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Long weekend ahead!


Tomster

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It is more than 36 years since I first breathed Germany's air. Well, for the life of me, I cannot remember it. You certainly cannot remember your birth either.

220px-Flag_map_of_Germany_(separation)_svg.thumb.png.d085599cd06d71bda9e18a5394f2bb02.pngWhen I was born there were two German countries - the Federal Republic of Germany (capital: Bonn) and the German Democratic Republic (capital: East Berlin). The latter was a socialist country belonging to the so-called Eastern Bloc. It was not unusual to hear people talking about the Soviet zone. In contrast to this, the Federal Republic of Germany with its then 10 federal states was a country with the economic and social order of capitalism. It was (and still is) not pure capitalism. After the Second World War, Ludwig Erhard and Alfred Müller-Armack, in particular, established the social market economy under government responsibility. Instead of a pure or unbridled capitalism, the state framework was intended to secure the functioning of the market economy.

From the 4th of September 1989, mass demonstrations were held in Leipzig, a city in eastern Germany at the time. These Monday demonstrations were an important part of the Peaceful Revolution in the German Democratic Republic in the autumn of 1989. Later in the autumn of 1989, regular mass demonstrations took place in other cities of the GDR, for example in Dresden, Halle, Karl-Marx-Stadt (now: Chemnitz), Magdeburg, Plauen, Arnstadt, Rostock, Potsdam, and Schwerin, some of them on other weekdays. Week after week, hundreds of thousands of GDR citizens throughout the country called out "We are the people" and protested against the political conditions. The aim was a peaceful, democratic reorganisation, in particular the end of the SED regime, and there were also calls for freedom of travel and the abolition of the Ministry of State Security.

When Günter Schabowski, the spokesman for the SED Politburo (SED - Sozialistische Einheitspartei Deutschlands), announced on the 9th of November 1989 that, on the recommendation of the Politburo, a revised travel law would come into force which would allow permanent departure from the GDR and private travel "without the existence of prerequisites" [and permits], he was asked by journalists when this law would come into force. Schabowski replied haltingly: "As far as I know, this will come into force ... it is immediate, immediate..." In response to these sentences, which were broadcast live on GDR television, East Berliners and people near the German-German border began to flock in crowds to the border crossings.

That is the history that I have witnessed. However, I can hardly remember these events, I was just 5 years plus a few months old at the time.

The establishment of German unity took place on the 3rd of October 1990 with the accession of the newly established federal states on the territory of the former GDR to the scope of the Basic Law of the Federal Republic of Germany. This is also known as German reunification. 3 October has been a national public holiday since.

a662ab4dabe270ea1d3a149a7d502e59v2_max_457x343_b3535db83dc50e27c1bb1392364c95a2.jpg.79a3dfa4c3c1bc04c6efa28d769f0e7c.jpgPeople in East Germany had to face serious changes in a very short time. A completely different political system, a market economy instead of a planned economy were just a few of these challenges. Many people, like my husband, managed to cope with them in a short time. The following year he was already co-founder of a company based in Bavaria. But when the strategic direction of this company changed to his dissatisfaction, he sold his company shares. He founded a small business for himself. Shortly afterward, he invested his sale proceeds and almost all his savings in the idea and business of friends. Risk-taking combined with naivety is what he called the latter. It was precise during this period that he had to learn about the dark sides of capitalism. His trust in business partners, in other words, clients of his own business, put him in a difficult economic situation. Surrender was never an option and my husband extricated himself from this situation. A short time later his investment in the idea of his friends bore fruit. My husband still owns a single stock of this company out of sentimentality. He bought the majority of the company he co-founded in Bavaria when it was on the verge of bankruptcy and took over the management himself for a while. It is, by the way, the company which I was later managing for several years and in which I invested more than my work. 

Everyone who grew up in a socialist country has had their own experience of these changes. For me it is admirable. As is well known, I was born in the western part of Germany (geographically speaking south). I also grew up there for the first few years, until my parents moved to the former eastern part of the country to Thuringia for job-related reasons (i.e. northwards). German reunification is a part of my childhood. But it accompanied me through the years that followed. Although the Wall came down and the inner-German borders have been removed, even after 30 years some people still have prejudices, the differentiation between East and West still exists. Ossi and Wessi are terms I do not like for this reason. Well, I was born as a Wessi, became an Ossi, and am Ozzie now.

If it hadn't beeeast-side-gallery-dpa-126481461-1.thumb.jpg.e57d22c74bae46b31ed8f80eb170f50d.jpgn for the changes in the entire Eastern Bloc at that time, I would never have met my husband. He would probably still be working in the profession he learned, in the same company where he completed his training.

