J. Elke Ertle Archives - Page 77 of 77

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Welcome Aboard!

Monday, March 25th, 2013

The other day, I was reminded that life is rather like a train ride. When we first board the train of life, we assume that our friends will accompany us all the way to our final destination. But all too often we must discover, that some of them will get off before we do, letting us continue alone. At first, we may feel sad and deserted, but as people get on and off throughout our journey we grow accustomed to new travel companions.

Some passengers will marvel at unexpected panoramas, others will remain unimpressed. While many stations will strike us as fascinating and inviting, others will appear unattractive and depressing. To our surprise and consternation, some of our dearest friends and family members may choose a compartment several cars away from us. Or we may find that the seat next to them is already taken. We may barely take notice of some travelers; yet we may miss others so much after they reached the endpoint of their voyage that we don’t want to continue the trip without them.

Life, like a train ride, is full of challenges, hopes, dreams, and good-byes. It adds to the mystery that throughout this journey, we can’t be certain of our arrival time or of our final destination. Neither do we know for sure when our fellow passengers might detrain, not even the ones sitting next to us.

All we know is that at some point we will be asked to get off the train once and for all. No doubt, it will hurt to have to leave behind those with whom we have shared this journey. But until then, I would like to invite you to join me for a few miles, take the seat next to me, point out some sights I may have missed and share a story or two. Welcome aboard, my fellow traveler!

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.

Tags: life is a journey, life is like a train ride
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Interview with B. Jetton

Friday, March 22nd, 2013

Q: What inspired you to write Walled-In?

A: We often take our freedom for granted, both our physical and our psychological freedom. I grew up with very little of both. In my memoir I try to take the reader on a trip into the realities of growing up in a divided city that is governed by other nations, of growing up behind the Berlin Wall, and of growing up with overprotective parents. In that environment, it is tough to develop independence and self-confidence.

Q: Do you think that the topics addressed in your book are universal issues?

A: Yes, I do. I think it is important that we teach our children to look at all sides of an issue before making decisions, to be responsible for and depend on themselves, and to try to discover and experiment. And most of all, we must allow them to make their own mistakes.

Q: You say you grew up behind not one, but two, insurmountable walls: the Berlin Wall and the one your parents erected. Which wall did you consider harder to scale?

A: As a teenager, I would have said the obstacles my parents created were far more difficult to overcome. Although time consuming and tedious, as West Berliners we had the ability to escape the Berlin Wall, but there was no running away from my parental walls.

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.

Posted in Guest Blog / Interviews, J. Elke Ertle, Walled In Berlin | Comments Off on Interview with B. Jetton

Bauhaus

Thursday, March 21st, 2013

On 21 March 1919 – The architect Walter Gropius founded the Bauhaus in Weimar, an educational establishment, which tried to obliterate the divide between the arts and the arts and crafts by combining them into total works of art. The school was a place of experimentation for teachers and students alike. By bringing together simple components, Bauhaus members aimed at producing houses at low prices. But the conservative citizens of Weimar did not care for their ideas and stopped subsidizing the school in 1925. Still, the Bauhaus style became one of the most influential currents in modernist architecture and in modern design.

Tags: Bauhaus style of architecture, Walter Gropius, Weimar
Posted in J. Elke Ertle, This Day in History, Walled In Berlin | Comments Off on Bauhaus

Save the Berlin Wall?

Wednesday, March 20th, 2013

In 1989, singer/actor David Hasselhoff, best known for starring in Baywatch and Knight Rider, sang his way into the hearts of Germany with Looking for Freedom. He sang standing on top of the Berlin Wall on New Yea’s Eve that year. The song became an instant hit and topped German pop charts for eight weeks in a row. To many, it became synonymous with the fall of the Berlin Wall. Nearly 25 years later, Hasselhoff hopes to help save the Wall he once wished to destroy.

In the years that followed reunification, most of the Berlin Wall was destroyed or sold to museums across the world. Countless tiny fragments ended up on private mantle pieces. I certainly own a piece and like to recount how my husband and I hammered it out at dusk.

Only two large sections of the Berlin Wall remain in place as reminders that at least 136 people died between 1961 and 1989, trying to cross the monstrosity that divided East and West Germany for twenty-eight years. One of the two sections, the longest surviving stretch along the death strip and the second most frequented tourist spot in Berlin, is called the East Side Gallery. It is located at Bernauer Strasse in the north of the city. It is three-quarters of a mile long and decorated with dozens of paintings by artists from all over the world. Now, property developers want to tear down a 20-meter section of it to accommodate luxury building projects.

Demolition of the East Side Gallery was suspended earlier this month after activists formed a human chain in front of it. The scale of protests prompted Berlin mayor Klaus Wowereit to oppose the demolition. Much will hinge on today’s meeting between the project investor, M. U. Hinkel, and the Berlin senate.

A section of the East Side Gallery was removed to make room for these condos, photo © J. Elke Ertle, 2015

You may also want to visit http://walled-in-berlin.com/j-elke-ertle/berlin-wall-controversy/

Tags: Berlin Wall, David Hasselhoff, East Side Gallery, fall of the Berlin Wall, Looking for Freedom
Posted in Berlin News, J. Elke Ertle, Walled In Berlin | Comments Off on Save the Berlin Wall?

IT’S A BOOK!

Monday, March 18th, 2013

17 ounces

6 inches by 9 inches

I am so pleased to announce the birth of my memoir, Walled-In, A West Berlin Girl’s Journey to Freedom. It is scheduled to enter this world on May 31, 2013. As the proud Mom I have to admit that the gestation period was a journey in itself. I mistakenly assumed that writing a book would be my biggest challenge. Wrong. Although it was a labor of love that tested my recall and writing abilities, the process was not nearly as daunting as getting the book on the market. And I am not done yet. So far, I have put the editing, designing, printing, and distribution challenges behind me, but if no one hears about Walled-In, has the book really been written? Therefore, I am now cheerfully embarking on the next phase in my life as a newly baked author-Mom: The promotion of Walled-In, the true story of my growing up against the backdrop of postwar Berlin and the Cold War.

Never having worked in sales, I doubt that promoting myself will come easy. But I can’t let uneasiness stand in the way of my dream. I have always wanted to share what it was like to live behind not one – but two – walls and hope that interweaving history with my personal experiences will make it an enjoyable experience for you, the reader.

Walled-In is available in print as well as in e-Book format. You can order from your favorite bookstore, from Amazon or Barnes and Noble, or by clicking on my Website, walled-in-berlin.com; you can even pre-order from any of the above sources.

The first twenty-some pages of my book can be read on my website to give you a taste of the story which will, after many twists and turns, find me on a plane to San Diego. If you like what your read, please consider purchasing the book in print- or eBook version. And if you really liked it, please spread the word. Readers are much more included to make a purchase that was recommended by a friend than one based on an advertisement. If you live within San Diego County, I am happy to talk to your book club, women’s club, or service organization. Simply contact me via walled.in.berlin@gmail.com, or via Facebook or Twitter.

Tags: memoir, Walled-In
Posted in J. Elke Ertle, Tête-à-Tête, Walled In Berlin | Comments Off on IT’S A BOOK!