The Fall of the Berlin Wall November 9, 2014
(See also Bill's text at the end of this post.)
On November 9, 1989 the Berlin Wall and the wall between East and West Germany showed its first cracks. The East Germans had been demonstrating to change their political system for months in the so-called "Monday Demonstrations"; they wanted a more democratic government and basic human rights, such as freedom of speech, movement, the right to elect, etc. Participation in these demonstrations needed courage; everyone knew about the bloody East German uprising in 1953, the 1968 Prague Spring, the Hungarian uprising in 1956, and Tiananmen Square. I don't think anybody in 1989 imagined the effects these democratic movements in Poland, Hungary and East Germany would have...
For the past three days Berliners and tourists have visited the sites of the "Berliner Mauer". The Wall is almost gone, but to celebrate its fall and all that it stood for, 8,000 lighted balloons were placed along its former location. Anyone could "adopt a balloon" and hang a message on it. Especially at night one could see how crazy the boundaries between east and west were, snaking in strange angles along house walls, through canals, along the river Spree, through school and church yards, even cemeteries. On Saturday Senta and Stefan took us to Bornholmer Strasse, the site where the Wall first opened.
Below is a view from the Bornholm Bridge towards the iconic TV tower. In the distance you can see the balloons turn right across another bridge. As in 1989 there were many people, but in contrast to 1989 they were free of fear. We were happy to be here together with many tourists from all over the world celebrating a peaceful revolution where not one drop of blood was shed.
The photo below shows how the border came up to the Bornholm Bridge. Walking across this bridge and through the border gate meant entering western territory ---- which had not been possible since 1961, or only after long waits for applications for absurdly bureaucratic documents.
Yesterday morning Bill and I took a ride to the Brandenburg Gate and the government area:
Last night we saw the release of the balloons together with Senta's In-Laws, Norbert and Hannelore. They took us to the site where one morning in October 1961 the Stasi came without any notice to his family's apartment and moved Norbert, his mother and brother, and all their belongings to a different apartment, without the knowledge of his father who was at work. Reason: their apartment was in one of the buildings right at the border, and it, along all other buildings located at the border, was going to be razed or boarded up in order to keep people from escaping.
Here is Bill's account:
The day before the 25th anniversary of the Mauerfall (the 8th) was Senta's birthday. After the small party with Stefan's parents, his brother and girl friend/partner, we walked over to Bornholmerstrasse which was the first opening in the border and looked at the balloons, crossed the bridge to the former crossing, and enjoyed the huge crowd. The next morning I got up and jumped on my bike determined to follow the whole stretch of the balloon chain. There was a bitter cold wind from the east...sort of symbolic. I started at the southeastern most balloon and rode out to where we had been the evening before. At 10 in the morning the city was beginning to fill up. The border was a crazy zigzag affair leading through small streets and across open areas still reminiscent of the Todes-zone. Had to dismount at the Brandenburg gate as the crowd was too thick to ride through, and thereafter rode for a while along the Spree. Several memorials mark the spots where Germans from the east had tried to escape and were shot dead. I arrived at the main memorial just as the Chancellor and Mayor of Berlin were leaving the chapel that replaced a church blown up by the DDR because of the proximity to the wall. They walked by me no more than 5 yards away. Continued on riding until I encountered an open air church service. The text was from Luke, "God's realm is in us and among us" the hope that kept many religious easterners going I think. Then the minister stopped and said that everyone should turn to their neighbors and describe what the day meant to them. Very impressive as from the bottom of the ampitheater the sound rose up to those of us standing above. The young man behind me with his child on his shoulders said in wonder, "They are doing it..." so I turned to him and we talked as well.
In the evening we met Norbert and Hannelore, Senta's in-laws, and walked to the part of the balloon chain that cut through the street in the eastern sector where Norbert grew up. The wall went directly in front of his apartment house, and after several folks escaped by jumping out the windows. The windows were sealed up and his family was moved by the Stasi to an apartment further away. He shared memories of growing up there. The actual release of the balloons elicited a roar from the crowd which was packed along the entire stretch. Around the Brandenburg Gate they estimate a million people were present and they had to close the area off to late comers around 2 hours before the balloons went up.
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Many good speeches, virtually everyone citing Kristall Nacht November 9, 1938, so the euphoria was tempered by a remembrance of something in German history that must never be forgotten. (see the banners in Ingrid's last photo). Also noted was the importance of a demonstration on November 4, 1989, at Alexanderplatz, where hundreds of thousands east Germans demonstrated for reform, and for freedom of speech and travel, for a truly democratic state. Those were brave people who helped bring down the regime...not Ronald Reagen's bombastic speech. Senta's mother-in-law Hannelore was there. They had no idea if the Soviet or their own army would turn on them. That demonstration has been less talked about than the reunification of Germany. But for the easterners it was their own will to achieve freedom that is the overriding memory.
