This week our series of workshop talks concerning the 30th anniversary of the fall of the wall took place at our campus in Berlin. University lectures told the audience more about their personal perception of the historical events during that time.
Prof. Dr. Ronald Freytag started the workshop talks with a lecture about the famous demonstration at Berlin-Alexanderplatz he participated as a student. With around 500.000 protesters this mass demonstration was the largest authorized protest action in the GDR. Thankfully, it remained peaceful – even if the GDR leadership was prepared for violent intervention. Ronald Freytag himself had the opportunity to give a brief speech concerning freedom of speech at the East German universities. Further speakers were famous personalities of the GDR such as Christa Wolff, Heiner Müller, and Gregor Gysi. During his talk at Media University he emphasized the importance of taking part in democracy and fighting for freedom and peace in Europe these days.
Prof. Dr. Markus Zeiner worked at a local newspaper in Mainz as he got the news that the wall had fallen. During the interview that was led by Media University-lecturer Felix von Stutterheim he explained that he had never thought it would be possible to experience the fall of the fall himself. Deeply impressed by this historical event he quit his job in West Germany and started to work in East Berlin as business correspondent for the Handelsblatt only few weeks later.
Personally, the division of Germany affected Markus Ziener as well. His godfather lived in Naumburg (Saale) during that time. Only in the 1980s Ziener succeeded in entering East Germany. In his semi-autobiographical novel “DDR, mon amour” (PalmArtPress 2018) he wrote about his memories from those days and described his impressions of his journey to the GDR. Especially, the many international students that participated the discussion had questions related to these issues.
How did the German press change after the fall of the wall? Prof. Dr. Sebastian Köhler experienced the 9th of November in Thuringia, East Germany. There he worked as a volunteer for the local newspaper “Das Volk”. In the discussion with lecturer Jost Listemann he talked about his perception of his daily life as young journalist. Criticisms towards political issues were expressed rarely. The public was used to read “between the lines”.
Especially, the months after the fall of the wall remain unforgettable to Sebastian Köhler: Journalists were pleased about freedom of press and could – released from rules and regulations – research and publish their own stories autonomously. But that development came to an end when all the East German newspapers were divided between the West German publishing houses. This change can be perceived still, as Köhler noticed during the discussion. Köhler has the feeling that German press industry is still very focused on West German topics so that many East German people do not find themselves represented. Finally, he drew the conclusion: “It is time that we don’t only see the all the differences between us but that we focus more on learning from each other.”
Lecturer Jost Listemann, also initiator of the workshop talks concerning the 30th anniversary of the fall of the wall, concluded the series with his talk about one of the most memorable dates in recent German history – November 9th, 1989. Listemann lived in West-Berlin during that time und went immediately to checkpoint Bornholmer Straße when he heard that the wall was opened. In his presentation he focussed on media coverage on both sides of the wall. He compared both perspectives with each other and talked about his own, very personal experiences and memories.
Inspired by the TV-sequences that were shown during Listemann’s talk participants from the audience described more thoughts they had during that time. For example, they mentioned the great insecurity they felt concerning the political situation and the opening of the borders. Many people thought it would not be permanent and the whole process would not remain peaceful.
