Dr. Jacob Werner lived in a modern apartment building, constructed after the war. It was five stories high, a nondescript square built of steel and concrete, the design enhanced by large tiles under the windows, a different color for each – lime, cobalt, amber, and cream. Every apartment was identical – the same size with the same amenities. Rent was subsidized by the State, with most residents paying the same monthly fees. Although tenants held a variety of occupations, and Dr. Werner was a prominent physician, their pay was essentially equal, regardless of profession. Werner often thought of the long road he traveled, years of medical school and internships, and then serving in the army, for wages that equaled an unskilled factory worker.
He survived the Second World War, a captain in t
