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Archive for the ‘Walled In Berlin’ Category

Ultimate Challenge

Monday, May 5th, 2014

The ultimate challenge is to accept ourselves exactly as we are, but never stop trying to learn and grow. Let go of certainty. The opposite isn’t uncertainty. It’s openness, curiosity and a willingness to embrace paradox, rather than choose up sides.

–Tony Schwartz

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: acceptance, challenge, growing, learning, Tony Schwartz
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The Trabi – an ugly duckling?

Thursday, May 1st, 2014

The Trabant, lovingly referred to as “Trabi”, was the Volkswagen of East Germany. Small, slow, and unsafe, it looked a little like an ugly duckling. But, for East Germans, the car with its 26-horsepower motor and two-stroke engine was an object of intense pride and affection. Purchasers typically had to wait for delivery in excess of ten years, and its price equaled the average worker’s annual wage. The year the Berlin Wall fell, a new Trabi, straight off the assembly line, cost $8,600. And a used car might snatch an additional $4,000 because of its shorter delivery time. Trabis were big-time polluters. They produced roughly the same amount of emissions as 30 large Mercedes-Benzes. In fact, they polluted so much that West Germans called the car “Little Stinker.”

The last Trabi leaves the production line at the factory in Zwickau on 30 April 1991.
(AP Photo/Eckehard Schulz)

Between 1957 and 1991, over three million of these Trabis rolled off the production line in Zwickau, Saxony. But after German reunification the cars could not longer be produced competitively. Many Ossis (East Germans) had traded in their Trabant for secondhand VWs or Mercedes-Benzes. Others kept them as second cars. When the last car left the plant on 30 April 1991, an era had come to an end, and the Trabant had become a piece of nostalgic history. “They were polished more than they were driven,” said Motorwelt, a German Automobile Club magazine. Over the years, the cars had been the butt of endless jokes:

A Trabi loses no oil – He marks his territory!

How do you double the value of a Trabant? – Fill up the tank!

How many workers does it take to build a Trabi? -Three: one to cut, one to fold and one to paste.

Why is a Trabant considered the longest car? – There’s 8 feet of car, followed by 50 feet of smoke.

But despite its shortcomings, Trabis made unforgettable history when they carried thousands of fleeing East Germans across Czechoslovakia and Hungary in the summer of 1989. I will never forget the images of the long lines of Trabis crossing the borders to the West and of those abandoned along the roadsides, their owners crossing the borders on foot.

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: East Germany, German reunification, Trabant, Trabi, Volkswagen, Zwickau
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All About Books

Monday, April 28th, 2014

All About Books. Books are quiet. They do not dissolve into wavy lines or snowstorm effects. They do not pause to deliver commercials. They are three-dimensional, having length, breadth and depth. They are convenient to handle and completely portable. Read more.

The Red Baron – Manfred von Richthofen

Friday, April 25th, 2014

The legendary Red Baron’s real name was Manfred von Richthofen. Born to a prominent German aristocratic family that can be traced to the sixteenth century, Richthofen became the First World War’s most successful fighter pilot. Largely fought in muddy trenches, World War I was one of the deadliest conflicts in history. Only fighter pilots achieved some air of valor. The Red Baron was one of these flying aces. War propaganda called them the “knights of the air” because they were seen as fighting man to man and plane to plane. After 80 official victories, Manfred von Richthofen, was killed in action at the young age of 25. http://history1900s.about.com.

Red Baron’s Early Years

At age eleven, Manfred von Richthofen entered Imperial Germany’s Wahlstatt Cadet School in Berlin. After completion, he entered the Senior Cadet Academy at Berlin-Lichterfelde, followed by a course at the Berlin War Academy. In 1912, he joined the cavalry as a lieutenant.

Red Baron, “legend in the air”

When World War I broke out in 1914, Manfred von Richthofen was assigned to the cavalry’s horseback patrol section. But soon air reconnaissance replaced cavalry patrols, and in 1915 Richthofen was retrained. One year later, he was retrained again, this time as a fighter pilot. He quickly distinguished himself as a fearless daredevil and sometimes shot down two or three planes in a single day. One day he even shot down four.

Manfred von Richthofen,
the Red Baron

How he became the Red Baron

After achieving acclaim as a flying ace, Richthofen had his plane painted bright red so that his enemies would immediately recognize they were in pursuit of the most successful German fighter pilot. Hence, he became known as the “Red Baron.” After enemy planes began to target his red airplane, however, the Imperial German Army Air Service painted all of its planes red in hopes of filling the enemy with fear of having to battle the legendary flying ace. On April 21, 1918, the Red Baron’s plane was shot down while in pursuit of a British enemy plane. He was killed instantly.

