20 years ago.....

[heikimikey]

I just couldn't help this: It did not occur to me that all around the world, obviously, not only in Europe, people celebrate the 20th anniversary of the opening of The Wall in Germany with us.

This is so moving....there are so many really great projects going on: in London they had a wall from ice which melted down during the day:
www.london.diplo.de/Vertretung/london/en/08/Projects/Ice__Wall/Ice__Wall__Bildergalerie.html

in Warshaw, in Sofia and other East-European countries kids and teens or artists had built walls that are torn down in the evening.

www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=109794

www.demotix.com/news/building-berlin-wall-warsaw

Even google has the wall as an icon today, lol! ;D

We are not in front of the Brandenburg Gate tonight, sadly, but my husband has been there 20 years ago, dancing on the wall. So we spend the day as it has become our tradition: crying in front of the TV, remembering all the victims who died on that horrible border, and remembering the brave people who fought for freedom in a non-violent way and brought the wall down, praying in thankfulness for the courage and calmth of the officers and VoPos who were left alone by their government that night and had to face the situation all by themselves, making their own decisions in a system that had violently taught people they are not allowed to do so.

Imagine if those poor guys would have obeyed their firing order (which still was effective)! It is granted to those people and God's grace that this night has become a day of joy and freedom - and not turned into a massacre.

I am going to watch the Domino-Stones fall now - and get more tissues!

[wilmingtonfan]

Thanks so much for sharing this. I was in Berlin in 1985 when the wall was still up and spent the day in East Berlin. It was incredible and moving then -- although not in a good way -- very thought provoking. I think it must have been fantastic to have been present when the wall came down! What a joy to now live in a united Germany and in Berlin! I envy you. This is a great city.

[heikimikey]

Thank you, Wilmingtonfan! I have to admit that the last 20 years have been extremely difficult in Germany, especially in Berlin. But those were blessed times. Beginning with the Solidarnos in Poland (and that's why it was Lech Walesa who had the right to tip the dominos tonight), to the peace prayers in Leipzig, Dresden and other cities, reaching a climax in the "most famous balcony scene since Romeo and Juliet". I remember how I cried when Genscher told 6000 people who had fled into the German embassy in Tchechoslovakia, that they were allowed to leave the country....That was on September 30th and still, NOBODY thought it would come to an end only about 6 weeks later...

The day the wall was built, all my family was still living in Berlin. My grandparent left in 1968 because they lived in constant fear with the wall all around them.....my mothers Godmother, her aunt, had a girl-friend in the Eastern part of Berlin. The day the wall was built she spontaneously packed all her papers and the few valuable things she owned into a large basket, covered it with dirty laundry and drove on her bike to the border. She naively told the officers there that she had a friend in the West-sector who let her do the laundry using her washing-machine, and since she did not even wear a jacket (it was August, after all), they let her pass. She then told her surprised friend that she would now live with her (a relationship that lasted another 25 years until she died, by the way). She left behind two grown-up daughters; one fled to the West later, one stayed until the end.

I was in Berlin a week after the wall fell, and it was the biggest party I have ever participated in. I even hammered a tiny little piece out of the wall (MAN, the stupid thing was HARD!!). I keep those as a treasure until today.

Today, many people in the East complain that still they do not earn the same money for the same work as their colleagues in the West, even the social aid is lower than over here (which is ridiculous, because a pair of shoes or a school book cost exactly the same everywhere in Germany.....) and many people in the West complain about the extra tax (which is ridiculous, too, since this is ONE % of our income....for example, health care is 13.5 %, unemployment insurance is 2.8 %).

Sadly, it will take another 20 years time, another generation, till all Germans will celebrate together, will fully understand what a miracle and what a blessing that night was. And my husband and I will be there in another 20 years' time, still crying.

[DonnaJo]

I can't believe that its been 20 years since the Berlin Wall was taken down. I remember watching the event on TV - so much emotion, celebration, trepidation. Finally, the end of a terrible era in German history. To be imprisoned in your own city - who could imagine that in the 20th century?

Thank you for sharing your information and your stories with us, heikimikey.

