So its 30 years since the fall of the Berlin Wall in Germany. Do you Remember it?

Carry wrote: »

I was a journalist/editor for a newspaper in Berlin at that time, our editorial office was just around the corner from Checkpoint Charlie. We were all on alert because the tension across the wall in East Berlin was palpable and we expected that anything could happen at any time.

On this November evening a small group of female editors, including myself, went together with the editor-in-chief to a small cafe directly at Checkpoint Charlie to discuss feminism or such like.
Incidentally it was the famous Café Adler where John le Carré allegedly wrote (or was inspired to) his novel The spy who came in from the cold.

At around 7pm our photographer, a man of few words and facial expressions, shuffled into the cafe, returning just from that infamous press conference in East Berlin, where the eastern press officer declared that the eastern citizens will be allowed to cross the border, and after being asked the question when? he said rather unsure, I think now. That was it.
So now our photographer told us, the wall will be opened at any moment, and shuffled out again.

Stunned we went out to the Checkpoint to see what’s going to happen, our wineglasses still in hand (at that point we were all already a bit tipsy). More and more people gathered around the border checkpoint at the western side, more and more rather hesitant people gathered at the other side. The eastern border police stood still strong but became more and more unsure what to do with the situation and the increasing masses of people.

East and west of the border people became more confident and shouting: open the wall! After hours of tense and anxious waiting (you never knew how the armed border police might react) the border police gave up and simply opened the gates – and all hell broke loose. The people from East Berlin stormed into the west, there was hugging and kissing and crying and laughing and shouting – it was a true reunification, overwhelming for everyone.

Our editor-in-chief, a woman of considerable charm and quick-thinking, went back to the cafe, bought a bottle of champagne and brought some glasses which we offered to the eastern border police who finally let loose as well and accepted it smiling and joined the party. All the pubs, bars and cafes around the checkpoint contributed drinks for free, I think there was not one person sober that night.

That night all the rules and German reservations went down the drain in Berlin. Everthing stayed open, public transport run all night for free, East Berliners stumbled in amazement and in masses through the streets of West Berlin, being greeted and hugged by everyone. It was the biggest party the world has ever seen, I think.

At 6am I staggered finally home and woke up my flatmate, who got the short straw when humour was distributed. I told her that the wall is open, she said, go away you’re drunk, yes, I said, as is everyone in all of Berlin apart from you. She ate humble pie later for breakfast.

The following days were filled with work (being a journalist at this historic moment meant a lot of overtime) but with festivities as well. All the pop and rock stars came to Berlin, the Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, Joe Cocker, can’t remember all of them, and gave free concerts. Most memorable for me was the Joe Cocker concert.

East Berliners got 100 Deutschmark “welcome money” and stormed the western shops. I remember that my local supermarket was almost empty, as were many other shops. From the next day on lots of people came with hammers and other tools to peck at the wall (I still have some pieces somewhere, real ones), but it took ages until the wall was finally pulled down.

Carry wrote: »

I was a journalist/editor for a newspaper in Berlin at that time, our editorial office was just around the corner from Checkpoint Charlie. We were all on alert because the tension across the wall in East Berlin was palpable and we expected that anything could happen at any time.

On this November evening a small group of female editors, including myself, went together with the editor-in-chief to a small cafe directly at Checkpoint Charlie to discuss feminism or such like.
Incidentally it was the famous Cafdler where John le Carrllegedly wrote (or was inspired to) his novel The spy who came in from the cold.

At around 7pm our photographer, a man of few words and facial expressions, shuffled into the cafe, returning just from that infamous press conference in East Berlin, where the eastern press officer declared that the eastern citizens will be allowed to cross the border, and after being asked the question when? he said rather unsure, I think now. That was it.
So now our photographer told us, the wall will be opened at any moment, and shuffled out again.

Stunned we went out to the Checkpoint to see what’s going to happen, our wineglasses still in hand (at that point we were all already a bit tipsy). More and more people gathered around the border checkpoint at the western side, more and more rather hesitant people gathered at the other side. The eastern border police stood still strong but became more and more unsure what to do with the situation and the increasing masses of people.

East and west of the border people became more confident and shouting: open the wall! After hours of tense and anxious waiting (you never knew how the armed border police might react) the border police gave up and simply opened the gates – and all hell broke loose. The people from East Berlin stormed into the west, there was hugging and kissing and crying and laughing and shouting – it was a true reunification, overwhelming for everyone.

Our editor-in-chief, a woman of considerable charm and quick-thinking, went back to the cafe, bought a bottle of champagne and brought some glasses which we offered to the eastern border police who finally let loose as well and accepted it smiling and joined the party. All the pubs, bars and cafes around the checkpoint contributed drinks for free, I think there was not one person sober that night.

That night all the rules and German reservations went down the drain in Berlin. Everthing stayed open, public transport run all night for free, East Berliners stumbled in amazement and in masses through the streets of West Berlin, being greeted and hugged by everyone. It was the biggest party the world has ever seen, I think.

At 6am I staggered finally home and woke up my flatmate, who got the short straw when humour was distributed. I told her that the wall is open, she said, go away you’re drunk, yes, I said, as is everyone in all of Berlin apart from you. She ate humble pie later for breakfast.

The following days were filled with work (being a journalist at this historic moment meant a lot of overtime) but with festivities as well. All the pop and rock stars came to Berlin, the Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, Joe Cocker, can’t remember all of them, and gave free concerts. Most memorable for me was the Joe Cocker concert.

East Berliners got 100 Deutschmark “welcome money” and stormed the western shops. I remember that my local supermarket was almost empty, as were many other shops. From the next day on lots of people came with hammers and other tools to peck at the wall (I still have some pieces somewhere, real ones), but it took ages until the wall was finally pulled down.

After all the joy and partying reality hit. How to organise Germany now? How to look after the people who lost their state, their work and the very basis of their lives? It became ugly, but that’s another story.