Originally from Germany, the twin brothers were born in 1946 to a Polish mother. Freed from a forced labor camp at the end of the Second World War, young Elizabeth gives birth to her twins and falls ill. Unable to take care of them, the young woman abandons them… A heartbreaking story for the family.
At 17, George comes across adoption papers
One of the twin brothers. Source: spm
It was George who first discovered the existence of his twin brother. He was only 17 when he heard the news. In the 1960s, he would have asked the Red Cross to help him find him, but all his attempts were in vain. He then decides to go and live in the United States. “All my life I just wanted to know my family,” said George who thought he would never find his brother. Lucian meanwhile, discovered information about his biological mother later. And he was 60 when he found out he had a twin brother. In turn, Lucian contacted the Red Cross, which was eventually able to find George thanks to a program to reunite families separated by the war.
Read also: A granddaughter captures the final moments of her grandparents’ 60-year romance
A moving encounter that marks the beginning of a very close relationship!
Lucian holding a bouquet of flowers. Source: spm
Understandably, George was happy to hear that his brother was alive and wanted to meet him too. After a separation that lasted 68 years, the two 69-year-old brothers finally met at Warsaw airport in Poland.
George said that day that he looked forward to hugging his brother. With tears in his eyes, bouquet of flowers in hand, Lucian approaches his brother to give him a long hug. Their two wives were also moved to meet for the first time. George hoped at this time that this would be the start of a very close relationship with his twin brother.
Read also: A teenager jumps fearlessly into the river to save 3 girls and a police officer from drowning
Finally, the reunion video went around the world with over 9 million views. This experiment allowed the two men to obtain precise information about their biological parents. According to the Red Cross, their father was an American soldier who returned to the United States after their birth. Their mother Elizabeth would have tried to find them but in vain.
Do twins separated at birth always look the same?
Two twin sisters. Source: spm
Nancy L. Segal, professor of psychology and director of the Twin Studies Center at California State University, has done some research on twins separated at birth. In one of her articles, she describes the differences observed after the reunion of identical twins. Although they grew up on two different continents, striking resemblances were detected in the two women. For example, one of them was convinced, following a medical diagnosis, that she had a hoarse voice because she cried a lot during her childhood. She would have had to meet her sister, a professional singer, to understand that her doctor’s diagnosis was totally wrong. This was indeed linked to genetic factors, they both had hoarse voices. However, despite the obvious physical similarities of the twins, the psychologist also evokes differences linked to the lack of opportunities or even to a totally different educational experience. Result: during their first meeting, the two twins felt a mixture of emotions. But both were well aware of their differences! According to the psychologist, the reunion of the separated twins is experienced differently. Depending on their emotional expressiveness, some twins may be more demonstrative than others and will be more emotionally affected. Others, on the contrary, will have more moderate reactions.
Read also: What makes a mother abandon her baby?