Fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. English Work.

''Letters Meant a Lot to a Homesick Soldier''

Research on the Berlin Wall
  The Berlin Wall was erected in the dead of night on the 13th of August 1961 and for 28 years kept East Germans from fleeing to the West. Its destruction, which was nearly as prompt as its creation, was celebrated around the world. At the end of World War II, the Allied powers divided conquered Germany into four zones, each occupied by either the United States, Great Britain, France, or the Soviet Union (as agreed at the Potsdam Conference). The same was done with Germany's capital city, Berlin. As the relationship between the Soviet Union and the other three Allied powers quickly disintegrated, the atmosphere of the occupation of Germany turned competitive and aggressive. The new relationship between the Allied powers turned Germany into West versus East, democracy versus Communism.
 Within a short period of time after the war, living conditions in West Germany and East Germany became extremely different. With the help and support of its occupying powers, West Germany set up a capitalist society and experienced such a rapid growth of their economy that it became known as the "economic miracle." With hard work, individuals living in West Germany were able to live well, buy gadgets and appliances, and to travel as they wished. Nearly the opposite was true in East Germany. Since the Soviet Union had viewed their zone as a spoil of war, the Soviets pilfered factory equipment and other valuable assets from their zone and shipped them back to the Soviet Union. When East Germany became its own country, it was under the direct influence of the Soviet Union and thus a Communist society was established. 
  By the late 1950s, many people living in East Germany wanted out. No longer able to stand the repressive living conditions of East Germany, they would pack up their bags and head to West Berlin. Once across, these refugees were housed in warehouses and then flown to West Germany. By the early 1960s, East Germany was rapidly losing both its labour force and its population. Having already lost 2.5 million people by 1961, East Germany desperately needed to stop this mass loss. The obvious leak was the easy access East Germans had to West Berlin. With the support of the Soviet Union, there had been several attempts to simply take over West Berlin in order to eliminate this exit point. Although the Soviet Union even threatened the United States with the use of nuclear weapons over this issue, the United States and other Western countries were committed to defending West Berlin.  Desperate to keep its citizens, East Germany decided to build a wall to prevent them from crossing the border. There had been rumours that something might happen to tighten the border of East and West Berlin, but no one was expecting the speed nor the absoluteness of the Wall. Just past midnight on the night of August 12-13, 1961, trucks with soldiers and construction workers rumbled through East Berlin. While most Berliners were sleeping, these crews began tearing up streets that entered into West Berlin, dug holes to put up concrete posts, and strung barbed wire all across the border between East and West Berlin. Berliners were shocked when they woke up that morning. What had once been a very fluid border was now rigid, they were stuck on that side for decades.The Berlin Wall stretched over a hundred miles. It ran not only through the centre of Berlin, but also wrapped around West Berlin, entirely cutting West Berlin off from the rest of East Germany. 
  The Berlin Wall did prevent the majority of East Germans from emigrating to the West, but it did not prevent them all. During the history of the Berlin Wall, it is estimated that about 5,000 people made it safely across. Some early successful attempts were simple, like throwing a rope over the Berlin Wall and climbing up. Others were brash, like ramming a truck or bus into the Berlin Wall and making a run for it. Still others were suicidal, like jumping from the not-yet-boarded-up, upper-story windows of apartment buildings that bordered the Berlin Wall. As the Berlin Wall became stronger and larger, the escape attempts became more planned and more complex. Some people dug tunnels from the basements of buildings in East Berlin, under the Berlin Wall, and into West Berlin. Another group saved scraps of cloth and built a hot air balloon and flew over the Wall. Unfortunately, not all escape attempts were successful. Since the East German guards were allowed to shoot anyone nearing the eastern side of the Berlin Wall without warning, there was always a chance of death in any and all escape plots.  The fall of the Berlin Wall happened nearly as suddenly as its rise. There had been signs that the Communist bloc was weakening, but the East German Communist leaders insisted that East Germany just needed a moderate change rather than a drastic revolution. East German citizens did not agree.As Communism began to falter in Poland, Hungary, and Czechoslovakia in 1988 and 1989, new exodus points were opened to East Germans who wanted to flee to the West. Then suddenly, on the evening of November 9, 1989, an announcement made by East German government official Günter Schabowski stated, "Permanent relocations can be done through all border checkpoints between the GDR (East Germany) into the FRG (West Germany) or West Berlin."  People were in shock. Were the borders really open? The Berlin Wall was eventually chipped away, into smaller pieces (some the size of a coin and others in big slabs). The pieces have become collectibles and are stored in both homes and museums. After the Berlin Wall came down, East and West Germany reunified into a single German state on October 3, 1990.

Style Model


Jan 6, 1942 [1943]
Lt. (jg) Yegerlehner
Receiving Station
U.S. Naval Advanced Base
Noumea New Caledonia
c/o Fleet P.O.
San Francisco Calif

Dear Mother,

Received mail toady – what a thrill. It was dated Oct. 29, 30 & 31. In the 30th letter there were pictures Ruth had taken. It was old mail but I read it as carefully as if I were yesterdays. In one of those you had given me a detailed account of David’s arrival and only today did I learn what his middle name was. I think I know where this mail has been but that isn’t important. The letters were marked clipper and air mail special stamps but that didn’t seem to make any difference. Just plain air mail or V-mail is as good as anything. I was a little surprised at Earl R. coming over because I

[page 2] really didn’t know him very well. Not as well as Joe

I went to town this A.M. with Dr. Porterfield and we had one of our boys along who is a very good French talker. Dr. P. wanted to buy a picture of one of those flamboyant trees. He did but I didn’t. They were photos tinted about 12 in by 12 in. He paid 8⁰⁰ and they had some other for 12⁰⁰. I just figured that was a little and our money could be used to a better advantage. There are lots of things – Lace doileys (sp), arm bracelets, ear rings, coaster mats etc but most are made in America with 3-4 prices so I don’t get the idea. Perfumes are all American (Cotys) so why pay to send things like that back. There were some nice yards goods and dresses but one has to have a ration card to buy those things and after all we aren’t natives so we have

[page 3] no ration cards.

