WEST GERMANY THEY ARE THE PRODUCT OF A BROKER'S HOME FOR MANY 
GERMANS, ASH WEDNESDAY HOLDS AN EXTRA MEASURE OF SOLEMNITY . IT 
MARKS THE END OF THE GAY FASCHING SEASON, ABOUT THE ONLY 
TIME OF THE YEAR WHEN A MIDDLE-AGED WIDOWER OR A PLAIN, 
BESPECTACLED SPINSTER CAN BREAK OUT OF THE EVERYDAY LITANY OF LONELINESS 
AND WHO KNOWS ? FIND TRUE LOVE ACROSS A CROWDED BEER 
HALL . OF THOSE WHO WERE STILL LONELY AS FASCHING ENDED 
LAST WEEK, MANY WOULD NOT WAIT FOR NEXT YEAR'S FESTIVITIES ; 
THEY WILL TURN INSTEAD TO ONE OF WEST GERMANY'S 200 MARRIAGE 
AGENCIES, SUCH AS THE BOOMING " INSTITUTE FOR ELEGANT INDIVIDUAL MARRIAGE 
INITIATION . " CHIRPED BONN MARRIAGE BROKER ALICE PAECH ON ASH 
WEDNESDAY : " NOW IT WILL START ALL OVER AGAIN . 
" WAGNERIAN SUPERMEN . FOR A " SEARCHING FEE " THAT 
AVERAGES ABOUT $50, BUXOM FRAU PAECH AND OTHER PROFESSIONAL CUPID CHASERS 
WILL METHODICALLY REMAKE THE WHIMSICAL OLD GAME ACCORDING TO COLD TEUTONIC 
LOGIC . CLIENTS ARE INTERVIEWED FOR THE NECESSARY INFORMATION BACKGROUND, INTERESTS, 
SOCIAL STATUS, FINANCIAL SITUATION AND BROUGHT TOGETHER THROUGH CAREFULLY MATCHED BRIEFING 
SHEETS . FOR ABOUT ONE IN EVERY THREE COUPLES SHE INTRODUCES, 
FRAU PAECH MANAGES TO FIND THE RIGHT COMBINATION, AND COLLECTS A 
" SUCCESS FEE " EQUAL TO THE SEARCHING FEE UNLESS THE 
HAPPY COUPLE FORGET TO NOTIFY HER THAT THEY ARE GETTING MARRIED 
. WEST GERMAN PAPERS ARE FILLED WITH SUCH AGENCY-PLACED ADS AS 
/ A HEART TO GIVE AWAY AM 39, 160 (CENTIMETERS TALL), 
ALONE, NOT UGLY, BUT WEARER OF GLASSES, " OR " HELLO, 
HELLO ! WHAT YOUNG MAN BETWEEN 35 AND 45 WOULD LIKE 
TO TRY HIS HAPPINESS WITH ME ? " AGENCIES MAKE A 
PAUNCHY MALE SOUND LIKE A WAGNERIAN SUPERMAN, A WILTING WALLFLOWER A 
PARAGON OF CHARM AND VIRTUE . MANY AGENCIES PUT LOVE ON 
A CHAIN-STORE BASIS, INCREASING THE CHANCE FOR A SUCCESSFUL MATCH BY 
TRADING CLIENTS AMONG AS MANY AS 32 BRANCHES . DRAWING CLIENTS 
FROM EVERY CLASS AND PROFESSION, MARRIAGE BROKERS ACCOUNT FOR 60,000 TO 
80,000 MARRIAGES EVERY YEAR . SECURITY FIRST . TODAY'S THRIVING TRADE 
IS THE OUTGROWTH OF A BUSINESS THAT HAS HAD ITS GREATEST 
BOOM DURING THE MANSHORT YEARS FOLLOWING WORLD WAR II . THE 
MAIN REASON FOR ITS GROWTH, SAYS AN OFFICIAL IN BONN'S FAMILY 
MINISTRY, IS THAT " THERE IS A LACK OF REAL SOCIAL 
LIFE IN WEST GERMANY TODAY WE HAVE BECOME A LITTLE SELFISH 
AND DON'T CONCERN OURSELVES MUCH WITH OUR FELLOW MEN . " 
KNOWN BY THE UNROMANTIC NAME OF EHLANBAHNUNSGEWERBE LITERALLY, THE MARRIAGE-INITIATING BUSINESS 
IT HAS INEVITABLY ATTRACTED MANY BROKERS LESS INTERESTED IN MATING SOULD 
THAN COINING DEUTSCHE MARKS . " THERE ARE AS MANY SERIOUS 
MARRIAGE AGENCIES AS THERE ARE CABINET MEMBERS IN BONN, " A 
GERMAN MAGAZINE CLAIMED RECENTLY . BUT THE CUSTOMERS SELDOM COMPLAIN . 
MOST SEEK FINANCIAL SECURITY RATHER THAN GOOD LOOKS . WOMEN ARE 
PARTICULARLY FOND OF MEN FROM THE BENELUX COUNTRIES, AND ARE ESPECIALLY 
LEARY OF BAKERS, BUTCHERS AND INNKEEPERS, AFRAID THAT THEY WILL ASK 
THEM TO HELP OUT WITH THE BUSINESS . AND HOW ABOUT 
LOVE . LOVE, " SNIFFS ONE GERMAN, " IS FOR TEEN-AGERS 
AND FRENCHMEN . " 