Who is this guy anyway?
13.02.1966
Friedhelm Albert Geiger
In 1996, just a day after Valentine’s Day, in a town nestled deep in the Black Forest called Nagold and to the absolute delight of his proud parents - Dorothee and Wolfram Geiger - Friedhelm Albert Geiger entered our world after a long and tough birth.
At that time, he already had one big sister, Michi. His younger
sister, Ute, was still just a twinkle in their parents’ eyes, she would join the Geiger clan two years later.
When Friedi was born, the family was living in Ebhausen, a small community just seven kilometers from Nagold. This was also where Friedi’s mum had grown up, and where Friedi's
Grandfather had once served as Mayor.
In 1998, the family moved out of Friedi’s grandparents’ home in Ebhausen into an exciting, newly built house in Böblingen. Perfect for the now five-strong Geiger crew.
The home in Böblingen, was designed by Friedi’s uncle Siegwart, and to make it even more special, it was the very first house he ever built. True to his creative spirit, the design featured
removable walls - ready to adapt to the ever-changing needs and dreams of whoever called it home.
1966 Proud Mum Dorothee & Friedi
1966 Welcome Baby Friedhelm
1972 - 1985
Kindi, School & Life as a Teenager
Even as a child, Friedi had a deep curiosity and love for learning. He would secretly peek at his older sister’s math homework before he'd even started school himself! During school he loved coming home and helping his Mum in the kitchen making lunch - especially cooking Schnitzel! Time seemed to fly, and before anyone knew it he'd
completed his Abitur.
What was his favourite subject?
Yes, no surprise to anyone: Physics :-)
Of course, school was never just about textbooks and exams, even then Friedi was always eager to try something new. He picked up the trumbone and played in the school
orchestra, joined the badminton team, and became
famous for the unforgettable parties he hosted with his
sisters in the family’s basement, which quickly earned a
reputation of its own:
What happens in Erwin-Rommel-Str. 7 stays in Erwin-Rommel-Str. 7!!!!
Through both his education and his vibrant social life,
Friedi built lasting friendships with some truly wonderful people, many of whom he is still grateful to have by his side today.
1st Day at School (Grundschule)
Child Passport valid until 1982
Geiger Clan & Omas
1980
Badminton - SVB Böblingen
After joining the badminton team, Friedi quickly found a real smash-hit passion for the game and turned out to be quite talented. As a self-proclaimed teenager 'nerd', he quickly discovered muscles he didn’t know existed and to his delight, his circle of female friends grew
exponentially right along with his muscles and
newfound strength ;-)
Training twice a week and in tournaments on the
weekends, Friedi mainly competed in men’s doubles and singles. The team climbed up to the 'Verbandsliga', which meant long drives across southern Germany to compete in matches at the weekends. But badminton wasn’t just about competition. After training and matches came the real reward: legendary evenings with fellow team members, mainly at the Fassdiele, where Franco served up copius amounts of well deserved pizza and often towering 'Stiefels' of cold beer.
But the true game-changer at badminton for Friedi had nothing to do with competing or trophies. In 1989, he met Caroline, a 19-year-old who showed up one club night fresh from Scotland, wearing ripped jeans, no socks, and absolutely zero regard for the fact it was soon the middle of winter. After a more than bumpy start (say no more!), the two became a couple, and their relationship quickly turned into something very special. This was the match that became his greatest victory of all (no prizes for guessing who's writing this, text lol!).
Girls, this is when I met your Dad
We made it in the local newspaper!
1989 SVB Badminton Team
1987 - 1992
Physics Masters University Stuttgart
After finishing his Abitur, Friedi had to sign up for an 15 month compulsory term of service in the German Bundeswehr.
Finally 15 months later after completing his service, he could apply to start university.
Although it surprised everyone that his best Abitur
result wasn’t in Physics, it was still a no-brainer that this was the subject he chose to study at the University of Stuttgart, where he graduated at the age of 26.
Unfortunately, the timing wasn’t ideal. Germany was in the middle of a deep recession, and despite applying for several jobs, it quickly became clear that opportunities were scarce. But with his strong character and natural problem-solving instincts, Friedi didn’t sit still for long, he knew he had to find another way forward, and he set out to do just that.
Legendary BB Fasching Party
TBH, Friedi didn't study much!