[wilmingtonfan]

Nov 9, 2009 16:30:08 GMT -5 heikimikey said:

Thank you, Wilmingtonfan! I have to admit that the last 20 years have been extremely difficult in Germany, especially in Berlin. But those were blessed times. Beginning with the Solidarnos in Poland (and that's why it was Lech Walesa who had the right to tip the dominos tonight), to the peace prayers in Leipzig, Dresden and other cities, reaching a climax in the "most famous balcony scene since Romeo and Juliet". I remember how I cried when Genscher told 6000 people who had fled into the German embassy in Tchechoslovakia, that they were allowed to leave the country....That was on September 30th and still, NOBODY thought it would come to an end only about 6 weeks later...

The day the wall was built, all my family was still living in Berlin. My grandparent left in 1968 because they lived in constant fear with the wall all around them.....my mothers Godmother, her aunt, had a girl-friend in the Eastern part of Berlin. The day the wall was built she spontaneously packed all her papers and the few valuable things she owned into a large basket, covered it with dirty laundry and drove on her bike to the border. She naively told the officers there that she had a friend in the West-sector who let her do the laundry using her washing-machine, and since she did not even wear a jacket (it was August, after all), they let her pass. She then told her surprised friend that she would now live with her (a relationship that lasted another 25 years until she died, by the way). She left behind two grown-up daughters; one fled to the West later, one stayed until the end.

I was in Berlin a week after the wall fell, and it was the biggest party I have ever participated in. I even hammered a tiny little piece out of the wall (MAN, the stupid thing was HARD!!). I keep those as a treasure until today.

Today, many people in the East complain that still they do not earn the same money for the same work as their colleagues in the West, even the social aid is lower than over here (which is ridiculous, because a pair of shoes or a school book cost exactly the same everywhere in Germany.....) and many people in the West complain about the extra tax (which is ridiculous, too, since this is ONE % of our income....for example, health care is 13.5 %, unemployment insurance is 2.8 %).

Sadly, it will take another 20 years time, another generation, till all Germans will celebrate together, will fully understand what a miracle and what a blessing that night was. And my husband and I will be there in another 20 years' time, still crying.

I know how difficult it must be to merge the 2 cultures, but wonderful to be able to have the opportunity to do it. I took a course in college on the 2 Germanies (sp?) and it was very interesting. We studied literature from the west and the east and we read a terrific book by Christa Wolf (of course, I can't remember the title now), an East Germany author. The wall seemed to be such a schism to the German psyche. But a generation was raised with it and the economic disparity between East & West was great -- it's not something that goes away over night. One of the things that struck me when we went into East Berlin was that outside of the showy city center with new tall modern buildings, there were still a lot of neighborhoods and buildings that had not been repaired since the war. We had to spend a certain amount of money in the East (or rather exchange a minimum amount) and we had a hard time spending it. I have always loved Berlin -- it was a great city and always culture forward. I still think of it this way. I wish you the best next 20 years!

[idget]

Thanks so much for sharing! I remember when the wall came down and how exciting it was for everyone. I am sure after all the euphoria ended it was a big adjustment for both sides to make and is still making. I am a little disappointed that our President didn't see the need to go to the 20th anniversary.

[outerbankschick]

Here is the perfect song for this. Always chokes me up when I hear it. What an amazing time that was....

www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2Eyao-2KWo

[heikimikey]

gosh, youtube really gets on my nerve these days: this video is not available in Germany...can you give me the title, please?

Here in Germany, the song that was played continually when the pictures were shown and became the Mauerfall-Hymn was "Wind of change" by the Scorpions.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=5KcRl1p2waM

[heikimikey]

OH, idget, on a sidenote: To send Hillary Clinton to attend the festivities was a good move, since the Clintons are still very popular over here. Many of us had hoped for another President Clinton, before Obama made the race. I loved her speech. And President Obama held a great speech via video-broadcast there, too.

[idget]

Glad to hear we were so well represented then! But of course the day truly belonged to all you wonderful Germans!

[rangerhm]

Thank you Heikimikey for sharing such a personal perspective in this historic event and the events of the last 20 years.

I was watching the news about the 20 anniversary with my kids and I realized that they, at 12 and 6 have never known a divided Germany and were surprised to know that this happened in my lifetime.

[BegToDiffer]

Thanks, heikimikey for sharing that part of history with us. Those of us with so much freedom can't always comprehend what others in this world go through. Dance on.