Say I just happened to remember or it just came to me – I send you a belt buckle and you say you have to buy a new dress to go with it. And I send you a necklace and you say you have to have a new dress. Suppose I sent you a pair of Step inns – Well I haven’t bought any yet so you won’t have that problem to consider – I really got a kick out of your new dresses to go with the things I sent. Hope you’ll get them. And that “my day,” don’t put that in parenthesis because it makes me think of where it came from.

The weather which has been so pleasant except for the brisk breeze has turned very hot without much breeze and just seems like rain. This has really been dry for rainy season but I think it’s too early to be saying anything yet. Our P.M. mail delivery isn’t up yet so don’t know what or if anything

[page 4] will come. During this season there are apt to be storms in this area and travel by air is uncertain so I imagine both our mails will be slow. So write V-mail rather frequent write both. I’ll finish later – have work to do yet just now.

Almost 10:00 P.M. The show is over and no mail on the P.M. delivery so it is now about one month again – sure is disheartening but there isn’t much to be done as far as I can see.

The show is over and it was too sad for out here – “How Green Was My Valley.” I don’t know if you saw it there or not but I do remember hearing that title back some years ago.

We had hot – very hot chilli for supper with rice and green beans and all I ate was a bowl of rice with milk. You are supposed to mix the chilli with the rice but I still don’t like it too hot. So I just ate the rice. Had to do something – My space and time is up so solong love Daddy

P.S. Sending a little souvenir

This letter was sent between the mother and father during WWll, although this is not between siblings like my task is asking I feel it gave me a sense of what to include in my letter and the type of things they are aloud to say in such a letter. Also, this letter expresses emotions of how he misses home etc, and the feel of 'a voice' is given out threw the reading of the letter.

Task A
Imagine you are the East German boarder guard who was on duty on the night descried by Ann Leslie. Write a letter to your brother in which you describe the events and your thoughts and feelings about what happened.

Dear Anthony,

  I could not believe my eyes last night. Total shock pierced me as I realised that Checkpoint Charlie is no longer in use, and my job of stopping these people crossing has become no existent. Without forgetting that two hours ago I was shooting these people if they crossed, I am so very fortunate that this is no longer my job. It is great to see all the German men and women running from one side to another of the no man land's, such a beautiful sight. And the celebrations. Well, Brother, you would not believe the celebration of these long lost people who have finally been aloud to meet. It is as if they were never apart, as they sing and dance with champagne and beer bottles. The atmosphere is immense. Crowds and crowds of people were piled in together, as I felt relieved that such a thing could happen.

  The look on people's faces when I told them the news was just life changing. I had a group of students come to and ask if the news was true, it was such a pleasure to tell that them in fact, yes it was very true. They needed their police stamp, for identity reasons, but I couldn't hold back and told them to go threw, they had waited so long to be 'aloud' on the West. After my experience, I knew the difference between the sides and I couldn't let them wait to see the amazing difference. Those poor Eastern Berliners, the last thing they needed was to me told they still couldn't cross, after they had been in communism for so long. They told me how excited and happy they were that they were aloud to cross, the cries of happiness realise how awful my job of a guard really was. No one needed than, to be practically locked out of their own city just because of a war. This is why I needed to be here, Brother, I hope you do understand. I have to help people, I have to fight to win and this is a perfect example of how we have won.

  Brother, this is has just made me realise how we really do only get one life. We shouldn't waste and I'm so happy with what I'm doing for the people of the world, I hope you are too. I know you feel forced, but think about all these people getting what they deserve because of us! There is nothing better than giving back, especially for what they need. Freedom. 

  I hope your well. Miss you A. 

Your brother,

Joesph. 

Task B

Write a commentary which explains the choices you have made when writing your letter. 

  I started my letter by finding two appropriate names from the time of which they were both probably born, I guessed this by then probably being 16-20 because of the war recruitment wanting that age of boys. And so from this I assumed they were born in the 1960's, giving them popular 60's names. I did this in order to make the letter seem more believable and realist.
  Starting with the beginning of the article, talking about the celebrations and how people were dancing on the Checkpoint Charlie. This was obviously a big historical mark, as so to reflect back to the article of which Leslie was actually at the scene when it happened would express how it is very true. 

  I also used Leslie personal experience of the students asking if the news was true, in my words, as part of my narrators 'own experience'. As I felt this would get the point across of more excited and hyperactive the Germans were at this time. 

  After reading the article by Leslie, I decided that I wanted to create a letter where the narrartor was happy about this situation and about being in the war all together. I felt this would give more meaning and with using the repetition of the word 'Brother', added emotions to the letter.  Overall, with doing all these I tried not to quote so much from the article, which I feel I did achieve. I used the main points of the articles to acheive the best out of my letter, with the repetition and choice of names I feel I really hit the emotion language which is needed in a letter.