I was going to write post today in honor of Germany’s Reunification Day. I was going to list all the great things that happened because of this day 34 years ago. I was going to share a few other things I am grateful for.
But you know what… I have this kind of post already up on this blog. Four years ago I shared
30 YEARS GERMAN REUNIFICATION – 30 REASON TO BE THANKFUL.
All of these things are still true. And for the sake of celebrating 34 years today I will add another four things:
- Blogging community – imagine I would have never met you online. Sad.
- Diversity – imagine not seeing people of other ethnicity
- Color – looking back at pictures from back then the world was grey. Houses were grey. Everything was grey.
- Cultural imprint – while I am very happy the wall came down and I live in a unified Germany I am also glad I got to experience a different world. The atmosphere of that world has imprinted me and made me who I am.
I will snuggle up to husband now – someone born in a different country and have my own celebration of this day.
Do you remember hearing about the fall of the Berlin Wall and the reunification almost a year later? What were your emotions? Was that relevant or just some background noise? What are you thankful for today?
The text on the house walls of the picture says:
Human will can move anything.
This house used to be in another country.
11 comments
I will admit that I was in Berlin during the fall of the wall. I was in the Army and was there 1982-1985 and then again 1988-1992. The wall was a significant part of my life during those times and when it finally opened up I was so happy for everyone, even if it meant it was the end of my time in Berlin. I loved Berlin and when I went back for a visit around 2000 I couldn’t wait to see the areas we had been prohibited to see. I have pictures of one side of the city and thought how gray and dull it looked compared to the other. On my last visit I was amazed at the vibrancy of the city now. I will say that I was sad to see the areas where I had lived and shopped weren’t quite as nice as they had once been, and I hope that at some point they will be cleaned up and look beautiful again.
Thank you so much for sharing that experience. It’s hard for
Me to fathom as I was so young g and never saw Berlin during the devision. The first time
I was in Berlin was December 1989 and they had trucks hand out ginger breads.
In 1989 I was a sophomore at university, and I remember it was a HUGE event that made everyone feel hopeful and happy. It seemed like an impossible dream came true. Of course, we only saw what was in newspapers and the evening news – it sure wasn’t like today!
I loved reading your viewpoint on this, Tobia!
And I’m very grateful that you can write your blog!!
Thank you Michelle for your memories. The old use snippets make me very emotional. I am so happy to write this blog too.
I remember when the wall came down although I was too young to really understand all the implications. I do think it was a very important thing to happen even if the reunification is still taking place in many ways….
I remember when it came down, so amazing. I worked at a large hotel in San Francisco and one of my friends there was German, and she was just blown away that it was happening. She didn’t think Germany would ever unite, though. I’m glad that she was wrong on that front!
What a great memory. When being wrong is fun. Thanks for sharing this.
I am old enough to remember when the wall came down! I was 11 at the time, so old enough to realize how significant this was.
Oh that is a good age to remember. Specially a feeling. I was a little younger but I remember the excitement and atmosphere. There was history in the air. Thanks for sharing, Kristen.
I remember when the wall came down. Our local museum had a piece of the wall as an exhibit for a while, too. It’s crazy to think that it’s been down longer than it was up and that’s great news for the whole world.
I agree it crazy ist gone longer than it was up but it had such an impact and changed so much of history that it takes so much longer to grow together again. Lately I think we are drifting apart again as a nation. Sad. Yes, wall pieces have been shipped to all sorts of places back in the 90s.