Author Topic: Visits to East Berlin  (Read 318 times)

Offline Mike Joss

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Visits to East Berlin
« on: Saturday 09 February 19 13:31 GMT (UK) »
I am wondering if anyone can remember the details of the weekly trips the army ran into East Berlin whilst the wall was still up.  We visited the Russian War Memorial near the Brandenburg Gate in the West, then the large one in Treptow.  I think we visited the tomb to the unknown soldier, but after that my memory fades.

Thanks

Mike
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Offline Jebber

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Re: Visits to East Berlin
« Reply #1 on: Saturday 09 February 19 13:54 GMT (UK) »
Going to the Brandenburg Gate on a Sunday, the sad sight of families holding up messages and children for relatives on the other side of the wall.

Of shopping, and returning to the west piled  high  with far more goods than we could possibly have bought with our official one for one exchange of marks, we used black market Ostmarks  which were available at four for one Deutschmark in the Western Banks. We always got away with it, as a result I have lovely collection of lead crystal.

Also, the satisfaction when we managed to lose the Russian soldiers that tailed us everywhere.
CHOULES All ,  COKER Harwich Essex & Rochester Kent 
COLE Gt. Oakley, & Lt. Oakley, Essex.
DUNCAN Kent
EVERITT Colchester,  Dovercourt & Harwich Essex
GULLIVER/GULLOFER Fifehead Magdalen Dorset
HORSCROFT Kent.
KING Sturminster Newton, Dorset. MONK Odiham Ham.
SCOTT Wrabness, Essex
WILKINS Stour Provost, Dorset.
WICKHAM All in North Essex.
WICKHAM Medway Towns, Kent from 1880
WICKHAM, Ipswich, Suffolk.

Offline John915

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Re: Visits to East Berlin
« Reply #2 on: Wednesday 13 February 19 20:21 GMT (UK) »
Good evening,

The Seimens factory which was like a town within a town. Had it's own shops, hospital, church etc. There were war memorials at the main gate for the 11 battalions of soldiers supplied by Seimens.

The Catholic cathedral, another which I don't recall the name of but derelict in the 70s. All the bronze statues around the roof edge had a bullet hole through the forehead courtesy of the Russians during WW2.

The goverment buildings to watch the changing of the guard. All East German soldiers doing the goose step with one of them using a childs clicker to give the orders.

A drive around some of the areas which were still as they were at the end of the war. Shelled out ruins with bullet holes or gouges in the walls

 And the tall tower with the ball near tge top. It annoyed the Russians because when the sun shone on it, due to the curve of the ball, reflected a giant cross across to the west.

Many other bits I don't recall as well.

John915
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