Tags: Berlin War Academy, fighter pilot, flying ace, Manfred von Richthofen, Red Baron, Wahlstatt Cadet School, World War I
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Flavor of Success

Monday, April 21st, 2014

I agree wholeheartedly with Truman Capote who said, “Failure is the condiment that gives success its flavor. I find success particularly sweet whenever I have experienced initial failure that was followed by a moment of recognition and ended in success, which I like to attribute to my own clever intervention.”

Tags: failure, success
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Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate

Thursday, April 17th, 2014

The Brandenburg Gate–Brandenburger Tor–is Berlin’s most famous landmark. During its 200+ year history it has been a city symbol under many different regimes. At different times in its history, it has symbolized peace, division, and freedom and unity. Between 1961 and 1989, when the Berlin Wall divided East and West Berlin, visitors often climbed onto an observation platform adjacent to the Brandenburg Gate to get a glimpse of the world behind the Iron Curtain.

The Quadriga

Atop the Brandenburg Gate stands the sculpture of a chariot. It is pulled by four horses and driven by a goddess. The goddess was originally said to symbolize a courier of peace. Later it was reinterpreted to represent Victoria, the Roman Goddess of Victory. The Quadriga spent the years from 1806 to 1814 in Paris, France.

Brandenburg Gate – symbol of peace, division and unity

Brandenburg Gate History

The Brandenburg Gate witnessed many important events in German History:

1730s–Originally, the gate was one of 18 gates within the customs walls that once formed the entrance to Berlin.

1788-1791– King Friedrich Wilhelm II commissioned Carl Gotthard Langhans to rebuild the old city gate in the shape of the triumphal arch we see today. The design was inspired by the Propylaea, the Gateway to the Acropolis in Athens. Hence, Berlin has often been called “Spree Athen” (Athens on the River Spree).

1793–The Quadriga is erected on top of the Brandenburg Gate. (The goddess is said to represent a courier of peace.)

1806– After the French Army defeated the Prussians, Napoleon removed the Quadriga and carted off his spoils to Paris.

1814–The Prussian Army defeated Napoleon, occupied Paris and returned the Quadriga to Berlin. Afterwards, the monument was redesigned as a triumphal arch. The oak wreath on the goddess’ scepter was replaced with an iron cross and the Prussian eagle. (The goddess was reinterpreted to represent the Roman Goddess of Victory.)

1933–The National Socialists marched through the Brandenburg Gate in a martial torch parade and introduced Germany’s darkest chapter in history.

1945–The neoclassical sandstone arch suffered considerable damage during World War II. Berlin was divided into four sectors, and the Brandenburg Gate was now located just inside the Soviet Sector. But vehicles and pedestrians continued to travel freely through the gate.

1961– The Berlin Wall was erected in an arc just west of the gate, cutting off access from West Berlin. On the eastern side, a “border marker” cordoned off the Brandenburg Gate for East Berliners. On 13 August–the day construction of the Berlin Wall began–one crossing remained open on the eastern side of the gate. When West Berliners demonstrated against the Wall the following day, the East closed the only remaining checkpoint at the Brandenburg Gate. Traffic did not reopen until 1989.

1987–US President Ronald Regan spoke the historic words at the gate, “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this Wall!”

1989–When the Brandenburg Gate opened again to traffic upon reunification, 100,000 people came to celebrate the occasion.

1994–U.S. President Bill “Clinton spoke at the gate about peace in post-Cold War Europe.

2000-2002–The Brandenburg Gate was restored to its former glory.

2013–U.S. President Barack Obama spoke at the Brandenburg Gate about nuclear arms reduction and U.S. Internet surveillance activities.

Tags: Berlin Wall, Brandenburg Gate, Carl Gotthard Langhans, King Friedrich Wilhelm II, Napoleon, Quadriga, Spree Athen
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What is Duty?

Monday, April 14th, 2014

Duty largely consists of pretending that the trivial is critical.

–John Fowles

Tags: duty, John Fowles
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Max and Moritz: the terrible duo

Thursday, April 10th, 2014

Max and Moritz were two little boys, created by German humorist, poet, illustrator and painter, Wilhelm Busch. In 1865, Busch published an illustrated work entitled, Max und Moritz – eine Bubengeschichte in Sieben Streichen (Max and Moritz – A Story of Seven Boyish Pranks). The tale is told entirely in rhymed couplets. This satire, the first of its time that did not portray children as universally good and well-behaved, poked fun at the victims, rather than the culprits.

