important to seek viable new approaches.
It is certainly no coincidence that other organizations have very similar problems, for example the churches. I would remind you of the current tensions in the Catholic Church. Incidentally, the Bolivian branch of the family is Catholic!
Will our next chairman come from Bolivia?
Report by Detlof, P2
March 2013