The boundary between former East and West in this part of Germany was seperated only by a river, where the small villiage bordered the water. A tribute to those that had lost their lived trying to cross the water was on the entry door of the museum and I feel as if words are missing to decribe the emotions of the impact of this as reality.
Later we traveled to the hunting district that my parents in law have been renting for the past 15 years. Leftover pieces of mines and scraps from the fence still remained and were like silent witnesses of the past... a deep quiet was felt as we walked the former border of what once was. There are just sometimes that words are simply not necessary.
When most Germans talk about the ugly past that has attached itself to this country, one can almost hear a certain sadness come through. This is a past that has unfortunately overshadowed and given many, who were completely unaware of the horrors that were happening, a sense of shame to carry... even for the generations that have come after them.
My mother-in-law escaped from the east when she was little with her family. Listening to her story is scary.
ReplyDeleteMy husband and his family lived in the former DDR, and his parents still live in far eastern germany. When we drive there to visit them, there's one section of the autobahn that still has an old watchtower standing, right by the road. I aways find their stories crazy/ so interesting..... Laura in ludwigsburg
ReplyDeleteMy first german teacher was from the east. Her stories about her childhood there were so different of one could imagine.
ReplyDeleteI have just travelled in west german, so cannot say much about the other side.
Just as I was reading this, A shudder went through me..it must of been horrendous..very sad!
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