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50th Anniversary of JFK in Berlin

Thursday, June 27th, 2013

Yesterday, we celebrated the 50th anniversary of JFK in Berlin, Germany. Fifty years ago, on June 26, 1963, US President John F. Kennedy declared, “Ich bin ein Berliner” in front of West Berlin’s city hall. A crowd of 450,000 wanted to hug him, kiss him, keep him, adopt him. JFK delivered his speech during the height of the Cold War. I was standing among those people and will always remember the synergy that connected us. Never before or after this event did I experience a similar moment during which people of all ages and economic status melt together like that. Students, seniors, blue-collar workers, professionals, men and women, young and old pressed shoulder to shoulder in one big patchwork.

US President John F. Kennedy, Berlin's Mayor Willy Brandt, and German Chancellor Konrad Adenauer - Photo © J. Elke Ertle

US President John F. Kennedy, Berlin’s Mayor Willy Brandt, and German Chancellor Konrad Adenauer
in Berlin during Kennedy visit in 1963
Photo © J. Elke Ertle, www.walled-in-berlin.com

Many years later, a myth popped up. In the ensuring years, it gathered speed. The myth was that John F. Kennedy had said he was a doughnut when he said, “Ich bin ein Berliner.” Born a Berliner, let me assure you that there is no truth to this myth. Although a Berliner can also be a jelly-filled doughnut, anyone born and raised in Berlin considers him- or herself a Berliner. The same thing would be true of a native of the city of Hamburg. He would be considered a Hamburger, and that would not mean a patty of ground meat between the two halves of a bun, slathered with relish and ketchup. I don’t believe there was one person among the 450,000 in front of city hall who even fleetingly thought “doughnut!”

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.

Tags: "Ich bin ein Berliner", Berlin, Berliner, Hamburger, jelly-filled doughnut, John F. Kennedy
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Obama spoke in Berlin

Wednesday, June 19th, 2013

Today, President Barack Obama spoke in Berlin, 50 years after President John F. Kennedy’s famous address in the then-divided city. The last time Obama visited Berlin was during his 2008 run for president.

Fifty years ago, a euphoric crowd of 450,000 cheered Kennedy in front of SchÃ¶neberger Rathaus (city hall) when he declared, “Ich bin ein Berliner.” I stood in that crowd 50 years ago and was also swept away by those words, which were spoken at the height of the Cold War. Five years ago, Obama addressed a gathering of over 200,000 at the Siegessaeule (victory column) when he ran for president. Today, Obama spoke at Berlin’s historic 18th century Brandenburger Tor.

Obama Spoke at Berlin’s Brandenburger Tor today

President Obama arrived in Berlin as part of a three-day International Summit tour to discuss a variety of issues. At the top of German Chancellor Angela Merkel agenda were questions relative to global electronic and phone surveillance programs. Public outcry over the intrusion into the lives of private citizens is strong in Germany, far stronger than in the United States. The reason is that Germans have a deep-rooted distrust in governments that spy on their citizens. Germans have lived under the Gestapo (Geheime Staatspolizei) during the Nazi regime. More recently, East Germans citizens have lived under the Stasi–(Staatssicherheitsdienst). Both were secret police spying organizations. They have made Germans distrust any government that claims that broad surveillance activity is necessary for its citizens, safety. Merkel hopes to see a more equitable balance struck between providing security and protecting personal freedoms.

Obama spoke in Berlin today in the midst of a crushing heat wave that followed weeks of heavy rains and severe flooding throughout the country. The extreme temperatures, ranging in the 90s, reduced the number of guests in attendance. Instead of the invited 6,000, closer to 4,000 guests came. However, the poor attendance does not reflect a significant drop in Obama’s popularity in Germany. A recent poll indicates that Obama still holds close to a 90% approval rating in Germany.

