Berlin Wall, Fragments
(6 photos)
1512.
We visited the Berlin Wall in 1970, 1980, and 1991. President Ronald Reagan’s demand (June 12, 1987), “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this Wall,” had a lasting effect on world history, and in 1991, we helped history along, a little.
At the former Checkpoint Charlie we asked a Berlin Policeman if it was possible for us to “liberate” a piece of the wall, somewhere in the neighborhood. As he gave us directions to nearby Mühlen Straße, he put his hand over his eyes, as if to say, “If I don’t see you … … .” With his tacit permission, we helped remove the Wall. On September 4, 1991, two 10” pieces from the Berlin Wall joined our collection, along with the hammer that did it.
We’ve seen Berlin with and without the Wall, and believe it, we prefer without.
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This is an official blueprint of the Berlin Wall, given to me by a Government official in Berlin. Notice the round portion on top of the Wall, that made it almost impossible to grab hold of the top, to pull ones self over the Wall. If you visit both the Reagan and the Nixon libraries in So. Calif., you will notice that feature is missing. The German Government told us that since that top portion contained a lot of asbestos, it was not included in exhibits of the wall, sent to those libraries, but the people in Berlin agreed that the rounded top was a very important part of the Wall's construction. Officials at both Presidential libraries have refused my request to add that feature, or at least add a large photo with an explanation. I think that is a mistake on their part, as that is an important component of the "escape-proof" Wall.
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1522.
In 1991, near the Brandenburg Gate, in Berlin, Germany, street vendors by the dozens offered hats, coats, and brass emblems of Soviet Army uniforms, and small pieces of the Wall (they said), for sale. We wondered if all the little shards of concrete, complete with paint, were really authentic, or were they the result of entrepreneurial and artistic skill.
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President Reagan and his famous speech, June 12, 1987.
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This is a snapshot from our video (not a photo snapshot), taken while I was attacking the Wall, so we know our fragments of the Wall are official, and for real.
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Right next to us were these two goats eating the weeds growing near the Wall.
Tidbit by Jim and Emmy HumberdSimilar tidbits in: Germany, Photo Tidbits
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