Your job won’t take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will.
Stay in touch.
For a sneak peek at the first 20+ pages of my memoir, Walled-In: A West Berlin Girl’s Journey to Freedom, click “Download a free excerpt” on the home page of http://www.walled-in-berlin.com. Walled-In is a story of growing up in Berlin during the Cold War.
Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER) has been under construction since 2006 and continues to be a source of nonstop embarrassment for Germany. BER, 11 miles south of the center of the city, was supposed to replace both, Tegel and Schoenefeld airports. The two older airports have become outdated and far too small to adequately serve the projected annual passenger total of around 27 million. Berlin Brandenburg’s opening was initially scheduled for 2010, but quickly pushed back to 2011. Ten days prior to the second planned opening, BER’s inauguration was rescheduled again, this time for 2012. Airport manager, Rainer Schwarz, was fired and replaced by Hartmut Mehdorn.
Corruption, mismanagement and safety issues have pushed back the opening date of Berlin Brandenburg International Airport again and again and resulted in sizable cost overruns. The latest inauguration estimates suggest a date somewhere between the first half of 2017 and the last half of 2018. In the meantime, construction permits for BER’s south wing will expire in August 2015 and permits for the main terminal have an expiration date in October. Extensions are less than desirable because they will add additional environmental protection requirements and barrier-free installations.
In the latest development, Hartmut Mehdorn, BER’s current airport manager, will step down in June of 2015. Karsten Muehlenfeld, a former executive at Rolls Royce in Germany, will take over the reins. Muehlenfeld who had just left Rolls Royce and accepted a position with the train manufacturer Bombardier in February, agreed to take over as the new airport manager of BER instead of working for Bombardier.
http://www.thelocal.de/20150223/ex-rolls-royce-exec-takes-over-ber-airport
Another bombshell in the ongoing BER boondoggle is that the airport that hasn’t even opened yet has already been called “too small” to handle the expected air traffic. Planners say that they underestimated the number of passengers the airport would serve. In response, Mehdorn proposed last December to add another terminal. If approved, the additional terminal would serve an additional 8 to 10 million passengers and be located adjacent to the northern wing of the main terminal. It will now be up to Muehlenfeld to decide whether or not this possibility should be pursued. One of the main issues with a potential terminal addition is that the 6 million residents living in the airport area have previously rejected the idea.
Estimated current total costs for BER amount to €5.4 billion. The planned additions would add €2.19 billion to that figure. But there is also talk of a third runway at the tune of an additional €1 billion and other new projects such as expanded baggage system and another freight facility. The total additional costs could amount to €3.2 billion.
For a sneak peek at the first 20+ pages of my memoir, Walled-In: A West Berlin Girl’s Journey to Freedom, click “Download a free excerpt” on my home page and feel free to follow my blog about anything German: historic or current events, people, places or food.
Walled-In is my story of growing up in Berlin during the Cold War. Juxtaposing the events that engulfed Berlin during the Berlin Blockade, the Berlin Airlift, the Berlin Wall and Kennedy’s Berlin visit with the struggle against my equally insurmountable parental walls, Walled-In is about freedom vs. conformity, conflict vs. harmony, domination vs. submission, loyalty vs. betrayal.
Everything in life is a reflection of a choice you have made. If you want a different result, make a different choice.
Anonymous
For a sneak peek at the first 20+ pages of my memoir, Walled-In: A West Berlin Girl’s Journey to Freedom, click “Download a free excerpt” on the home page of http://www.walled-in-berlin.com. Walled-In is a story of growing up in Berlin during the Cold War.
The city of Leipzig, Germany, is celebrating its 1,000th anniversary this year. Thietmar, Bishop of Merseburg, mentioned the Saxon trading town for the first time on 20 December 1015 in his chronicle.