Tags: "Ich bin ein Berliner", Angela Merkel, Barack Obama, Berlin speech 2013, electronic surveillance, John F. Kennedy, personal freedoms
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Heavy Rainfall and Flooding

Wednesday, June 5th, 2013

Heavy rainfall and flooding have been reported in parts of Germany and central Europe. Since last Thursday it has rained almost continuously. According to the German news agency, dpa, the city of Passau, among the worst hit places, has not seen water level this high in five centuries of recorded data. Passau, the “City of Three Rivers” is located in Bavaria, in the southeastern part of Germany where the Danube, Inn and Ilz Rivers come together.

Aerial view of the flooded city of PassauPhoto/dpa, Peter Kneffel

Other rivers have swollen to critical levels as well. Shipping on stretches of the Rhine, Main, and Neckar rivers had to be halted. Rail transportation between Munich and the Austrian city of Salzburg had to be suspended. Berlin’s Spree River is swollen but not considered critical.

Aside from Germany, hardest hit by the heavy rainfall and flooding were Austria, Switzerland, and the Czech Republic. The worst seems to be over. The Deutscher Wetterdienst (German weather service) predicts a decrease in precipitation for the remainder of the week (see www.dwd.de)

Tags: flooding, heavy rain, Passau, shipping
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Berlin to host 2015 Soccer Championship

Wednesday, May 29th, 2013

For the first time in history, Berlin will host the soccer championship, the Champions League’s final play. It was announced last Thursday that the 2015 final match would take place in Berlin. While the game is known as soccer in Canada and the United States, Great Britain calls it football. Australia and New Zealand use both terms. Germans have a deep affinity for the game, which often brings together people from all walks of life.

The European Champions League of the UEFA (Union of European Football Associations) is a seasonal soccer competition that was established in 1955. Teams play each other in a round-robin tournament. There are several divisions in which teams can gain points. Depending on the number of points achieved, teams are placed into tables. At the end of the season, the top team is declared the champion. Since the UEFA Champions League’s establishment, the Spanish team ” Real Madrid” holds the record for the most victories. A German team “Bayern MÃ¼nchen” has been runner-up several times.
Excitement ran high among Berliners last week when the UEFA chose their city to host the 2015 final soccer championship. Although Muenchen has already hosted two soccer finals, one in 1993 another in 1997, and Gelsenkirchen has hosted one in 2004, this is a first for Berlin. The UEFA announcement came two days before “Bayern Muenchen” and “Borussia Dortmund” both German teams, were competing at Wembley Stadium in London for this year’s Champions League title. And this year’s champion is…

Photo by Matt Dunham/Associated Press
Bayern’s Arjen Robben, center, celebrated after scoring the team’s second goal.

…Bayern Muenchen, 2:1 over Borussia Dortmund.

The 2015 soccer final will be played in Berlin’s Olympic Stadium, which was built for the 1936 Olympics. The stadium is the home of Berlin’s soccer team “Hertha BSC” and holds in excess of 74,000 spectators.

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.

Tags: 2015 Soccer Championship, Berlin, Olympic Stadium, UEFA
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Barbie Dreamhouse

Wednesday, May 22nd, 2013

Barbie, the world’s most famous blonde, moved into her new temporary vacation home in Berlin last week. The Barbie Dreamhouse Experience opened on May 16, 2013, in Berlin’s central district of Mitte. For a stiff entrance fee of 22 euros visitors can view over 350 Barbie dolls. They may peruse the symbol of fashion and femininity’s walk-in closets, learn to be models, and to strut their stuff on the runway. They may also bake virtual cupcakes in the pink kitchen or do their own makeup to look like Barbie.

The giant Barbie Dreamhouse stretches over 27,000 square feet. Modeled after Mattel and EMS Entertainment’s Barbie mansion in Sunrise, Florida, the dollhouse is predominantly pink and contains endless closets.

