'DAS LEBERN DER ANDEREN'

17 May 2007

Finally I went to see Das Leben der Anderen. East Berlin in the mid eighties.

Having lived in the eastern part of Germany myself six years after 'Die Wende', the film turned back time and reminded me of many stories that I have heard.

People escaping to the 'glorfied' West, sometimes passing Checkpoint Charlie hanging under their Trabis. Families being divided by the Wall. Families receiving parcels from relatives in the West filled with delicatessen. Families re-united after over 20 years on different sides. People informing STASI about their own families and friends.

It also reminded me of the ugly building next to my school in Brandenburg which used to be the local STASI office. The pillars of the fence which surround it were still there in 1996, but the offices had changed from accomodating spies to hosting a new computer company.

I was also reminded of my hostfather's nostalgia about Communism times: He used to be a driving instructor, but when the wall came down in November 1989, his qualifications were no longer recognised and he started working in a 'Tagebau' (an open mine) instead.

I also remembered our holiday 'im Westen' where we vistited my hostfamily's relatives and they sarcastically made fun of because '... you Ossis, you don't know how to drive, nor how to work'.

Finally, I remembered how I constantly was told that everyone used to be nicer to eachother during Communism, neighbours helped eachother and there was no competition about who had the nicest car. Even the ketchup used to be nicer.