NASTAETTEN — New York Mayor Robert F. Wagner and his wife Susan visited this tiny Hessian town today and were greeted as long lost relatives in a tumultuous welcome by practically all of the town's 2,700 inhabitants.

Wagner came to Germany for a special visit to Nastaetten, the birthplace of his father, the late Sen. Robert F. Wagner (D-N.Y.) The elder Wagner, born here in 1877, emigrated to the U.S. with his parents eight years later.

The younger Wagner has visited the quaint cobble-streeted village three times. The last time was in 1945 when he was on duty in Germany with the Army Air Corps.

Today it was old home week. Crowds lined the narrow, winding streets to catch a glimpse of the mayor of the world's largest city. Traditional greens of welcome were on every corner. Children of the hamlet swelled the crowd. thanks to a two-hour special holiday from classes.

A bouquet of red roses awaited Mrs. Wagner as Mayor Heinrich Knoegel welcomed the party at the Town Hall. Then Wagner and his wife walked to the 133-year-old two-story house where his father was born. Passing down the stony street. Wagner stopped to pay his respects to Mrs. Edeltrud Schlieber, the daughter of his father's old school chum.

"She had pictures of the time my father was here in 1927 to receive papers as an honorary citizen of the town," Wagner beamed.

Later, at the Alte Post Hotel, Knoegel presented Wagner with a leather-bound book containing the birth certificate of his father and gave Mrs. Wagner a 70-year-old hand-blocked apron presented by a German well-wlsher.

Drinking a toast in wine to the friendship of New York and Nastaetten and the U.S. and West Germany, Wagner told his German hosts. "I have a lump in my throat. There are no words which could adequately describe the .feelings we feel here today."

"I'm overwhelmed at the reception," Wagner repeated.

Germann and American correspondents jammed the already packed room to see Wagner accept :additional gifts of textiles and wine proferred by local businessmen, An old U.S. flag of 45 stars and 13 stripes hung from one wall and an orange and blue Nastaetten banner with a bee-hive device adorned the other wall.

Speaking through an interpreter as he explained his German as "a trifle rusty," Wagner made the town his own as he offered to trade jobs for a few days with Knoegel.

"I'll bet he has just as big a headache with his job as I have with mine," the New York mayor joked. Looking at Mrs. Wagner's gift apron, he told his German hosts, "My wife no longer has an excuse for not getting dinner on time."

While Nastaetten is perhaps the smallest town Wagner will visit on his 23-day trip to Europe and the Middle East, he explained it was the city "nearest my heart. I hope to return, bringing my sons, Robert, Jr., 11, and Duncan, 8, I know they would want to see the town of their grandfather whom they loved so much."

The elder Wagner is believed to have been the second native German ever to be elected a Senator of the U.S.

The other was Carl Schurz, who was born in Cologne, became a U.S. Senator, Union general in the Civil War, ambassador to Spain and Secretary of the Interior,

From Nastaetten, Wagner and his entourage of escorts and correspondents traveled to Assmannshausen for lunch. They returned by car along the Rhine river to Wiesbaden and USAFE Hq.

Wagner landed from Paris this morning at Wiesbaden Air Base. He was met by Air Force officials led by Maj Gen Mark E. Bradley, USAFE vice-commander, and Lord Mayor of Wiesbaden Erich Mix.

Wagner, a lieutenant colonel in the Air Force Reserve, was accompanied by Air Force Col N. T. Bartlett, commander of the 9207th Air Rescue Sri, his press secretary William Peer, New York policeman Vincent Torti and a companion Norman Winston.

He was escorted on the Nastaetten trip by Lt Col Robert Hogg, of USAFE Hq.

The Wagners were to return to Paris tonight.

2025