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Berlin and the Wall

Berlin and the Wall

BERLIN AND THE barrier there were 5,075 successful escapes, although 200 persons lost their WALL lives in attempts.

GMØHZM

The mention of RAF Gutersloh in a recent article in “MERCURY” brought memories flooding back of my days in the 1970’s and 1980’s serving in this part It was not until October 2001 that a visit of with the Territorial Army. to by me and my wife was Celle, Bielefeld, Paderborn, Hildesheim possible. By then, of course, most of the and Hohne (formerly Bergen-Belsen) all Wall in the central area of Berlin had immediately came to mind. There was been removed (a task involving some little time for sightseeing in those days, 1million tons of rubble) and free access but one lasting impression I have was of was possible between all parts of the city. an organised visit to the then boundary between East and West Germany. We set off from Edinburgh Airport for Berlin, travelling via Frankfurt, for our It stretched as far as the eye could see four day sojourn in the city - a fortieth North and South. Heavily fortified with wedding anniversary present to us. We guard towers every half a mile and with landed at Tegel airport and got a taxi to cultivated areas would show every the 5-star Berlin Hilton Hotel. To our footprint, mined and booby trapped, surprise we found it was situated in the stretching back a half a mile towards the former East German area. It was East from the fence making the line of immediately adjacent to the well-known demarcation a very formidable obstacle and a short distance and with the presence of the patrolling from Friedrichstrasse, East German border guards virtually (the tree-lined avenue once the city’s eliminated all routes of escape. focal point), the and Berlin, though, attracted most of the the Reichstag (the former parliament publicity about the division of Germany building) and was within walking following the physical erection by the distance of the East German government of the concrete famous crossing area between East and boundary wall to seal off . The Hotel, though in the from the part of the city occupied by the former “East” Berlin, was of course very three main western powers – Britain, US central indeed and the recent re-erection and – to prevent mass illegal of this most modern and palatial immigration westwards. Construction accommodation was typical of what one commenced on 13th August 1961 and die found in this part of the city. The Berliner Mauer (the as it environs of Berlin include the Grünewald became known) remained in place until forest and lake (the locus of the 9th November 1989 when the infamous 20 January 1942 secret Communist regime collapsed. During conference – recently detailed in Mark that time, in spite of it being a formidable Roseman’s book “The Villa, the Lake, the 1 Meeting: Wannsee and the Final along the and other Canals from Solution” 152pp Allen Lane, £9.99 – and Schlonbrucke. Again this was a three its awesome consequences.) hour trip and though the commentary was only in German, we managed to follow There was much development the route using the map and identified spreading from the former line of “the many of the sights we had seen during Wall” eastwards but you only had to the morning coach tour such as walk a few hundred metres towards the Charlottenburg Palace, the Reichstag, East to find the dereliction and neglect and Berlin Dom. left by the former DDR (Deutsche However on this occasion the view was Demokratische Republik – German from the Spree Canal and gave a different Democratic Republic – ). aspect, especially in the Eastern part of A typical example was the one time the city where we saw much of the other “new” building of its own Parliament. parts of the Wall which still existed. When we visited, this was in the course of demolition because of the deterioration The following day, and with the sun in the structure and also because asbestos shining brightly, temperature in the mid- had been used in the construction of the 60’s F, we decided on a walking tour building. The day following our arrival in from the Hotel using the first class the city was a Friday, so as we normally Dorling Kindersley Travel Guide book do when visiting ‘foreign parts’, we took on Berlin. the coach tour arranged by the hotel The Hotel is situated in concierge. With the benefit of a guide Gendarmenmarkt. This is one of Berlin’s speaking both German and English our most beautiful squares, created at the end tour of central Berlin consisted of a three of the 17th Century