19 ago today, people were dancing on the Berlin Wall and not one shot rang out during this remarkable night. It was the night of all nights, a night that made the impossible, the improbable, the unthinkable come true. That night perhaps for the first time in human history, a people demolished a stone wall with their voices alone "Wir sind das Volk, wir sind ein Volk!" [We are the people, we are one people]. And like the trumpets of Jericho in the Old Testament, their mere presence made this Wall, this regime, crumble and fall to their feet.We were in a state of grace on this chilly 9th November 1989 and we were given a tremendous gift that night - FREEDOM. I believe that we as a country, as a nation, were forgiven that night - by the ones that perished. They reached out to us that night and then they let us go...in peace.
When I returned to Berlin in 2006, I was incredibly moved to see a Menora in front of the Brandenburg Gate, right next to a huge Christmas tree, that read "the Jewish community of Berlin wishes everybody Happy Hanukkah"....
'They're back' I remember thinking...like the birds in the spring, after a long cold winter. It was the winter of our discontent, a winter that had lasted too long. The Jewish element was an integral part of German culture, society and wisdom. Gustav Mahler, Felix Mendelssohn-Bartoldy, Heinrich Heine, Albert Einstein just to name a few. Someone once said that the extermination of the Jews was an act of self-mutilation...and that's just what it was. I am relieved and delighted to see that they're back, back to where they belong.
In memoriam of the victims of the Reichskristallnacht [Night of Broken Glass] of November 9th 1938, and of the victims of totalitarianism and terror.
23 comments:
Right on Stone!!
Stone
There is a brilliant movie call the boy in the stripped pyjamas dealing with just this topic.
It's a really clever movie. The main characters are members of a German family, Dad is a nazi officier in charge of a concentration camp. Lets just say that he is dealt the hand he deals others.
Good Bye Lenin (I'm not sure what it was called in Germany) is a movie set at the time of the fall of the Berlin wall. The son tries to hid the fact the wall has fallen from his mother. Absolutely brill movie.
Have you ever been to Trier Stone? My sister lived and studied there, it's a really beautiful place.
**the boy in the stripped pyjamas**
I think I own a book with a similar title - I haven't read it yet, I bought it at Tesco's last year for only 3 Pounds...but like I've said, I haven't read it yet, but the title rings a bell.
"Good Bye Lenin" was called the same way here in Germany...I have it on DVD and I watched it with my French students when I worked at the university of Lyon. They LOVED it.
Another German movie I can HIGHLY recommend is "The Lives of Others"...brilliant, stellar, beautiful, amazing...a master piece!!!
***Have you ever been to Trier Stone? ***
You gotta be kidding me, you gotta be bloody kidding me...
I *AM* from Trier...yep, it's my frickin' hometown :)
This is creepy, this is REALLY creepy....arrggll...where in Trier did she live? Maybe we were at the uni at the same time, 'cos I sure studied English and French at the university of Trier...LMAO!!! This is simply UNBELIEVABLE!!
When did she study/live here? I'm sure she even knows some of my professors...:-)
Bloody Hell, life is fucking crazy!!!
BTW, have YOU been to Trier?
If it sounds familiar, then you probably do have that book Stone. The film is based off the book.
Beautiful Stone. xo
Are you kidding me?
She studied there for one year as an eramus student. Probably 2000 -2001, I think she studied German and English.
Don't know her lecturers but I 'll find out. She lived across the road from the university in an apartment block.
Sorry Stone missed the last question.
Yeah I went with Mum to visit sis loved it there. Really beautiful place.
***Probably 2000 -2001, I think she studied German and English.***
That's the time I went back to uni...if she's studied English then she probably knows Prof. Kuehlwein...or Prof. Platz :-)
Yeah, I know exactly where she lived...I know the place...I never lived there, but a friend of mine did...
My bloody @ss...this is BEYOND crazy...the ONE city that you mention...and it's my fricking hometown...LMAO :)
BTW, she isn't a German teacher per chance...I'm still looking for an anglo-phone school where German is being taught to have an exchange programme with...
Crazy, crazy, crazy...I think an email would be in order...:-)
Yeah, Akilah, I guess that's the book I have...maybe I should read it LOL...
Thanks Kai...it is heartfelt...the Fall of the Berlin Wall means a LOT to me, as it epitomizes almost every ideal I believe in...and it also proves that even the most improbable dreams can actually come true...that's a very hopeful message.
Thank you for posting this, Stone, this is so beautiful. Deutschland ist sehr schön und die Leute sehr freundlich and I can only praise you all for rising above such a dark time.
Ton texte est beau comme toujours !
Quel epoque ca devait être fanstastique de vivre ce moment !
Hi Stone
Sorry it took me so long to get back having a nightmare here in Ireland. Have spoken to sis she informs me that she studied Media and German Literature.
