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The Week in Germany: Current Affairs October 26, 2007 Where were you when the wall came down? Looking back at the “Wall stories” Contest
Last year, when Germany.info asked “Where were you when the wall came down?” users sent in dozens of touching personal accounts, sometimes tragic, sometimes funny. Deutschland Nachrichten and The Week in Germany , in co-operation with Germany.info, now bring some of the best stories back to you in a series with weekly postings until Friday November 9, the eighteenth anniversary of the fall of the wall. West Berlin, Fall 1989 by Heymo Vehse
I grew up in West Berlin during the 70s and 80s, and some things were just perfectly normal for me. It was never possible for me to step out of my house and ride a motorbike in one direction for more than 25 miles. I never felt that there was something wrong with this; I didn't know anything different. I didn't feel constrained by this fact. It was perfectly normal to me that I had to apply for a visa and spend
several hours at a border just to visit my relatives in Dessau, an otherwise
short two-hour drive away. Of course it was annoying but, that's just
how life is, right? I was a student at that time, focusing on the important things in life: parties, concerts, nightlife… That particular night I was at a party, watching videos from a white water canoeing trip together with some friends. Every mountain grew higher, every rapid moved faster with every beer we consumed. A few hours after midnight we decided that it's time to adjourn the party. I took my bicycle and debated briefly which route I should take to get home. The most direct way would lead me along the Wall and past the Brandenburg Gate, an area usually deserted at night. Perfect for a nice and peaceful ride home.... Read
the rest of this wall story and many more at Germany.info |
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