35 Jahre Mauerfall: Matthias, switchman

On the elevated line of the U1 subway

While I was working as a switchfitter in the dark of the Berlin night, the lights of Trabbis shone on the streets below - a night I will never forget.

I work as a switch fitter in track construction for the BVG subway, a job I started in September 1987. As we can only work on the tracks when the subway isn't running, our jobs are almost exclusively at night. This was also the case on that memorable night of November 9, 1989.

My shift started as usual at 10 p.m., and we were on the elevated line of the U1 at around 11 p.m. to replace rails. While we were working, we suddenly noticed more and more people roaring in the streets below. Shortly afterward, we also saw many Trabbis on the streets - a view that was very unusual for us West Berliners.

The atmosphere was emotionally charged and moving. We quickly realized that something historic was happening. It was one of those nights that you never forget - while we were working on the tracks, the Wall came down and the city woke up to a new chapter in its history.

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