1992 - 1993
Physics Professor Houston, Texas
Friedi's family has many relatives in the US, one of whom is his Uncle Carl, an amazing guy, Astronaut and
Physicist (yes, he’s actually been to space multiple times… crazy, right?). Thanks to those stellar
connections, Friedi headed over to work at the
University of Houston for six months. To everyone’s
surprise, he was given the title “Professor,” since that’s the American equivalent of his German degree.
After a holiday along the Gulf of Mexico, (yes, Trump, we’re still calling it that!), and an unforgetable
experience, where Friedi's Uncle Carl gave us a private tour of Space Kennedy Centre, (where the astronauts train and the tourists were waving to us behind the glass!), Caroline tentativly left Friedi in Houston in a dirt-cheap, run-down motel full of prostitutes, because, well… it was the cheapest option he could find.
Not long after, thankfully, he moved into a shared flat and bought himself a huge big square American car that swallowed far too many gallons of petrol and
rattled its way across the US Highways.
Since his German license didn’t count there, Friedi had to take the American driving test. He passed the
theoretical part on his second try, and just
scraped through the practical exam, which involved
just four right turns and about five minutes of driving. We still joke about it to this day, because the instructor said: "You passed, but barely", barely because Friedi was so cool he drove with only one hand on the wheel - yes also while driving around the 4 corners :-)
During his time in Houston, Friedi made the most of his freedom: making lots of friends, partying hard, and if you ask Caroline, drinking far too many strong huge Long Island Iced Teas!
Friedi's American Hot Wheels!
Kennedy Space Centre, Fl., USA
Uncle Carl's Private Tour of Shuttle
1993 - 1996
Doctorate in Physics, Göttingen
After returning from the US, finding Germany still stuck in a recession didn’t stop Friedi! He soon landed an
exciting position to pursue a Doctorate in Göttingen, Niedersachsen, right in the heart of Germany, for Bosch. This also meant he finally cut ties with home and flew the nest at the ripe age of 26! Caroline joined him for a year in Göttingen during the main stretch of her university studies, which also saved them both from long 3,5 hour weekend communtes between Böblingen & Göttingen.
To be honest, the best memories of Göttingen weren’t exactly endless, but the Laser Laboratory where Friedi worked on his Doctorate was fantastic. Apart from when a laser accidentaly bounced off a mirror
destroying the retina in one of Friedi's eyes....
Also, the Göttingen Badminton Club, packed with
seriously good players, definitely stood out to this day too.
In 1996, Friedi passed his PhD on the topic:
"Nichtlineare Spektroskopie ultradünner organischer Schichten" (which I am not even going to try to
translate!) and yes, we still have a few (free! 😉) copies in the cellar if anyone’s curious.
Another unforgettable moment was the Doctorate
Celebration, because Göttingen takes this seriously! Tradition calls for self-built innovative carriages to transport the new Doctors, complete with matching hats, to the marketplace. There, they had to climb the fountain and kiss the girl at the top, the "Gänse Liesel".
All in all, while Göttingen wasn’t our favorite place, that celebration was definitely one event we’ll never forget!
PhD Celebration & Hat
Laser Labor Göttingen
Gänseliesel Fountain Göttingen
06.12.1997
Weddings: 1997 Germany & 1998 Scotland
On the 6th of December 1997 (Nikolaustag), Friedi and Caroline were officially married at the Böblingen
Registry Office. Ever the practical Schwab, Friedi
insisted on a civil ceremony before the end of the year, citing tax benefits😉
In August 1998, the real celebration followed in
Scotland! Friedi and Caroline brought 35 German family and friends across for a proper wedding party at Caroline’s local Culcreuch Castle, in Fintry.
The couple planned a full week of festivities, including getting all the German men kitted out in traditional Scottish kilts. The lady at the kilt shop in Glasgow said she’d never seen the place so buzzing as when the entire German group arrived for their fittings!
The wedding was packed with Scottish traditions,
including a ceilidh (a Scottish dance).
The band arrived late, due to too many sheep on the road (yes, really). At first, many of the German guests were nervous about dancing, having absolutely no clue what they were doing, but by the end of the night, they didn't want the band to finish up, and were shouting: “We want more!” to a very surprised band, who said they’d never seen such a wild and wonderful bunch of partiers. They were completely won over by the Germans!
