I am studying the German language online with the Goethe Institute. My tutor mentioned on a recent homework reply that this week is der Tag der Deutschen Einheit, the holiday of German Unity, and provided this link to a classroom site that gives a simple description (albeit in German, but there’s always Google Translate).
At which point I remembered–I was in Berlin during this holiday, in 2010. My friend Wolf took me to Glienicke Bridge, the bridge spanning the Havel River, a key place for the exchange of secret agents taken prisoner during the Cold War.
When I visited Berlin in 1988, I crossed the West-East boundary, traveling underground to enter to East Berlin for a brief day. In 2010, it felt a bit dizzying to be able to roam freely across a bridge once heavily guarded. Wolf and I strolled around the Schlosspark Glienicke (castle grounds) with its beautiful old trees, statues and gardens. It felt almost like a dream, and I’m so glad it wasn’t. Here’s wishing my friends and relatives in Germany a Happy German Unity Day.