I met my husband apart from work and career. At some point, I'm sure I mentioned that we met for the first time at a gym. At that time, however, I was only looking for a hot and sweaty night. But we didn't have that until weeks later. By then I was already in love with him. In love with a man who is loving, considerate, calm, and modest. Someone who tries to catch you when you fall, but helps you up if he couldn't prevent you from falling. This description may sound like an underdog to some people. It is not that incorrect. I thought a little bit of the same for a short time before I discovered more facets. Character traits such as determination, perseverance, tenacity (up to lovingly stubbornness) are not apparent at first sight.

So I was quite surprised when I was looking for a new job shortly after the beginning of our relationship and my partner and current husband (I had already moved in with him) told me that a Bavarian company was looking for a new CEO. My initial enthusiasm faded a little when he admitted that he was one of the shareholders. (I discovered more and more slice by slice later on.) On the one hand, I felt my independence was at risk while on the other hand, combining the job and the relationship could cause a heavy strain or even end the relationship.  I dared to take the risk, not least because of his promise not to interfere in the daily business. My concerns were unfounded. We had created certain rules to avoid mixing private life and business too much. My independence even encouraged it. My husband consistently supported my need for independence. Is it surprising that I love him so much? BTW, we have had countless hot and sweaty nights since. 

As I said, Saturday will mark 30 years since there is once again a single Germany. Socialism in its old form no longer exists - doomed to failure by its totalitarian implementation. The core idea of socialism is nevertheless to be welcomed. Socialism wants to be nothing more than the liberation of every human being. The liberation from suffering, from misery, from exploitation, from immaturity and suffocating responsibility. It is the empowerment of self-determined life. 

In the beginning, I leave the impression that everything started in Germany. That is not the truth. If you look at the whole history, which also heralded the end of the Cold War, it all began in the Soviet Union with reforms and restructuring initiated by Michael Gorbachev. 

There were politicians on all fronts involved and willing to negotiate. 

June 12, 1987
"We welcome change and openness; for we believe that freedom and security go together, that the advance of human liberty can only strengthen the cause of world peace. There is one sign the Soviets can make that would be unmistakable, that would advance dramatically the cause of freedom and peace. General Secretary Gorbachev, if you seek peace, if you seek prosperity for the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, if you seek liberalization, come here to this gate. Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate. Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!" Ronald Reagan - President of the United States of America from 1981 to 1989

 

I do not want to leave unsaid that many people had great difficulties during these years. The rapid transition combined with a lack of prospects due to mass unemployment has left deep scars on entire regions - not only in eastern Germany but also in the countries of the former Eastern Bloc.

For us, it is a day that is part of our lives. If these changes had not happened, ... everything would be different for both of us. We would not even know that there is a soul mate. It is also a day that should be a reminder. A reminder that walls and borders should not exist in this world, either in physical form or in people's minds.

Why "long weekend" ahead when the holiday is on a Saturday?
Every first Monday in October Queensland celebrates the birthday of its monarch. It is the Queen's Birthday, a public holiday.
Happy birthday to Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God, Queen of Australia and Her other Realms and Territories, Head of the Commonwealth.

Elizabeth.thumb.jpg.5f3e875724f4ddcab1593ea2568ea4a6.jpg

 

Edited by Tomster

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Kawika

Posted

Tomster this was wonderfully written thank you for sharing your first hand accounts of the turbulent time in a divided county and well as the beautiful details of your personal life. I'm so happy for both of you and the life you found together.  I had to read this very quickly this morning and I wanted to take the time to reread it more carefully before responding. 

Have a wonderful weekend celebrating!

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majikthis

Posted

Ah, memories ...

In the mid-80s I visited East-Germany 3 times. At that time (mind you, it was before the fall of communism) it was quite common for secondary school students to spend a couple of weeks in summer camps, doing some sort of work (or work-like activities, like goofing off in a cornfield). So in three consecutive years me and most of my classmates (my secondary school class was a terrific community) went to East Germany to pick cherries( i am talking about the fruit, boys) for two weeks. The camp was in a small village just outside Potsdam. We got paid in Ost Deutschmarks (in two weeks we got more money than the people who actually worked there) and, as that currency was worth almost nothing, we had to spend it then and there.

