Reunification

Wonderful Wednesday Word (WWW): I vividly remember standing on the wall sometime in early 1990 and I can still hear the sound of my hammer chipping off a couple of those coveted pieces of wall, which every tourist and his dog somehow wanted to get his/her hands on.

Being only 18 at the time, I didn’t truly understand nor care about the significance of ‘the wall coming down’ and impending ‘reunification of Germany’. I was fascinated about the atmosphere in Berlin at that time, seeing my first Trabi pulling up at a road junction in Spandau, sounding as if it would conk out any second and seeing how far my exchanged D-marks would go in the former GDR – impressive – I remember thinking.

I’ve spend most of the last 27 years of my life having a blast in Germany, feeling very privileged to be able to work, and settle down in your great country. I am grateful that history took such a sudden change of direction in 1989, because it allowed me to meet my wife (in Germany). What’s more, it also vastly widened my choice of destinations to visit – the avid traveller I am.

Lastly, I have no qualms about paying my solidarity tax, on the contrary happy to help. What bothers me though is all those people in both East & West who wish a new wall, are constantly spouting that the politicians (back then) should have done this or could have done that better.

Thanks to some crazy events in late 89 a new one German nation was born, families (torn apart by the wall) became reunited and around 16 million Germans were suddenly given freedom, which the other half had taken for granted for the previous 40 odd years.

If you ask me, this was the biggest gift that everyone in this united country could wish for. Bravo Mr Schabowski.

Have a great holiday tomorrow and talk to you again on Monday!

To vividly remember (noch genau vor Augen haben), to chip pieces off (hier: Stücke wegschlagen), coveted (begehrte), “everybody and his dog” (Gott und die Welt), to get his/her hands on (etw erbeuten), significance (die Bedeutung), impending (bevorstehend), ‘reunification of Germany’(Wiedervereinigung), to pull up (anhalten), to conk out (streiken), former GDR (ehemalige DDR), to have a blast (einen Riesenspaß haben), to settle down (sich niederlassen), to be grateful (dankbar sein), what’s more (und außerdem), vastly (weitaus), to widen (erweitern), avid (passioniert), to have no qualms (keine Bedenken haben), solidarity tax (Soliaritätsabgabe ), on the contrary (ganz in Gegenteil), “what bothers me” (was mich stört), to spout (vom Stapel lassen), to be torn apart (auseinander gerissen), to become reunited (wiedervereint sein), to take sth/sb for granted (als selbstverständlich ansehen), odd (hier:etwas über 40 ……. )

2 Gedanken zu „Reunification

  1. Jenny Antworten

    Thanks for sharing your thoughts. There’s nothing I can add, you’ve stricken a chord with me!

    One reason why people fear change is that they focus on that what was instead of looking forward to what they can gain and what’s to come. Our reunification is something we can be more than proud of! There’s so much to explore and discover in both East and West (and North and South ;-)). Just go out, travel around, gather experiences and make up your own mind about our united Germany instead of listening to some doomsayers.

    • Dave Preston Autor des BeitragsAntworten

      Yep, I’d definitely be proud if I was German and the added advantage of the rest of the East Europe and an open door is wonderful. Most younger people have no concept of what it used to be like.Have a great Reunification Day!!!

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