It was an unforgettable day for everyone, especially Friedi, who was very determined to wear boxers under his kilt despite warnings from Caroline! Unfortunately for him, Caroline’s friends discovered this dreadful faux pas during the festivities (don’t ask how!) and gave him 10 minutes to ditch the offending underwear, or risk being tossed into the castle lake. Having enough sense not to cross a group of fierce Scottish women, Friedi complied. By the end of the night, he proudly reported to Caroline: “The best thing ever is not having to wear any underwear!”
Engagement Invite: Life Sentence!
Culcruech Castle, Scotland
VIPs at Edinburgh Castle!
1998
Siemens Career began in Erlangen
In 1997, after passing a tough assessment centre, Friedi began what has now become an almost 30-year career at Siemens.
His first position was in Erlangen, near Nürnberg.
Friedi still commuted to Böblingen biweekly to see family, friends, and play badminton matches, but also
really enjoyed when Caroline visited and they could
investigate lots of new places in his new surroundings.
The area is known as "Fränkische Schweiz" (Franconian Switzerland) and is famous for one very important thing: beer. Naturally, this suited Friedi perfectly :-) Whenever Caroline visited, they would grab their trusty local “Beer Tour Book”, which listed all the nearby
breweries within hiking distance of one another . Many weekends were spent blissfully hiking from one
brewery to the next, soaking in the beautiful
countryside and sampling local brews.
At the first brewery they visited, they couldn’t believe the price of the beer, they thought the waiter had made a mistake. “We had 2 beers not one,” we said. “Yes,” the waiter replied, “5 Marks for 2.” Turns out, beer cost half as much as it did in Stuttgart. Cheers to that!
Hiking Breweries, Erlangen, Baviaria
2004
New Home in Karlsruhe
In 1998, Siemens offered Friedi a new position in a town called Karlsruhe, just southwest of his hometown near Stuttgart. Little did he know at the time, but over 26 years later, we’re still here (if not without a few
international detours along the way!).
The photo taken in our KA flat (on right) shows Friedi's 1st digital display and a shelf he'd built (he made lamps, table, beds, the works).
For more infos check out his website: https://geigercreativedesign.wordpress.com/
After living in a lovely hip flat in the heart of Karlsruhe for six and a half years (see photo right - 2001 KA) which only does not feature Friedi's 1st digital display but
also the cool shelf system was also built by Friedi"), Friedi and Caroline decided it was time to take the next big step and buy their first home together.
After nearly three years of searching, they finally found a spacious three family house with a garden perched on a hill just outside the flat Rhine Plain, but still only fifteen minutes from the city centre.
In 2010 after tediously paying off the mortgage for
years, Friedi & Caroline decided it was time the house underwent a major renovation!
Never one to shy away from a challenge, Friedi, being a true Schwabe, teaming up with Caroline, naturally took on most of the work themselves.
It all followed the well-known Swabian motto:
“Schaffe, schaffe, Häusle baue”which roughly translates to “Keep working, keep building your house” :-)
The large garden also gave Friedi the perfect
opportunity to put his green thumb to work. He took real pride in nurturing the space.
More than anything, he loved watching their house slowly transform into a true home - a place built with love, hard work, and just a bit of Schwabian/Scottish stubbornness ;-)
2010 Friedi in Renovation Heaven!
House in Grünwettersbach
2001 KA - Friedi's 1st Digital Clock!
18.07.2002
First Child & Daughter: Cameron
After two nights of labour (Friedi took Caroline to the hospital in the middle of the first night, only to be sent home again because the contractions weren’t strong
enough - very frustrating!).
Finally, on the 18th of July 2002 at 14:26, they welcomed their daughter, Cameron Dorothee Elizabeth Geiger, into their lives, just under 3 kilos and 52cm long, so
perfect and so precious! They didn't want to know the gender to keep it a surprise, and as soon as she was born, Friedi shouted, “Es ist ein Mädel!” — It’s a girl!
Friedi cut the umbilical cord like he’d been doing it his whole life, it was a perfect moment, we were so happy!
Five days later, Friedi drove Caroline and baby Cameron home from hospital and Friedi’s life changed
profoundly forever: he was now a proud father of a daughter!
Few things in life compare to watching your child grow, especially when that little girl blossoms into a beautiful, bright, math-loving academic and competitive young woman, just like her father.