Leipzig is a city full of interesting history and culture: There is the Thomaskirche where Johann Sebastian Bach worked as a music director. The Thomaner Boys Choir has delighted audiences for 800 years. The first Christmas market took place here in 1458. Auerbach’s Keller is a tavern that was already frequented by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. His classic legend “Faust” is set here. You can still visit the tavern today. The University of Leipzig was founded in 1409, and the Leipzig Zoo opened its doors in 1878 for the first time. The old shopping arcade of Specks Hof is located here, and so is the famous concert hall, the Gewandhaus. The beautiful, old St. Nikolaikirche (St. Nicholas Church), is located in Leipzig. It rose to national fame in 1989 when its Monday peace prayers became an integral part of East Germany’s peaceful revolution against communist rule. Leipzig is also the birthplace of institutions such as the German Publishers and Booksellers Association and the German Football Association.
Maedler Passage, Leipzig, photo © J. Elke Ertle, 2015
Leipzig is a delight to visit at any time, but this year will be even more exciting because of the many birthdays that will take place this year. The city of Leipzig will celebrate its 1000th anniversary. Both, the St. Nikolaikirche and the Leipziger Messe (Leipzig trade fairs) will see their 850th birthday. And Leipzig’s Central Train Station will turn 100 this year. Many special events are scheduled throughout the year. Below are some of the highlights:
May 1- to May 25 – Leipzig’s Museum of Fine Arts will present a Paul Klee exhibition, exhibiting about 100 expressionist’s works.
May 17 to May 24 – St. Nikolaikirche’s first festival celebrating 850 years.
May 20 to Oct 25 – Exhibition “1015 – Leipzig from its beginning”
May 22 to May 31 – Wagner Festival
May 31 to June 7 – The Titanick Theater is enacting Leipzig’s 1000-year history at different places throughout the city, and the Gewandhaus Orchestra is playing Mendelssohn’s “Hymn of Praise,” accompanied by a 1000-voice choir.
June 27 to July 5 – Festival “850 Years Leipzig Fairs” at the trade grounds.
July 10 to 11 – Open air concert “Klassik Airleben” with the Gewandhaus Orchestra.
October 9 – Festival of Lights.
December 20 – Closing event in the Augustusplatz, including the cutting of the grand birthday cake with 1000 candles.
For a sneak peek at the first 20+ pages of my memoir, Walled-In: A West Berlin Girl’s Journey to Freedom, click “Download a free excerpt” on my home page and feel free to follow my blog about anything German: historic or current events, people, places or food.
Walled-In is my story of growing up in Berlin during the Cold War. Juxtaposing the events that engulfed Berlin during the Berlin Blockade, the Berlin Airlift, the Berlin Wall and Kennedy’s Berlin visit with the struggle against my equally insurmountable parental walls, Walled-In is about freedom vs. conformity, conflict vs. harmony, domination vs. submission, loyalty vs. betrayal.
Many things are learned in adversity, just as stars may be seen from the bottom of a deep well when they cannot be seen from the top of the mountain.
Anonymous
For a sneak peek at the first 20+ pages of my memoir, Walled-In: A West Berlin Girl’s Journey to Freedom, click “Download a free excerpt” on the home page of http://www.walled-in-berlin.com. Walled-In is a story of growing up in Berlin during the Cold War.
Berlin has become the top tourist destination in Germany. The city’s historical sights, diverse cultural events and pulsating nightlife continue to attract record numbers of visitors. In 2014, hotel beds became scarce when the city celebrated the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall with 8,000 illuminated balloons marking the former border between east and west. http://www.dw.de/destination-germany-why-you-should-come-in-2015/a-18171638
Founded in the 13th century and famous for its many historical sites, Berlin has something for everyone. Every street and building has a story to tell. The Mitte district is the most visited area of Berlin, followed by Charlottenburg, Prenzlauer Berg, Friedrichshain and Kreuzberg – the first for its historic building; the last for its vibrant nightlife.
At a minimum, a visit to Berlin must include the city’s iconic Brandenburg Gate, which for many years represented the separation of East and West Berlin. Other important sights are the Nikolai quarters where Berlin began, the Staatsoper Berlin (Opera House), the Olympic Stadium where Hitler snubbed Jesse Owens, the New Synagogue Berlin, the Berlin Zoo, the newly redeveloped Potsdamer Platz with its many shopping and dining opportunities, Museum Island, and the Reichstag (German Chancellery).
