Many of you might recognize this building, a landmark of Berlin - the Brandenburger Tor (Brandenburg Gate). For 28 years many of us could only see it from a distance since it was on the "wrong" side of the Wall. Whenever I was in Berlin I had to go there and look at it while listening to my mother who grew up in Berlin in the 1920's and 30's telling me how she walked through it as a child. I dreamed about following in her steps, but feared it would never happen in my lifetime.
Six months after the Wall came down my dream came true - I walked through Brandenburg Gate! I had goosebumps all over and my heart was racing - no wall, no Vopos (Volkspolizei, the East German police), just FREEDOM !!!
In the summer of 2009 I went again and took my family with me who had never been to Berlin before. Everything had changed - Brandenburg Gate that had appeared so big to me suddenly was ridiculously small among all the new buildings (the gigantic ugly building in the background right next to Brandenburg Gate is the US embassy). I almost cried when I saw it - what had happened to our landmark? And another strange and new experience - I was there with people who had never seen this place while the Wall was still there and couldn't quite understand my emotions.
Then we went through the Gate - and I felt all those goosebumps again.
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This August marks the 50th anniversary of building the Wall.
If you're interested, come back on 8/13 to read a post about the Berlin Wall.
I am participating in Susannah Conway's The August Break, 2011. Every day during the entire month of August you will find a new photo on this blog, either with or without words. I hope you will enjoy it.
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