As an example of 'Friedi & Cameron competitive nerd vibes", not only did Cameron complete Secondary School (Abitur) with a
higher grade than Friedi did, but also at the ripe age of 22
graduated in Medicine and actually started writing her PhD thesis in the summer holidays of 2024 (last year - 21 years). That means she will recieve her PhD at least 7 years earlier than Friedi.... Can you imagine the fun she has rubbing all that into her Dad, ha , ha!
2002 Welcome wee Cameron XX
2025 Medicine Graduation, UK
2010 holiday in Corsica
2005-2008
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
Friedi and his family spent three memorable years
living in a small town called Silverdale, a suburb of
Philadelphia, in a new housing estate with a clubhouse and pool.
Having two small children in a different country
without family or friends around was definitely
challenging, but never boring! Fortunately, we had many visitors over those three years, and our two
beautiful daughters made making new friends even
easier. We quickly settled in - Friedi loved his job at Spring House and Caroline took care of everything else.
Many family traditions were born during those first few years. The backyard often turned into a stage for
adventures or parties. One of our annual highlights was Friedi’s beloved ‘German Party,’ where we invited all our neighbours between Christmas & New Year for an evening of German Mulled Wine & German Sausage cooked on the BBQ, served in a roll with mustard.
Philly’s location was perfect! Just 1.5 hours from the New Jersey Shore, Atlantic City, and New York. We
traveled all over the country with our girls and had many adventures.
One unforgettable memory, where Friedi came to the rescue, was during a family trip to Cape May. We
arrived at our accommodation and headed straight to the ocean quick before sunset. On the beautiful beach Caitlyn got a fright when a wave suddenly knocked her over as she stood, tumbling straight into the water! Needless to say, the shock must have activated her
bowel movements, and we stood there with a dripping wet child, nappie full of poo, and nothing to clean or change her with & a 20 mins walk to our accommodation!
The sun had set, the wind was picking up, and it was getting cold. Somehow, we managed to clean her up, but she was freezing. Quick as a flash, Friedi took off his T'shirt and put it on her to keep her warm.
As we headed back, you can imagine the funny looks we got in the dark & brisk wind, Friedi shivering shirtless, carrying a soggy, smelly child.
Fortunately, we found a shop on the way and quickly bought Friedi a new T-shirt. That spontaneous purchase ended up becoming one of his favorite shirts ever, even though it now sits in the cupboard full of holes, falling apart, it still holds the memory of that funny and
heartfelt moment: Friedi, our Super-Hero to the rescue!
2005: Empire State Building, NY
Famous Cape May T'shirt & culprit!
12.07.2005
Best Child Ever and Daughter: Caitlyn
After just seven weeks in Philly, our second daughter, Caitlyn, was born on the 12th of July at 18:36 in the
Sellersville Hospital, turning their little family of three into four and bringing even more beautiful life (and noise!) into their home. With American, British, and
German citizenship, she was truly special from the very beginning (not that we’re biased or anything!). They were overjoyed to meet the newest member of the family.
Immediately after her birth, her parents still hadn’t agreed on a name. Caroline had wanted to call her Caitlyn, but Friedi was set on Shannon. When asked in the delivery room what her name was, Caroline, caught up in a whirlwind of joy and hormones (it will never happen again, lol!), relented and said, “OK Friedi, we’ll go with Shannon.” So Shannon it was. Calls were made from the hospital, relatives informed, celebrations underway.
But just before leaving the hospital to pick up Cameron and introduce her to her new baby sister, Friedi, perhaps sensing a guilty conscience creeping in, turned to Caroline and said, “We can still call her Caitlyn if you want.” So we decided then and there to let Cameron make the final call.
On the way back to the hospital, Friedi asked Cameron, “Which name do you like better: Shannon or Caitlyn?” Without missing a beat, Cameron replied, “Caitlyn!” And that was that. The change was made, and Caitlyn has been grateful to her big sister ever since for making such a wise executive decision.
Much like her sister, Caitlyn reflects many of Friedi’s wonderful qualities.
While she may not share his love of science, she
definitely connects with his philosophical side.
To this day, she loves diving into deep conversations with him, debating the big questions and exploring life’s mysteries.