What struck me at that time was the curious mixture of freedom and old-fashioned Communism. That freedom was perhaps best represented by nudist beaches or the fact that we could drink as much alcohol as we liked without worrying about the age limit. There was this fabulous cocktail bar on Alexanderplatz that we used to frequent (Potsdam is about 35 km from Berlin) that had the most exotic (well, for us) cocktails, a really nice seafood restaurant just off Alexanderplatz and a friendly Bierstube nearby. For a teenager with more than enough money in his pocket this was pure heaven. At the same time the ever-present pictures of Kamerad Honecker and the compulsory morning ritual of hailing the East German and the red flag and singing (well, bawling) the Communist Internationale reminded us every day that we were in a country where communism was still taken seriously, at least by the government.

But not all our days were spent in Dionysian abandon - we visited most of the major cities in East Germany (Leipzig, Dresden, Magdeburg, Brandenburg, Jena, Karl-Marx-Stadt/Chemnitz, Rostock) and most of the museums in East Berlin (the Ishtar Gate and the Pergamon Altar, among others, were exhibited in East Berlin). 

Most of you probably know that my own Hungary played a crucial role in Die Wende - the German reunification. By 1989 the Hungarian communist leadership had realised that the regime was dead and entered negotiations with the opposition about the management of a peaceful transition .  The negotiations lead to the formal abolition of the Communist regime (23 October 1989) and the first free, multi-party  elections in March 1990.

In May 1989, following widespread public anger over the faking of results of local government elections, many East German citizens applied for exit visas or left the country contrary to GDR laws. The impetus for this exodus of East Germans was the removal of the electrified fence along Hungary's border with Austria on 2 May. Although formally the Hungarian frontier was still closed, many East Germans took the opportunity to enter the country via Czechoslovakia, and then make the illegal crossing from Hungary into Austria and West Germany beyond. By July, 25,000 East Germans had crossed into Hungary,most of whom did not attempt the risky crossing into Austria but remained instead in Hungary or claimed asylum in West German embassies in Prague or Budapest.

The opening of a border gate between Austria and Hungary at the Pan-European Picnic on 19 August 1989 then set in motion a chain reaction, at the end of which there was no longer a GDR and the Eastern Bloc had disintegrated. It was the largest escape movement from East Germany since the Berlin Wall was built in 1961. The idea of opening the border at a ceremony came from Otto von Habsburg and was brought up by him to Miklós Németh, the then Hungarian Prime Minister, who promoted the idea.

Extensive advertising for the planned picnic was made by posters and flyers among the GDR holidaymakers in Hungary. The Austrian branch of the Paneuropean Union, which was then headed by Karl von Habsburg, distributed thousands of brochures inviting them to a picnic near the border at Sopron (Hungary). When they came to the picnic, they were given gifts, food and some money and those who wanted to could freely cross the border into Austria. With the mass exodus at the Pan-European Picnic, the subsequent hesitant behavior of the Socialist Unity Party of East Germany and the non-intervention of the Soviet Union broke the dams. Thus the bracket of the Eastern Bloc was broken. Now tens of thousands of the media-informed East Germans made their way to Hungary, which was no longer ready to keep its borders completely closed or to oblige its border troops to use force of arms. The leadership of the GDR in East Berlin did not dare to completely lock the borders of their own country.

The next major turning point in the exodus came on 10 September, when the Hungarian Foreign Minister Gyula Horn announced that his country would no longer restrict movement from Hungary into Austria. Within two days 22,000 East Germans crossed into Austria, with tens of thousands following in the coming weeks.

The rest is, as they say, history. And a piece from the Berlin wall on my desk.

 

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malelover

Posted

14 hours ago, Kawika said:

I'm so happy for both of you and the life you found together.

Thank you, @Kawika!

14 hours ago, Kawika said:

I had to read this very quickly this morning and I wanted to take the time to reread it more carefully before responding.

I also felt that I had to read it very carefully. Putting my entrepreneurial past into a few sentences may lead to confusion.

1) the company I co-founded in Bavaria
2) my own business - I was self-employed
3) the idea and the company of good friends

I sold my shares of 1) out of dissatisfaction, invested a small part of the sale proceeds in my own business 2) and almost all I had (as well as some ideas) in 3). When customers of 2), after I had delivered equipment to them, decided not to pay their bills but to file for bankruptcy, this led to a struggle for economic survival for me. I additionally learned that banks cannot be trusted. Once this was mastered and I was back on track, 3) became successful and my stake as a silent partner was converted into a block of stocks. Suddenly I was a stockholder of an upcoming company. It was one of the best decisions in my life when I decided to sell these stocks after numerous months. Among other things, this allowed me to rescue the first company 1). What may sound like a dream come true for many was a nightmare for me for almost a decade. The fact that Thomas felt threatened by my financial independence in his self-reliance clearly showed me that he is interested in me. To feel sincere love is the best thing there is in life.