March 27 to June 21 The Martin Gropius Bau and the Tel Aviv Museum are collaborating in “The Tel Aviv Museum of Art Visits Berlin,” art exhibition. Many of the latter’s treasures will be displayed in Germany for the first time.
April 18 to November 11 – The Bundesgartenschau (BUGA) will come to the River Havel region near Berlin. This National horticultural show has been held in different towns across Germany every two years since 1951. This year, the BUGA will extend along the River Havel over a distance of 50 miles, from Rathenow to Brandenburg via Rhinau, Havelberg, Premnitz and Stölln. Instead of the usual large hall-style exhibitions, the event will also feature flower shows in old church buildings. More than a million plants and flowers will be exhibited. In addition, various cultural events are planned, from jazz concerts to acrobatic displays.
May 23 – Berlin will be the setting for the eighth race in the electrically powered Formula E car races. The 17 turn, 2.47km circuit will be located within the ‘Apron’ section of the former Tempelhof Airport.
May 22 to September 9 – Art enthusiasts are looking forward to the “ImEx. Impressionism – Expressionism” exhibition in the Old National Gallery.
June 6 – The UEFA Soccer Champions League final will be held at the Olympic Stadium.
September 26 and 27 – The 42nd Berlin marathon is expected to once again attract 40,000 fans from around the world.
October 3 – Berlin will celebrate the 25th anniversary of the reunification of East and West Germany exhibitions with music events and cabaret shows.
For a sneak peek at the first 20+ pages of my memoir, Walled-In: A West Berlin Girl’s Journey to Freedom, click “Download a free excerpt” on my home page and feel free to follow my blog about anything German: historic or current events, people, places or food.
Walled-In is my story of growing up in Berlin during the Cold War. Juxtaposing the events that engulfed Berlin during the Berlin Blockade, the Berlin Airlift, the Berlin Wall and Kennedy’s Berlin visit with the struggle against my equally insurmountable parental walls, Walled-In is about freedom vs. conformity, conflict vs. harmony, domination vs. submission, loyalty vs. betrayal.
People leave imprints on our lives, shaping who we become in much the same way that a symbol is pressed into the page of a book to tell you who it comes from. Dogs, however, leave paw prints on our lives and our souls, which are as unique as fingerprints in every way.
–Ashly Lorenzana
For a sneak peek at the first 20+ pages of my memoir, Walled-In: A West Berlin Girl’s Journey to Freedom, click “Download a free excerpt” on the home page of http://www.walled-in-berlin.com. Walled-In is a story of growing up in Berlin during the Cold War.
There should be no place for sensational journalism. I agree with Mika Baumeister, a student at the high school in Haltern, Germany, that lost sixteen of its pupils and two teachers in the fatal Germanwings plane crash on 24 March 2015. On 30 March, Baumeister published a poignant article on her blog about the tacky reporting methods that were employed in the aftermath of the tragedy. Condemning sensational journalism, she indicts the large number of reporters who seemingly forgot, or elected to forget, how to report with decency. http://meistergedanke.de/2015/cost-what-it-may-media-in-haltern/189. An edited version of the article appeared in the Guardian on 1 April. (http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/apr/01/school-tragedy-germanwings-crash-press-intrusion)
According to Baumeister, reporters descended on her school as soon as the horrid news was released. In the days that followed, droves of journalists relentlessly pointed telephoto lenses at the stunned and grieve stricken faces of her fellow students; unguarded conversations were recorded without permission, some reporters offered monetary compensation for quotes; journalists even sank so low as to pose as teachers, counselors and fellow students to secure information. The list goes on. Please visit the articles above to get an idea what these young students had to endure.