as a market square hour trip incorporating the highlights of for the newly established . the capital, both East and West. It took in It is named after the Regiment Gens the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Memorial Church, d’Armes who had their stables here. In -Centre, Bauhaus Museum, New 1950 it was named Platz der Akademie; National Gallery, Philharmonic Hall, and after reunification the square Potsdam Square/Sony-Centre, reverted to its original name. The three Gendarmenmarkt, Alexander Square, St- most important buildings on the square Nikolai-Vertel, City Hall of Berlin, TV- are:- Tower, the , Zeigaus, State Opera, Unter den Linden, Brandenburg Gate, Reichstag, Französischer Dom Haus der Kulturen (the former Congress This is one of two churches standing at Hall), , Bellevue Palace, the opposite sides of the square and they Seigessaulle. Charlottenburg Palace, appear identical but in fact differ Olympic Stadium (built in 1936), considerably. The only common feature Grünewald Forest, Radio Tower, ICC, is the identical front towers. This French Kurfurstendamm. This was great value at cathedral was built by the Huguenot DM42 (£14) per person. community, who found refuge in protestant Berlin following their There was a lot of information to expulsion from France after the assimilate, but undaunted, we then took a revolution of the Edict of Nantes. taxi to join one of the many boat trips 2 Deutscher Dom shops. Within the last two years, sponsored by local shops hotels and This cathedral at the other end of the offices, a number of highly coloured square from Franzosischer Dom and bears have been erected over its whole opposite the Hilton Hotel is an old length which adds much interest and German Protestant church. It was colour for the tourist. designed by Martin Grunberg and built in 1708 by Giovanni Simonetti. In 1785 it Situated off Unter den Linden are acquired a dome-covered tower identical Humboldt Universitat, Staatsbibliothek, to the French Cathedral. Burned down in Reiterdenkmal Friedrichs des Grossen (a 1945, the church was rebuilt in 1993. statue depicting created between 1839 and 1851), the Konzerthaus Altes Palais, Alte Bibliothek (outside Home of the Berlin Symphony which the Jewish books were burnt in the Orchestra, this is a late neo-classical mid 1930’s), Bebelplatz, St. Hedwig’s jewel. This magnificent building recently Kathedrale, Staatsoper Unter den Linden known as the Schauspielhaus, is one of (the State Opera House) and Crown the greatest achievements of Berlin’s best Prince’s Palace. We spent most of the known architect, . morning in this locality before moving on It was built between 1818 and 1821. to Museum Island. Following bomb damage in World War II Saturday afternoon was spent on it was reconstructed as a concert hall with Museum Island and the surrounding area. a different interior layout. The exterior On this island are the pretty was restored to its former glory. and Berliner Dom (Berlin Cathedral). It Just a short distance from is also where you will find some of the Gendarmenmarkt is Unter Den Linden most important museums in the east of and Bebelplatz. Unter den Linden is one the city. These include the Bodemuseum, of the most famous streets in Berlin. It the , the Alte starts at Schlossplatz and runs down to Nationalgallerie and the splendid and the Brandenburg Gate. Pergamonmuseum - famous for its It was once the route to the royal hunting collection of antiquities and visited by grounds that were later transformed into crowds of art-lovers from around the the Tiergarten. In the 17th century the world. street was planted with lime trees, to The Pergamonmuseum was built which the street owes its name. Although between 1912 and 1930. It houses one of removed around 1658, they were the most famous collections of antiquities replanted in four rows in 1820. of Europe, and owes its name to the During the 18th century, Unter den famous Pergamon Alter which takes Linden became the main street of the pride of place in the main hall. The three westward-expanding city. It was independent collections - the Museum of gradually filled with prestigious Antiquities (Greek and Roman), the buildings which were restored after Museum of Near Eastern Antiquities and World War II. Following the the Museum of Islamic Art - are the reunification of Germany, Unter den result of intensive archaeological Linden has acquired several cafés and excavations by German expeditions to restaurants, as well as many new smart the Near and Middle East at the end of 3 the 19th and 20th century. What makes am