Barbie moved into Berlin amid protests. Though the exhibition’s opening had been keenly awaited by some of the city’s little girls, the Barbie Dreamhouse Experience garnered massive criticism from German feminists, anti-capitalists, and members of the public. The controversial topless feminist protest group, Femen, burned a cross with a Barbie doll strapped to it. The doll’s naked torso bore the inscription, “Life in plastic is not fantastic.” A Another group protested, “Pink Stinks,” and the Linksjugend demonstrated against children being manipulated for financial gain.

Did you know that the American Barbie and German Bild Lilli are more than a little related? That’s right. Bild Lilli had her start as a sexy cartoon character in 1952 and was first marketed as a doll in in Germany in 1955. Aside from a few minor modifications and without obtaining copyright and patents to produce Bild Lilli, the American toy company, Mattel, began to manufacture almost identical dolls in 1959. They just named their dolls Barbie.

Tags: Barbie Dreamhouse Experience, Berlin, pink, Protests
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President Barack Obama to visit Berlin

Wednesday, May 15th, 2013

President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama will end a three-day trip to Europe trip with a visit to Berlin next month. Following a summit in Northern Ireland, the president is scheduled to meet with German Chancellor Angela Merkel to discuss bilateral global questions. Prior to his 2008 election, President Obama held a major campaign rally in Berlin, which drew an enthusiastic crowd of more than 200,000. A Democratic presidential candidate at the time, Mr. Obama had hoped to speak in front of Berlin’s historic Brandenburg Gate. But Chancellor Merkel would not have it. She maintained that this privilege was reserved for presidents. Mr. Obama ended up speaking at the nearby victory column.

According to the White House, President Obama’s visit will come one week before the 50th anniversary of President John F. Kennedy’s unforgettable “Ich bin ein Berliner” speech. Fifty years, ago, on June 26, 1963, I too, stood in the crowd of 450,000 who had gathered in front of Schoeneberger Rathaus, Berlin’s city hall, to hear John F. Kennedy speak. It was during the height of the Cold War when Mr. Kennedy pledged solidarity with West Berlin. When he said, “As a free man, I take pride in the words ‘Ich bin ein Berliner’,” we interpreted his words to mean that America would not sell us out to the Russians.

I recently wrote a book, entitled “Walled-In: A West Berlin Girl’s Journey to Freedom.” In it I describe what it was like to grow up in West Berlin during the time when the city was still divided into the capitalist west and the communist east.

Tags: Brandenburg Gate, President Barack Obama, President John F. Kennedy, Schoeneberger Rathaus
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It’s Asparagus Season!

Wednesday, May 8th, 2013

It’s “Spargelzeit” (asparagus season) in Berlin between April and June. This year, the unusually long winter delayed the opening of the season to April 25. But now, Spargelzeit is in full swing. The German love affair with white asparagus–not green–led to a consumption of 127,000 tons last year. You will hardly find a restaurant or roadside stand that does not feature this heavenly crop. Berlin’s finest white asparagus is grown in Beelitz, about 30 miles south of Berlin. Farmers set up huge tents along the growing fields, and carloads and busloads of asparagus aficionados enjoy the celebrated vegetable, dug fresh out of the ground.

Asparagus officinalis is native to most of Europe, northern Africa and western Asia. To cultivate it, the shoots are covered with soil as they grow. Not being exposed to sunlight, they retain their white color. Germans will tell you that the white version is more tender and less bitter than its green cousin. But it must be peeled before consumption.

The rest of Germany is crazy about asparagus as well. Many cities hold an annual “Spargelfest” (asparagus festival). Schwetzingen in the Rhein-Neckar-triangle crowns an Asparagus Queen every year. And in the Bavarian city of Nuernberg the fastest asparagus peelers of the region meet for annual competitions.

Asparagus is low in calories, low in sodium, a good source of vitamins and minerals, and an excellent source of dietary fiber. The easiest way to prepare it is to boil the peeled shoots briefly and to serve them with browned butter, cubed ham, and boiled potatoes.