Max (left) and Moritz
two mischievous boys created by Wilhelm Busch (1832- 1908)

When I was a little girl, almost every parent read these tales to their young children. In 1866, only a year after first publication, Max and Moritz appeared in Danish. Today, it can be read in many languages. The terrible duo inspired Katzenjammer Kids, a cartoon strip that appeared in 1897 in the American Humorist, the Sunday supplement of William Randolph Hearst’s New York Journal. The Katzenjammer Kids were called Hans and Fritz.

Max and Moritz’ Pranks

Prank #1

The Widow – Max and Moritz tie several crusts of bread together in Widow Bolte’s chicken yard, causing the chickens to become fatally tangled.

Prank # 2

The Widow II – As the widow tries to cook her chickens, the mischievous boys steal them by pulling them up the chimney with a fishing rod. The poor widow suspects her dog.

Prank #3

The Taylor – The boys saw through the planks of Tailor Boeck’s wooden bridge in front of his house and cause the poor tailor to be swept away by the current.

Prank #4

The Teacher – While Teacher Laempel, is busy at church, Max and Moritz fill his pipe with gunpowder. When the teacher lights it, the blast knocks him unconscious.

Prank #5

The Uncle – The terrible duo collects bags of bugs and deposits them in their uncle’s bed. When their uncle feels the bugs walking on his nose, the poor man has a fit.

Prank #6

The Baker – When the boys want to steal pretzels from a bakery, they fall into a barrel of dough. The baker bakes them in his oven, but the breaded duo escapes by gnawing through the crusts.

Prank #7

The Farmer – Finally their pranks catch up with them when Farmer Mecke puts Max & Moritz into grain sacks, grinds them up and feeds them to his ducks.

The mill, by the way, really exists and can be visited in Ebergoetzen.

Tags: Ebergoetzen, Farmer Mecke, Katzenjammer Kids, Max and Moritz, mischievous boys, Tailor Boeck, Teacher Laempel, Widow Bolte, Wilhelm Busch
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The Right Word

Monday, April 7th, 2014

For your born writer, nothing is so healing as the realization that he has come upon the right word.

–Catherine Drinker Bowen

Tags: Catherine Drinker Bowen, right word, writer
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Paulskirchenverfassung

Thursday, April 3rd, 2014

The Paulskirchenverfassung (Constitution of St. Paul’s Church) might have been Germany’s very first Constitution, had it not been for Friedrich Wilhelm IV, reigning King of Prussia. Drawn up by the National Assembly in December 1848, the Paulskirchenverfassung called for basic civil rights, freedom of the press and the abolishment of the existing privileges of the nobility. The King himself had ordered it to be drawn up. But it hadn’t been his desire for democracy that had led him to take this step.

Who was King Friedrich Wilhelm IV?

Friedrich Wilhelm IV reigned from 1840 to 1861 and was the eldest son of Friedrich William II of Prussia. Friedrich Wilhelm IV was known as a romantic who had been responsible for the erection of many beautiful edifices in Berlin and Potsdam. He had also sponsored the completion of the cathedral in Cologne. But politically he seemed out of step with the times. When revolution broke out in Prussia, having spilled over from France, Friedrich Wilhelm IV feared that it might cost him the throne. After first trying to repress it with the army, he quickly decided to recall the troops instead and place himself at the head of the movement.

Friedrich Wilhelm IV, King of Prussia from 1840 to 1861

King Friedrich Wilhelm IV refused

Friedrich Wilhelm IV convened a National Assembly in 1949, and ordered a Constitution be drawn up. He hoped that the move would shore up his position. But when the National Assembly elected him as emperor of Germany, the king flatly refused. His refusal did not stem from modesty however. To the contrary. Friedrich Wilhelm supposedly responded by saying, “I do neither want the consent of the princes nor the crown. This so-called crown is not a crown but a dog collar. It bears the smell of the gutter of the revolution–the silliest, stupidest and worst of this century.” Feeling secure again in his position, he then dissolved the assembly and ordered the army to reoccupy Berlin.

Failed Paulskirchenverfassung

The adoption of the Paulskirchenverfassung had failed. Three months later, the military disbanded the remaining parliament. In keeping with the king’s motto, “Only soldiers can help stop democrats,” fundamental rights were abolished again and popular uprisings squashed.

When one hundred years later, the Grundgesetz (The German Basic Law or Constitution) was created, much of the wording of the Paulskirchenverfassung of 1948 was incorporated.

Tags: Constitution of St. Paul's Church, Friedrich Wilhelm IV of Prussia, German Basic Law, Grundgesetz, Paulskirchenverfassung
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