Unfortunately, no she's not a German teacher.I had chestnuts in your lovely citya and went to see a beautiful red brick church also say an amphitheatre just outside the city.
Hope you're feeling better.
Cleo
Danke Nell :-)
And thanx so much for your commentary!
It's usually very heavy on our hearts...well...on most hearts. It's nice to realize that there is also a VERY positive way of dealing with it...not only focussing on the fact that it happened, but also acknowledging the fact that we have indeed risen above this dark period.
Thanx for pointing this out to me, Nell!
Merci Dihya!
Et oui, c'était un moment fantastique...inoubliable, mérveilleux, d'une beauté inimaginable, sans précédent...même devant la télé...
**Media and German Literature**
I see...she probably doesn't know my profs then :)
You're having a nightmare in Ireland...what's going on?? Are you ok?
I'm feeling better...I'm still sick, but it's getting better every day...
Oh, yeah, the Amphitheater...I assume that the church that you are refering to is the *Basilika*...it's a protestant church nowadays, but it used to be the hall of Roman Emperor Constantin the Great, who lived in Trier for 12 years, before he founded Constantinopel.
I guess I also know where you had these chestnusts...either roasted chestnuts from the market or a Roman dish in the "Domstein" Restaurant...
If you ever want to come back with your sister...let me know :)
Hi Stone
Well let me see:
August miscarraige.
September husband breaks leg.
November, so far baby boy breaks arm and husband maybe losing job.
Trying to fight off cold and have had to take on extra shifts.
Burn out!
When will it be our time to relax?
Thanks for the invite you're really kind. Told my sister all about you. She has no blog account but I must get her to have a chat with you sometime.
Nice to hear from you again.
***husband maybe losing job.***
Oh Jesus!...yes, the economy is in a very bad shape...everywhere...
Regarding your husband being in the IT business...I know that some companies who were in Ireland beforehand have relocated to Luxembourg...maybe your hb should check out the job market in Luxembourg before trying California :)
It's a bit provincial, but at the same time, it's a highly *international* place and the economy is still better off than elsewhere...there is even an Irish community there and...Trier is near LOL...
You have been through a LOT of shit lately...I'm so sorry to hear that!
Hmmmm...what can I do for you...do you have a postbox...I guess a packet of German Christmas candy would be in order :) In case you fancy sweets...
Yeah, invite your sis over...would be nice chatting with her...
I hear you have a brother too...how many siblings do you have (I have a younger brother who is a photographer).
Take care, Cleo!
Hi Stone
Don't worry I'm fine. I consider myself a lucky person actually dispite some really bizarre twists and turns my life always turns out ok.
Luckily I work, will tell hubby about Luxembourg.
Actually when we went to Trier we went to visit Luxembourg by train. It's really close. To be honest I preferred Trier.
My brother is a cop a garda as we call it here. He's really an adventurer has been every where.
Thanks for offer of sweeties, working at the moment.
***dispite some really bizarre twists and turns my life always turns out ok.***
Hmm..I know what you mean...the universe takes care of you sometimes :-)
Yeah, tell hubby about Lux...you never know...
And what did you mean by "working at the moment"? Like 'working out at the moment' or 'too busy to eat sweets at the moment'...LOL...
You liked Trier better...a lot of people do...it's cheaper here and less posh, also, the Roman sites are absolutely unique...even here in Germany.
So, your bro is a cop :) The husband of a friend of mine is a police officer in Brussels :-)
Is he younger than you?
I imagine it's a pretty tough job...
Yeah, Fintan my brother is 33 years old.
He's not on the beat anymore has nice desk job (health and safety for police and police stations).
"working at the moment"?
I often blog you guys late at night while working. Don't feel as lonely in the lab if I'm blogging and it keeps me awake.It's as if you're all there with me.
Thanks for your email address will post photos of family soon and then you'll have my email.
Thanks for your support Stone.
*Fintan*...that's an interesting name! I bet it's Gaelic!
His job does sound interesting - at least he's out of harm's way that way...my friend's husband is traffic police, that's already better than being a 'normal' police officer...but you never know...a colleague of his was killed when she stopped a car in the vicinity of Bruxelles...turned out, she had stopped a car with drug dealers...
I don't want to be my friend, really...
Geee...you're mostly working at night...that must be really really tough and draining - why do you have to work at night??
I'm looking forward to the pics!
And...you're most welcome (you can still opt for sweets *grins*)
Hi Stone
Fintan is gaelic it means the fair one.
Hospital never really close, lab tests are needed 24 hours a day unfortunately.
Word verification cated
Cated...LOL :)
Do you have to work a lot at night? That sounds strenuous!
*kedis*
Post a Comment