35 Jahre Mauerfall: Manuel, he was fast asleep

An event that shaped the world forever

My name is Manuel and I was just twelve years old in 1989. Born in 1977, I didn't consciously experience the historic moments of the fall of the Wall - at least not on the night it all happened.

On November 9th, while the world around me was changing, I slept soundly in my bed, unaware of the dramatic events that would shape the world forever.

The next morning, I went to school as usual. But something was different. Half the class had suddenly disappeared. Only then did I find out that the border had been opened.

We GDR citizens were allowed to go to West Germany or West Berlin - just like that! That was hard for me to understand.

During the Monday demonstrations, which also took place in my hometown, I had always hoped that I - like my parents - would be able to travel to the West, but I never thought it would happen so quickly.

Secret meetings in the ČSSR

Two days later, on November 11, my parents, my sister and I drove to my aunt and my grandparents in the Lüneburg Heath. They “crossed over” in the mid-1980s and had no idea we were coming.

At the border, we experienced something that I will never forget. Strangers who greeted us warmly, gave us sweets and were simply happy that we were there. I was overwhelmed by this openness and joy.

My grandparents and my aunt were totally surprised and cried when we suddenly appeared at the door. The reality seemed unbelievable, even for adults.

We had had to meet secretly in the former Czechoslovakia ever since my aunt left the country. The meetings took place in a remote mountain hut in the Giant Mountains and what was still exciting as a child later seemed really crazy to me.

There was a great risk of being caught because in the GDR you never really knew who you could trust one hundred percent.

Border in people's minds

It wasn't until a few months later that I went to Berlin to see the Wall - or what was left of it. In the meantime, it had been breached in many places, but standing right in front of it was still a depressing feeling.

For me, however, November 9, 1989, remained a day that I only really understood bit by bit - but which still impresses me to this day.

Sometimes I think how easy it is to switch back and forth between East and West. You can no longer see the border, but unfortunately, it is still there in many people's minds.

Read the other personal Wall stories from our community here.