And by the title of this milestone, you’ve probably already guessed who helped build this website for Friedi. Safe to say, she clearly inherited her father’s humble and discreet nature as well. 😉
2005 Welcome wee Caitlyn XX
2006 Doylestown Kid's Castle, PA
2015 Caitlyn's ready, Papa's Party!
2019 Granda's trip to Eagle's Nest
2014-2018
Bangkok, Thailand
Friedi returned home in October 2013 to inform
Caroline about an opportunity for a three-year
delegation in Thailand. He casually announced,
“Obviously, I declined!” After a long discussion, Friedi went back to work the next day and when his boss asked if he’d made a final decision after sleeping on it, he
replied, “I’m not sure… but my wife loves the idea!” His boss grinned and said, “That’s my favorite kind of answer!”
After a short visit to Bangkok the following week, where he spent the first few days absolutely hating it, after a night out in Bangkok with a colleague, Friedi suddenly called home on the 4th day and declared, “It’s great, we’re moving!”. Caroline promptly resigned from her 15-year-long job, we packed our things, put loads into storage, rented out our house, and six months later, left with two children and two cats for a brand-new
adventure in Thailand.
We quickly settled into our new home in Mooban Narasiri, a beautiful neighborhood with a huge swimming pool, a clubhouse, and full security. The girls started at an International Swiss German School in Bangkok.
It didn’t take long for Friedi to start hosting pool parties with German beer and sausages. Although those parties still couldn’t quite compete with his legendary costume birthday parties, complete with kegs of German beer and live music, which were always a massive hit.
Friedi soon found his stride at work, becoming
well-loved and respected in his new office and making friends in no time. Despite the infamous Bangkok
traffic, Friedi commuted to work every day by taxi, and soon was fluent in Taxi-Thai!
One of his favorite spots was the Emporium mall, where the Geiger Gang went to see a new movie at least once a month; always enjoying the luxurious leather seats and top-notch popcorn. Sundays were reserved for family dinner at The Londoner, where Friedi proudly devoured their enormous hamburgers.
Beyond the buzz of the city, Thailand’s breathtaking
beaches and exotic destinations made it easy to live in, especially his favorite island, Koh Samed offered the perfect escape from weekday chaos just a few hours from Bangkok.
We made the most of our time there, traveling to many countries around Asia and even twice to Australia, while returning to Germany every summer for six weeks.
After extending his stay by another year and a half, his colleagues and friends were truly sad to see him leave for good.
It was, without a doubt, an unforgettable adventure. But even more exciting things awaited Friedi back in
Germany, especially a fantastic new position at
Siemens, and, best of all, being surrounded once again by his family and friends. Because, for Friedi, that has always been the most important thing that keeps him grounded and where he draws his strength.
2014 Bye, bye Germany
2015 Costume Birthday Party
2016 Off to work with Taxi Thai!
2014 Friedis 4th Wife!
2017 Friedi out & about in BKK
21.06.2018
Back in Germany
After a good four years in Thailand, Friedi returned to Germany in May 2016 to start his new job, while his wife and daughters stayed behind so the girls could
finish their school year at the amazing international Nord Anglia School, St. Andrews.
He was welcomed back to Germany with open arms, not only by family and friends, but also by his Siemens colleagues, who were thrilled to have him back in the German office. The prospect of an exciting new
restructure allowed Friedi to step into what was truly his dream job.
And of course, he immediately started renovating the house, because let’s be honest, Friedi needs a project waiting for him at home after a long day at work…
especially if his girls aren’t there!
He managed two return trips to Bangkok during those few months. The first was just for an extended weekend (yes, really), and the second was to help with the big move.
Shortly after the family had finally settled back in, Friedi decided to do something special for Caroline, knowing she was having a tough time adjusting to life in Germany again.
He bought her dream car for her, a BMW Z4 soft-top. And we’ve had many fantastic days out since then - one of our favorites: driving home from the Rheinland-Pfalz in the summer with the roof down, the warm breeze in our hair, and the stars twinkling above us.
2022 Day Trip to Freudenstadt
Xmas 2021 with his girls
Caroline's consolation present!
13.02.2026
The big 6.0
Although none of us can know exactly what the future holds for you, one thing is certain: it won’t be boring. Just looking back on everything you’ve accomplished in your 60 years on this earth is truly inspiring.
While six decades might sound like a long time, in the grand scheme of things, our lives are just brief, beautiful moments in the flow of time.
So don’t worry about what’s ahead or fear that life will slow down too much. We all know that, deep down, you’re still a teenager at heart. Full of energy, curiosity, and that unmistakable spark that makes life anything but dull.
Happy 60th Friedi - You Legend!
2025
1967
1969
2010
