Memminger Wall

Today there are official celebrations of the 25th Anniversary of the Leipzig Monday Demonstration of 9th October 1989. Not the first demo that autumn in the former DDR but the first significant one of the "Peaceful Revolution" which led to the Berlin Wall being "breached" exactly a month later.

Took almost a year before the wall was finally fully open and Germany reunited.

During this time spent an "entertaining" evening with Nogbad in East Berlin. Being foreigners, we had to go through Checkpoint Charlie and on the way back, Nigel was stopped and searched by the DDR guards who found a small amount of DDR currency in his possession. Exporting the currency was highly illegal. We had managed to buy a beer in a hotel (with West German currency only and at a ridiculous exchange rate) and Nigel had asked the waiter if he could buy some DDR currency as a souvenir (perhaps £5) again an illegal transaction as much for the waiter as Nigel.

Due to the crumbling wall and somewhat relaxed atmosphere, Nigel was allowed, after a grilling, to go back to the West and even allowed to keep the money.

That night and subsequently when I worked in the former DDR for a year in 1991, there was an incredible difference between the state of the infrastructure in East & West. Alone the street lighting in the East produced no more light than a glowworm. Since those days an enormous amount has been poured in to refurbishing the East and now the complaints are coming about the state of buildings, roads etc. in the former West and a demand to stop the special "Solidarity" income tax that was imposed in 1990 to help finance rebuilding the East.

Today was an amazing day, weather wise. At least 25°C and I spent the morning sweating away with shovel & pickaxe. Late afternoon had an appointment in Memmingen city center where this photo was taken. Did take looks more of the masses sitting outside the cafe's enjoying the evening sun but this photo fitted the significance of today better. Felt very jealous of city based Blipers - there were Bliportunities at every corner. Have to console myself with the thought there were no tractors in the pedestrian zone although a lot of diggers and sundry building site vehicles as Memmingen smartens up for the town's annual fair starting on Saturday and lasting a week.