Mr. Gorbatchev, Open This Gate

[Teacher Mark 53]

U2 sucks.

Just can't let it go can you?

[Niels Bohr 72]

This story makes me teary eye because of human achievement. And, in the back of my mind the families of east Germany who has siblings across the gate must have felt so happy.

[aidan80 9]

U2 sucks.

you "suck"!

What exactly "suck" means in America or what everyone is "sucking" on I don't know but it seems to be a favorite over here

[jundp 191]

I can't believe people have turned a thread celebrating the Maurfall into an anti-Obama or U2 sucks thread.

VJ sheesh.

It's freaking 20 years of peace and freedom we're celebrating...can't you just let it be that without getting nasty?

[_Simpson_ 250]

2 yrs later eh, oh and the Kennedy speech... thanks for sharing that

One of the greatest speeches ever. The speech resonated with the free citizens of West Berlin as with those not free who were living and caged into the Soviet occupied East Germany. The speech was powerful, inspiring and right on the money.

Greatest speeches ever... uh yeah I think your getting a little carried away here but my point was not the quality of that speech but to point out the never ending parade of people who want to downplay Reagan's role in this... so so nice for Otto to give us a history lesson.

[_Simpson_ 250]

I can't believe people have turned a thread celebrating the Maurfall into an anti-Obama or U2 sucks thread.

VJ sheesh.

It's freaking 20 years of peace and freedom we're celebrating...can't you just let it be that without getting nasty?

In any situation where we have the opportunity to say that U2 sucks I think we should, the world needs to know.

Edited November 9, 2009 by _Simpson_

[Captain Oates 911]

I went to East Berlin in the Spring of 1989.

It's always hard to separate propaganda from fact so it was more of a fact finding mission.

My passport was examined by three separate officials who were checking on each other more than checking me - then I walked out into the street.

It was very drab and run down without all the cafes etc that we are used to in the West. The only place to eat was a workers canteen with a long wooden table and hard wooden benches

Everyone seemed so gloomy and depressed

It was pretty horrible all in all and everything that the propaganda said it was - so I am glad I had the chance to check it out for myself before the wall came down

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

2 yrs later eh, oh and the Kennedy speech... thanks for sharing that

One of the greatest speeches ever. The speech resonated with the free citizens of West Berlin as with those not free who were living and caged into the Soviet occupied East Germany. The speech was powerful, inspiring and right on the money.

Greatest speeches ever... uh yeah I think your getting a little carried away here but my point was not the quality of that speech but to point out the never ending parade of people who want to downplay Reagan's role in this... so so nice for Otto to give us a history lesson.

Take a history class, will ya'? Reagan would never have been able to make that speech if it wasn't for every administration since WWII to protect West Berlin. Kennedy's speech following the build of the Berlin Wall ensured Berlin that America would not give up on it. It was certainly less significant than Truman's Luftbrücke some 15 years earlier but it was important for the people of Berlin to know and be reassured that they had America on their side after the Soviets have caged them in. Without the determination of Truman and Kennedy, there would have been no Reagan speech in 1987.

My husband is from East Germany. He has a picture of himself at the wall when it came down. It's a little surreal for him that it's been 20 years.

Thanks mr. Reagan!

That's a bit simplistic Marc. It took more than Reagan to bring that Wall down.

[Anna C. 4]

Ahhh the good old Tagesschau from 20 years ago: http://www.tagesschau.de/multimedia/video/video598064.html

I remember my parents went out for protests with bags at the border weeks before this. I didn't really understand what was going on, I was always parked at my grandma's who didn't stop praying all night long. I later understood that she was worried that all protesters will just get shot...

[Ms. Squirrel 11]

I am watching the celebrations at the Brandenburg gate on TV. They cancelled my favourite soap for today because of it. Outrage!

I have to admit, I have never been to the East and I hardly know people from over there. I have two colleagues who are from the former DDR and those are the only ones from the 'neue Bundesländer' that I know. I have asked them a lot of questions about what it was like. The older colleague (35) lived in Thuringa and still remembers driving to the west for the first time. And that his first purchase was a digital wrist watch. The younger one (25) is from Berlin and claims they didn't miss anything and that everything was better over there. I guess she was just too young to realise what was going on.

[Ms. Squirrel 11]

Just wanted to say that November 9th was also the night of the 'Kristallnacht' and that it should not be forgotten.

[Captain Oates 911]

I guess she was just too young to realise what was going on.

Up to the age of 7 I lived under food rationing in England and I was very happy..I guess the wider issues don't really register at that age.

It's only when we get older that we acquire the concept that things are worth killing and dying for.

It's too big a subject for me to get my head around so I am glad I am not a politician who has to decide those things.

[SuperDuper! 230]

Reagan Rocked!

[Anna C. 4]

I was only in second grade but I do remember, and it's not fond memories. I hated seeing commercials on TV for stuff we couldn't buy. Well, sure the Intershop had all the candies and barbies, but it was not affordable for most DDR citizens.

I disliked my parents being so paranoid and scared all the time and having to fight for so many things. They had to fight hard to build their house and purchase the necessary supplies. My dad had to work for 2 months in a radiator plant to get the privilege to being allowed to buy radiators for our house, same with the roof shingles. It was terrible.

I always longed for the good chocolate and those toys and all those clothes. Sorry, maybe I am materialistic, but that stuff mattered to me as a kid. I was literally in heaven after 1989. All those toys, those candies, those extravagant fruits and foods (pizza! chinese! god knows what!) and the travels to foreign countries were wonderful.

I know people who claim the DDR was better, and all the people I personally know who say this are bitter. They feel betrayed by capitalism which they still feel is evil, and some relatives have a sense of entitlement I do not understand. They feel entitled that the government should provide for them and are bitter that the government doesn't provide enough. I don't agree. I feel a little self responsibility is lacking there.

Don't get me wrong, a lot of things went wrong with the unification and a lot of people did get cheated. But that's no excuse for being bitter and spiteful for the rest of your life and claiming the DDR was better. Being able to speak freely, think freely and travel freely or even choose your profession freely is such a great good that many people just don't realize - it is so precious and well worth the troubles of not having a nanny state (though the BRD is a nanny state, less than the DDR, but still, nobody goes without a roof over his head or a full belly). Just my two cents...

Edited November 9, 2009 by Anna C.

[Captain Oates 911]

You forgot the Trabbies !

I used to drive an A35 van and it was like a Rolls in comparison...

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/comm...tin_A35_van.jpg