on this day in 1989

You left me with goosebumps reading this. How incredible to have been there for a truly historic world event.

I read earlier that today is called the Day of Fate in Germany because many historic events have happened on Nov. 9 through the years.

My first husband and I were in Germany from Nov 1988 to Oct 1991 in Schweinfurt. Not long after we got there, his unit had a month long border patrol in Colburg and they bussed the families up for a visit one Saturday. We got to take a tour of the border but we had to have a safety briefing first. They told us the actual border were the blue and white poles and to not let our children go past them or they could be arrested as spies.

We could take all the pictures we wanted, but you could not point, wave or use any kind of hand gestures to the East German guards. They also showed us a road leading into East Germany. It had a big white stripe painted across it. We could go up to the line, put our toes on it but could not step across it. It was very sobering to think the East Germans could not freely walk across it.

I remember reading in the Stars and Stripes newspaper about an East German man who tried to swim the river from East Berlin to West Berlin. The East German police pulled him out of the river by the hair of his head. I never found out what happened to him but I think of him from time to time and wonder if he ever found his freedom. It made me realize that I had no idea what freedom really meant. Would I ever risk my life to be free? I don’t know, I can’t answer that, I’ve never been in that position.

When the East Germans started to come across the border after Hungary began taking down the wall, the West Germans would meet them at the border with beer and bananas. Those items were in short supply in the East. The East Germans had a car called the Trabant that was somehow made out of recycled rags. The top speed was about 50 miles an hour and it was not good for the environment. Parents would put their child’s name on a list for car when they were 5 and maybe 20 years later they would finally get a car. It was the same way for phone service. They would sign up for service and years later, someone would finally knock on their door to install it. Sounds crazy doesn’t it?

Gina, thanks for the memories!

That is fascinating historical information from a first person perspective.  Thank you so much for sharing it.