August 13, 2011, the erection of the infamous Berlin Wall had its 50th anniversary !
To keep the memories alive, various memory events took place. The main one was held at the 'Bernauer Strasse
Berlin Wall memorial site', others at Checkpoint Charlie, Marienfelde Refugee Camp, Gatow (Bundeswehr
Luftwaffenmuseum), the Allied Museum & Potsdam.
It's very important to remember and to show new generations what once has happened and by which great way
this disaster finally has found an happy end. It really was like a 'gift from heaven' because the danger of
another world war was always close!
August 13, 1961, short after midnight, suddenly many of thousands soldiers of the GDR 'Volksarmee' &
paramilitary units were forced by the Ulbricht dictatorship regime to seal off East Berlin from the western
part of the city. Roads, trails, canals, leading into East Berlin, U-Bahn, S-Bahn, street cars, BVG bus
lines, - all were blocked or interrupted at the sector border along West Berlin. It was the begin of 28
years 'Folks Prison' in East Berlin & the East zone.
Under the military cover of Khrushev 'brother of arms' troops, the heartless GDR regime erected the infamous
Wall and its Death Strip. It was like a brutal monster, covered with blood and tears of many victims! In
those early days of terror, already 67.000 Soviet soldiers with more than 1200 tanks standby to protect that
unbelievable action. (the American troops had less than 30 tanks stationed in West Berlin)
In the begin countless strings of barbed wire, connected to cement poles, cut off the GDR and the normal
life between the two parts of Berlin. Overnight and unexpected many thousands families and friendships got
ripped apart, countless inhabitants lost the job and the freedom for the coming 28 years! The GDR troops,
armed with Soviet WW2 sub-machine guns, had the military order to stop by force refugees without mercy.
It meant all inhabitants from the East sector /- zone, including friends, colleagues and even own family
members, like parents, grandparents, kids or wifes. From August 13, 1961, all of them were made by the GDR
regime to targets on a firing range when they should try to run over to the west! This also included the
fact to kill them from distance or safe ambush position, and this happened as police reports soon have shown
us, many of times! Sometimes more than 150 rounds in long bursts were fired to stop a single person. Bullets
ripped off the back of the young, unarmed & innocent victims! Everybody from East Berlin who wanted
leave that 'Folks Prison' by a legal way, was treated like a criminal and an enemy of that damn 'Farmer &
Worker' country. Many innocent refugees paid their 'Dream of Freedom' with the own life, got cowardly
murdered by GDR border troops!
- see my website section: written memories / The Border Patrol
Enjoy my photo impressions of 2 events:
The Allied Museum has started a related exhibition. Its director, Mrs. Gundula Bavendamm, has opened it with
a nice ceremony and welcomed VIP from our 3 Allied Forces and invited guests.
This outstanding exhibition is named: 'Like a Tinderbox / Berlin crisis & the erection of the Wall'.
It's running until January 8, 2012. If somebody comes to Berlin, do not miss it, it's excellent! The museums
staff, Mr. Florian Weiss, Mr. Bernd von Kostka & their colleagues did a great job.
(no entrance fee!)
for more info use this link
Another celebration, named 'Berlin Patrol', was a very special event, created by really fans of the former
Berlin Brigade. The curator, Michael Notbohm (Expandum UG), his crew members Frank & Susan Heyn
(United States Military Vehicle Collectors /USMVC), Ralf Schulz & other participants, wanted to remind
to the days when the U.S. government has sent reinforcing troops to West Berlin to keep the 'walled in
island' free from communist terror. Those augmenting troops supported the two Battle Groups of the Berlin
Brigade. 8 companies from several combat units like 'Black Lions' or 'Blue Spaders' (both belonged to the
legendary 'Big Red One'), to mention just two units names, served for 3 months in West Berlin's American
sector. The inhabitants have seen the military vehicles in the streets or woods every day. They daily gave
the evidence to be not helpless left alone against the GDR terror regime.
The motto of the organisation 'Berlin Patrol' is 'Rolling for Freedom' !
To practice that goal ' Remember', more than one hundred private owned historical military vehicles from 5
countries came to Berlin for an exhibition and common convoy ride. A temporary camp was set up on a parking
lot in Zehlendorf, Onkel-Tom- Strasse / Sven-Hedin Strasse. The rustically engine noises of their old
vehicles, the smell of fuel and canvas tents was jogging memories of many West Berliners! For many it once
was like a sound of freedom!
It also was something special not to listen to wellknown celebration speaches only, but to see, hear &
touch these historical 'witnesses on wheels' in reality again! Time flies, in summer 1994, already 17 years
ago, our Allied friends had departed Berlin forever!
I think I can speak in the name of countless Berliners when I say:
'Thank you, Michael, Frank, Ralf & your team for that great event! '