Voila ! A delicious meal.

Tags: asparagus peeler, asparagus season, Beelitz, Berlin, Spargelzeit, white asparagus
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Nightingales Return

Wednesday, May 1st, 2013

Last week, once again, the nightingales returned to Berlin for their annual stopover that typically lasts six weeks. This year their arrival signaled the end of an exceptionally long and miserable winter that had plagued the city, and Berliners were delighted to greet their musical, feathered friends.

Every year, these small, brown migratory songbirds spend the winter in southwest Africa and fly to Central Europe to mate. Following their brief stay, they continue their flight to breeding grounds in forests and scrub in Northern Europe. Nightingales have reddish tails and do not naturally occur in the Americas. With up to 300 different songs they have the largest repertoire of any bird. Although their name implies that they sing only at night, they actually sing day and night. However, their song tends to be much more noticeable at night because few other birds compete during those hours.

Last week, the returning nightingales were spotted not far from Schloss Bellevue (castle Bellevue) in the Tiergarten, Berlin’s two-square-mile urban park. As an interesting side note–this neoclassical castle, first erected in 1786, severely damaged during World War II, and refurbished in the 50s, is now the official residence of the German president. But because it does not include living quarters, he doesn’t actually live there. The president lives in a villa in the southwestern district of Dahlem instead.

Tags: nightingale stopover berlin, Schloss Bellevue
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Favorite German city

Wednesday, April 24th, 2013

In a recent survey, the market research institute, YouGov, asked Germans to name their favorite German city in which they would like to live and work. Respondents could choose from a list of fourteen. All had populations of more than half a million.

Every sixth citizen chose — not the capital — but Hamburg, making it the Germans favorite German city. Berlin and Munich shared the second place in popularity. However, analyzed by age, the data showed that young adults of 25 years of age or less picked Berlin as their top choice while older adults preferred Hamburg.

Tags: Berlin favorite city younger adults, Hamburg favorite city older adults
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60 Years Refugee Camp Marienfelde

Wednesday, April 17th, 2013

The Marienfelde Notaufnahmelager (refugee camp Marienfelde) in former West Berlin once was the first haven of safety for many refugees from East Germany and Eastern Europe. Between 1949 and 1989 (the fall of the Berlin Wall) every fifth East German citizen left for the West.

Marienfelde opened its doors on April 14, 1953. During its operation, the camp saw more than one quarter of the four million refugees pass through its doors. Some came with a suitcase, others with even less. The camp supplied expatriates with temporary housing and provisions while starting residency permit applications. Meanwhile, the East German government considered Marienfelde an American enemy installation with the express purpose of assembling and arming criminal elements to disrupt life in the Peoples’ State. Although this was communist propaganda, a recent study, commissioned by the Stiftung Berliner Mauer and conducted by the American historian, Keith R. Allen, confirms that the refugee camp Marienfelde played an important role in the West’s information gathering efforts about East Germany.

East German refugees making due at the Marienfelde Refugee Center, photo J. Elke Ertle, 2015

Last week, on the 60th anniversary of Marienfelde, German Federal President Joachim Gauck said to those in attendance, “We are proud that our government was able to successfully integrate so many people.”
An ongoing exhibition at Gedenkort Marienfelde, called Escape within Divided Germany tells the story of the thousands who rather left their homes and families than to have their freedom curtailed. The display includes photos, films, and nine hundred original documents that portray daily life in the camp: the wait, the uncertainty, and the crowdedness. Some of the rooms, their original iron bunk beds intact, can also be visited.

Today, the buildings are filled with refugees from Syria, Bosnia, Chechnya, and Afghanistan. In 2012, approximately 8,200 refugees requested asylum.

Tags: Escape within Divided Germany, Gedenkort Marienfelde, Notaufnahemelager Marienfeld, refugee camp Marienfelde, refugees East Germany Eastern Europe, Stiftung Berliner Mauer
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