Berlin Wall

@Walter Hinteler,

About one million people are waiting that the 8,000 balloons along the former border will go up the air in a few minutes, exactly 25 years after the first stone had been broken out of the wall

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@Walter Hinteler,

(There might be better - these are done seconds ago from the livestream)

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HAPPY SILVER ANNIVERSARY

David

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@Walter Hinteler,

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Great pictures, Walter, thank you!

I've seen it on a live broadcast online - very moving! Hundreds of thousand people are there in Berlin to commemorate the 25th anniversary. Everyone is smiling and in a good mood - so nice to see this very joyous gathering of so many people.

I also like the google video of today

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@saab,

Quite a series of trips there, saab. Were the sock involved visits in the wintertime?

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Good stuff

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Nice thread! It can't fail to make anyone smile.

It reminds me of the first time I took my son to Wembley. It was the first time England had played Germany since about 1572.

I really can't remember the score at this moment in time, but vividly remember the look of awe on my son's face at the spectacle of it all.

We probably lost on penalties.

Big hugs to you, Germany.

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@Lordyaswas,

On one of my long stays some decades ago at a B&B in London, on Preston Road, the train passed by Wembley, but since then it's been rebuilt. That's when one could find a fish and chips shop on almost every block in London.

Them were the 'good ole days' as they say.

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@ossobuco,

I never figured out if the socks were forgotten by another hotel guest or if they were part of the bed - incase you have cold feet.

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@CalamityJane,

Quote:

I was driving to Berlin in the early 80s and had to drive through the entire DDR (East Germany) at that time - it was downright frightening to see so much police with firearms and German shepherds around. While driving,
us "Westerners" were only allowed to stop at certain rest areas and we were not allowed to speak to anyone.

While in Berlin we were almost afraid to get near the wall, it seemed so
surreal to us. Of course I was quite young then and found Berlin utterly depressing. Not a place I would have liked to live.

Really?

Was Berlin and former East Germany in such a condition?

Hmmm

Apparently the Soviets were making a wonderful job trying to stop Germany of becoming again a dangerous world power after WW2.

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@carloslebaron,

carloslebaron wrote:

Was Berlin and former East Germany in such a condition?

Hmmm

Apparently the Soviets were making a wonderful job trying to stop Germany of becoming again a dangerous world power after WW2.

a) West Germans normally were allowed only to use the motorway through the GDR - besides some rare visits e.g. to the Laipzig fair or seldom to relatives
b) though West-Berlin was part of the Federal Republic, it still de iure remained under the rule of the Western Allies.

(In 1968, I stayed with my school class in a Berlin Senate's guest house close to the "Allied Kommandatura" in Berlin-Dahlem.)

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@carloslebaron,

carloslebaron wrote:

Really?

Was Berlin and former East Germany in such a condition?

Hmmm

Apparently the Soviets were making a wonderful job trying to stop Germany of becoming again a dangerous world power after WW2.

It was dangerous, yes! You never knew if they'd retain you. The Soviets were only interested to keep all eastern Germans separated from the west. They seldom allowed them to visit West Berlin at the time, or any other western city/country. Anyone who tried to escape East Germany, was to be shot immediately. Many successfully escaped into West Germany, sadly, way too many lost their lives while trying to flee.

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@CalamityJane,

On the same street as Checkpoint Charlie is a museum where they display how the Eastern Germans escaped. Many were quite clever.

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@cicerone imposter,

Yes, I've been there about 3 years ago and saw that too! Berlin today is a very exciting city!

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@CalamityJane,

Yes it is, and I plan to return there some day. It's one of my favorite cities, because I've seen East Berlin when it was almost totally destroyed after WWII, and what it is today. It was a time when tours went to visit Hitler's bunker that no longer exists. They do have a sign, but the whole area have been developed.

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@cicerone imposter,

Oh wow, you've been there right after WWII? That's amazing, I hope you were allowed to take pictures back then and if yes, would you share them with us?

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@CalamityJane,

CJ, I looked in all my files, but could not find my original pictures of Berlin, but did find my blog that includes East Berlin and my trip to Eastern Europe. It describes how it was in the reconstruction phase, and it shows there were very little huge buildings that now exists. I'll try to dig around the house to see if I can find my original pictures, because I know I took the picture of Hitler's bunker. Please let me know what you think.
http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/c.i.222/1/778505153/tpod.html

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@cicerone imposter,

cicerone imposter wrote:

I'll try to dig around the house to see if I can find my original pictures, because I know I took the picture of Hitler's bunker.

That must have been pre December 1947 - the Soviets blew up than the rest of what was left after 1945. Wink

In September 1959, all became a park. And between 1986 and 1989, new apartment buildings were built by the GDR over the complete complex.

1988, housee were built on this - the very last which was left of the bunker.

In June 2006, a board was displaced, with information about what had been there decades ago ...

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@cicerone imposter,

You have some very nice old postcards and pictures there in your travel blog, cicerone - respect! Nice to see! Smile

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Great pictures too, Walter! Maybe we should continue to bring a bit of Berlin to a2k. I have to look at my pictures now....unfortunately, it was raining like hell when we were there 3 years ago. So most pictures aren't that good. I will look anyway!

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