pleased to say, very tight indeed and this museum particularly fascinating for we eventually got on our aircraft for a the visitor is the first class audio CD- safe return to Edinburgh. ROM which is available to all on entering the building and which is carried The difference between the eastern part over the shoulder during the visit of Berlin and the western part is very allowing easy access to all the distinct indeed at the moment. How information. long this will last is difficult to say but you only have to look at the skyline and The final part of the afternoon was see the amount of tower cranes and spent shopping in Friedrichstrasse . associated building works to realise how Our next day was Sunday, and since the quickly the changes are taking place and shops were closed, the morning was how evident has been the spirit of change spent on a visit to Checkpoint Charlie sweeping through Berlin ever since which was the most well-known border reunification. We found very few crossing between East and West Berlin. tourists in the area from outside Germany There is a wonderful museum (the Haus - most were Germans who hadn’t seen am Checkpoint Charlie) in the eastern part of Berlin for over 40 Friedrichstrasse adjoining the crossing years. Facilities are being upgraded on a point which is well worth a visit to view daily basis and a visit is well worthwhile the many exhibits concerning its history before those changes are complete. and to see the many excellent Such a visit would be especially photographs. interesting for any “ex D Association” members or, indeed, for any RSARS Our final trip in the afternoon was a members who served in BAOR post-war coach tour to Potsdam. Here we saw the and during the years. It bridge which was used to exchange spies certainly was for me. during the Cold War and we also passed the former KGB (Soviet secret police – There are so many references to the Komitet Gosudarstvennoy Bezopasnosti) Berlin Wall on the Internet – mainly from headquarters. Potsdam is only now historical, political or student sources, recovering from the neglect of the Cold and including a short video by the BBC, War era and the heavy bombing it and the number of books available on the received at the hands of the Allies during subject, that present-day students and April 1945 at the end of World War II. others wishing to further their knowledge Our final visit that afternoon was to the of every conceivable detail will find the Park and a guided tour round result of a simple search more than ample the Schloss Sanssouci. for their requirements. Indeed this article, together with an extended gallery On Monday (our last day) we only had of my colour photographs is due to be time to do a further bit of last-minute published contemporaneously with this shopping before moving out to Tegel issue of “MERCURY” on the Society’s Airport again for our return trip via website in modern electronic format. Frankfurt to Scotland. This was Monday 8 October 2001 and was the day after the A 70m length of the original Wall bombing had started in Afghanistan. remains (in Bernauer Strasse) and is The security at Frankfurt Airport was, I preserved as a site of remembrance. 4 Here are some of the statistics of the Wall:- Total length of "Ring round Berlin” (West) 155.0 km - of this - between Berlin (West) and Berlin (East) 43.1 km and between Berlin (West) and the GDR. 111.9 km Constructed of concrete plate wall with tubular top-cladding or inserted tubes 106km Metal Fencing 66.5km Watch towers 302 Bunkers 57 Dog-runs 259 Motor vehicle trenches 105.5 km Electric contact or signal fencing 127.5km Military roadway 124.3km Measurement of a wall segment: Height 3.60m Width 1.20m Breadth at base 2.1m Wall thickness 0.2m below; 0.1m on top Material - thick reinforced concrete

5 THE BERLIN WALL GALLERY BORDERS and WALLS GALLERY

East Germany border near Celle, Grepos watching the watchers, the Border itself and a Guard Tower

1 2 3

Checkpoint Charlie

4 5 6

Maj. Aitken near the Reichstag, Olympia-Stadion, Brandenburg Gate, Alte Bibliothek,

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Major J. T. Aitken, TD., FRICS – GMØHZM the author in Berlin

EAST GERMAN BORDER near CELLE

Grepos watching the watchers

The Border itself

A Guard Tower BERLIN - Olympic Stadium (built in 1936)

BERLIN - Brandenburg Gate CHECKPOINT CHARLIE

Leaving the American Sector

CHECKPOINT CHARLIE

EAST

and WEST

BERLIN - Alte Bibliothek (outside of which the Jewish books were burnt in the mid 1930’s)

THE LAST WORD

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