16 hours ago, majikthis said:

that currency was worth almost nothing

That is true. Thanks to the economy of scarcity, people had sufficient money to be unable to buy anything. It also did not need a bank loan to buy a car. There was enough time to save money for it, because more than 10 years passed between order and delivery. It would have been a dream for every used car dealer in the western world to sell old cars at higher prices than new cars. LOL

After more than 30 years some of the memories have faded. The ideological education began in kindergarten and continued in school. Nevertheless, life was not bad. I myself grew up in a small village. Contrary to some stories, we did not lack food or the like. I do not forget that relatives from the former FRG visited us after the fall of the wall and brought food with them, because they thought we were starving. Food was  in East Germany extremely subsidised. It was cheaper in sale than it was produced. One bread roll cost 5 pfennigs. 

@majikthis

Hungary played an important role. 

16 hours ago, majikthis said:

The rest is, as they say, history. And a piece from the Berlin wall on my desk.

Are you aware that you have something in common with Jon Bon Jovi?

Right. History should be history. We must not repeat history, but we must learn from it to create a better future. 

 

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majikthis

Posted

5 hours ago, malelover said:

After more than 30 years some of the memories have faded.

You or your hubby may remember that there was a brief period between the fall of the Wall and the actual reunification when the East and West Deutschmark exchange rate was 1:1.  Many people from the (former) Soviet Bloc (Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Poland) went to Berlin with their East German money, crossed over to West Berlin, exchanged it to West Deutschmarks and returned home to exchange it to their home currency at a much higher rate. I don't remember the exact rate, but considering that East German money was not worth the paper it was printed on, these people made a decent profit. A friend of mine studied economy at Humboldt University at that time, and he certainly made the most of this brief period. 

5 hours ago, malelover said:

Are you aware that you have something in common with Jon Bon Jovi?

Apart from a nice tight butt?  :t1607: No, I was not. But I think for us here in CE Europe that piece of concrete has a more emotional or symbolic meaning. Watching the fall of the Berlin Wall was a very emotional moment - even more so than the Declaration of the Republic of Hungary or the execution of Nicolai and Elenea Ceaucescu (December 1989). We were watching the whole rotten, oppressive, stifling system crumble to so much rubble and dust.

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malelover

Posted (edited)

14 hours ago, majikthis said:

You or your hubby may remember that there was a brief period between the fall of the Wall and the actual reunification when the East and West Deutschmark exchange rate was 1:1. 

Thomas will hardly remember this. He was playing with his Matchbox cars while I was getting my car driving licence. Monetary, economic and social union between the Federal Republic of Germany and the GDR became effective on 1 July 1990 on the basis of an international treaty. The Deutschmark became official currency in the still existing GDR on that day. The exchange rate of 1:1 applied only to an amount of up to 4000 Marks of the GDR per person. For children up to 14 years of age it was 2000, for people over 60 it was 6000. Amounts above this limit were exchanged at a ratio of 2:1. The exchange was handled entirely via the bank accounts. Cash exchange was not possible. GDR marks could be deposited into the bank account up to 1 week later. 

14 hours ago, majikthis said:

Many people from the (former) Soviet Bloc (Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Poland) went to Berlin with their East German money, crossed over to West Berlin, exchanged it to West Deutschmarks and returned home to exchange it to their home currency at a much higher rate.

Before the fall of the Wall, East German pensioners were able to travel to the Federal Republic on invitation and upon application. They were only allowed to exchange a tiny amount of 15 marks for Deutschmark at a ration of 1:1, they got 100 Deutschmarks in the Federal Republic of Germany as "welcome money" (Begrüßungsgeld) per person per year. Imagine the millions of East Germans who visited Germany shortly after the fall of the Wall. They all received DM 100 as a gift. A family with 2 children received DM 400, returned and exchanged the money on the black market at a ratio of up to 1:20 for GDR marks. Sometimes they even lost their passports because this payment was noted in the passport. This welcome money was abolished at the beginning of 1990. Every GDR citizen could exchange 100 marks 1:1. 

14 hours ago, majikthis said:

We were watching the whole rotten, oppressive, stifling system crumble to so much rubble and dust.

Yes. We were not just observers, but rather directly affected by these changes. These have been turbulent years. 

Edited by malelover
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Tomster

Posted

3 hours ago, malelover said:

He was playing with his Matchbox cars

and Hot Wheels! 😄 

 

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Tomster

Posted

We used the holiday in honour of our monarch for a barbecue with our future neighbours. It was a very nice evening although Her Majesty did not come by. 

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