I asked myself, how many times have we all watched reports on horrid disasters while seeing a reporter thrust a microphone in front of the stunned victim and ask, “How do you feel?” Do we really need to ask? Is journalism foremost about being the first to get the story? Is it all about money? Are we no longer a civilized society that respects the right to privacy, to respect and to compassion? I think Mika made a point that is long overdue. The Haltern students need time to assimilate the horrible news. They need to mourn privately. Fifty years ago, there was a saying in Germany, “BILD sprach zuerst mit dem Toten – The tabloid BILD was the first to speak with the deceased.” It appears that BILD hasn’t changed its sensational journalism. And sadly, other media seem to have learned from BILD.
The complete article by Mika Baumeister was published in German on 30 March, 2015. It was translated into English on March 31st, 2015 by @anathem, @noctiajared, @Papiernote, @Sternenkind and @Sunflowermind.
For a sneak peek at the first 20+ pages of my memoir, Walled-In: A West Berlin Girl’s Journey to Freedom, click “Download a free excerpt” on the home page of http://www.walled-in-berlin.com. Walled-In is a story of growing up in Berlin during the Cold War.
Your truest friends are the ones who will stand by you in your darkest moments–because they’re willing to brave the shadows with you–and in your greatest moments–because they’re not afraid to let you shine.
— Nicole Yatsonsky
For a sneak peek at the first 20+ pages of my memoir, Walled-In: A West Berlin Girl’s Journey to Freedom, click “Download a free excerpt” on the home page of http://www.walled-in-berlin.com. Walled-In is a story of growing up in Berlin during the Cold War.
“My Daughter Anne Frank” (Meine Tochter Anne Frank) is a docudrama that aired in February 2015 on German television. http://www.daserste.de/specials/ueber-uns/aktuelle-meldungen-14052014-anne-frank-100.html The highly acclaimed production is based on the world-famous diary written by Anne Frank, a Jewish teen, who kept a journal while in hiding in Amsterdam during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands. Her diary was published in more than 60 different languages.
The Frank family went into hiding in 1942 when Anne′s older sister received a summons to report to a Nazi work camp in Germany. Anne, her father Otto, her mother Edith and her sister Margot immediate moved into sealed-off attic rooms in an annex at the back of Otto’s company building. Here the Franks were joined by the Hermann van Pels family, which included the Pels’ teenage son Peter, and Mrs. van Pels’ dentist. During the years the group spent in hiding Anne kept a journal. In August 1944, their hiding place was discovered, and everyone was deported to various Nazi concentration camps. Anne died from typhus in 1945 at the concentration camp Bergen-Belsen. She was 15 years old when she died. A few weeks later, in April 1945, British troops liberated the remaining prisoners. Of the group of eight, only Otto Frank survived the holocaust.
“My Daughter Anne Frank” is told from the perspective of Anne’s father, Otto Frank, although Anne is clearly the central figure of the film. The docudrama follows Anne’s life from her happy childhood to the hiding place in Amsterdam and finally to her death in the concentration camp of Bergen-Belsen. At the heart of the film is the relationship between father and daughter. After he returns home from the extermination camp Auschwitz, Otto Frank is presented with the diary of his dead daughter. For the first time, he learns of her dreams of love, freedom and sexuality. Her writings plunge Otto into deep mourning but eventually also give him the courage to face life again. Otto Frank passed away in 1980.
The emotionally charged and moving production of “My Daughter Anne Frank” is said to stay close to the writings in Anne’s diary and includes historical footage and interviews with her surviving classmates.
For a sneak peek at the first 20+ pages of my memoir, Walled-In: A West Berlin Girl’s Journey to Freedom, click “Download a free excerpt” on my home page and feel free to follow my blog about anything German: historic and current events, people, places and food.
Walled-In is my story of growing up in Berlin during the Cold War. Juxtaposing the events that engulfed Berlin during the Berlin Blockade, the Berlin Airlift, the Berlin Wall and Kennedy’s Berlin visit with the struggle against my equally insurmountable parental walls, Walled-In is about freedom vs. conformity, conflict vs. harmony, domination vs. submission, loyalty vs. betrayal.
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