The Berlin Wall, our family and us | DW Documentary

What was life like in East Germany? How does the division of Germany still affect it even now? Thirty years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, there are still tangible differences between East and West. How do the younger generations see them?
Siblings Franz Hildebrandt-Harangozó and Antonia Hildebrandt were born after the fall of the Berlin Wall and grew up in a reunified Germany. They study in Berlin and live not far from Bernauer Strasse, where the Wall once divided the city. On weekends, they like to party at the nearby Mauerpark. Every Sunday people from all over the world come to the former death strip between East and West Berlin to enjoy an open-air festival with live music, a flea market and street artists. But the two young Berliners still feel that the wounds left by the Cold War division have not yet healed and want to find out why. Their search for answers starts in their own family.
Regine and Jörg Hildebrandt, Antonia and Franz's grandparents, saw with their own eyes how the Wall was built in 1961, right on their doorstep. But they made a conscious decision to stay in East Berlin. They wanted to change the country from the inside out. Frauke Hildebrandt, their mother, fled to West Germany in the summer of 1989, shortly before the fall of the Berlin Wall. Grandmother Regine Hildebrandt became a politician after the fall of the Berlin Wall and tried to speak out for people from the former East.
But Antonia and Franz do not rely only on their family for information about the way the division of Germany influenced people from the former East Germany. They also travel around the eastern part of Germany themselves and see first hand how the decades-long schism is far from resolved.
"The Berlin Wall, Our Family and Us" is also available in the following languages:
German: • Die Mauer, unsere Fami...
Spanish: • El Muro de Berlín, nue...
Arabic: • وثائقي | جدار برلين - ...
#documentary #dwdocumentary #BerlinWall #Berlin
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[@PLUSQUAMPERFEKT.]

I was born in 1980 in east germany, and i was 9 when the Wall falls, it was incredible. Now I'm living since more than 18 years in the Western Part of Germany. Even when i see any documentations like this, it touches me very deeply... so deeply that i'm crying. I feel thankful for the reunification and I thank the people who Made this possible. And I thank the people who had the Courage for the peaceful demonstrations to get free one day. To have one germany is a precious Gift, which we should always remember. Thank you for this very good Film. Freedom & Peace for all

[@loudnessclarity9273]

You have to thank Gorbachev...

[@ABEL85ky]

This comment alone started to make me tear up

[@benwilliams1941]

@@loudnessclarity9273 True. Without Gorbachev's reforms, Glasnost and Perestroika, in Soviet Union, the collapse of Berlin Wall would have been a much more difficult task, however as I am learning the domestic political dynamics were also important brining about collapse of Berlin Wall. You see I am currently writing major assignment on collapse of East German dictatorship for course on Twentieth Century European history, topic I chose was collapse of Communism in East Germany. I was required to read an entire historical monograph on the topic and picked Mary Elise Sarotte's The Collapse: Accidental Opening of The Berlin Wall. The book's major theme demonstrates the role of opposition and government incompetence in precipitating the fall of Berlin Wall, for example without the Nickolai church in Leipzig and Gethsemane Church in Berlin, the Christian pacifists who made up the leadership of opposition to the regime, would not have had place to coordinate and create momentum that cascaded into political pressure against the regime that helped bring about its demise. I hate counterfactual history, however, one has to contemplate without the brave stand taken by people like Katrin Hattenhauer, Uwe Schwab, Gesine Oltmanns and Christian Dietrich, and the people of Leipzig, who participated in weekly prayers for peace and mass demonstrations, particularly on 9th of October 1989, precipitating internal destabilization of GDR, what would have happened, because remember leadership of Politburo in GDR were hardliners opposed to reforms of Mikhail Gorbachev.

[@bigsouth010]

@@benwilliams1941 no thank regean

[@holger_p]

@@bigsouth010 The mood of changing things came from inside. Soviets and Americans only gave their OK for a souvereign united Germany, discussed some issues with NATO and that's about it.

[@jamesr1703]

I was a 17 yr. old German American who was stopped at the border to East Germany in 1983 and ordered to hand over my camera, which was taken by an official, who opened the back and pulled out the film exposing it to the light for kicks. In Nov. 1989, when I heard that the border was opened, I flew to Germany, drove to Berlin and chiseled my own piece of the Wall, which I still have to this day. It was a beautiful day!

[@justincoleman7856]

Im sorry to read about your film not being able to be viewed. I am happy to read about how you were able to get your own concrete part of the wall as a memory of something that you experienced in real life.

[@art-alchemy]

Wow! I was born in January 1983!!

[@chico305SIGMA]

They did the same thing to me when I visited Cuba God I hate communist Communists are not human beings there are animals that deserve to die and suffer.

[@EEX97623]

@@chico305SIGMA what makes your wishes of death on others better than the Nazis or Communist dictators? Dehumanising and labelling people as animals or vermin is the rhetoric of every dictator.

[@MrStuartLitle]

@@EEX97623 right on, brother

[@jemilaibrahim5071]

I learned a lot about Germany from DW than my history class😂thanks DW; Greetings from Ethiopia.:)

[@99yao]

Me to

[@ivanpessane2475]

Why would you learn about german history? Are you a german or Ethiopian? If you are the latter, there is no real reason for the educational system to include german history.

[@omardabo1287]

@@ivanpessane2475 it's called seeking knowledge and who are you to tell her and others not to seek knowledge. And what's wrong with an Ethiopian seeking knowledge about German history?

[@Schumanized]

My parents lived 4 years in germany (army base) and my older brother was born there. I was in high school when the wall came down. My father told me: "Son, you see that?. The world won't be the same anymore".

[@fritzstehr]

Your dad was 100% on the money. it wasn't the same anymore. That's not what dear ol' dad implied was it?

[@mikefay5698]

They took the bricks and mortar to Israel and Mexico." Mirror mirror on the Wall.Who has the most wonderfull Democracy of all?" Free Jullian Assange and Chelsea Manning from Yankee and British Dungeons!

[@davidhollenshead4892]

@@mikefay5698 Isn't Jullian Assange a sex offender ???

[@DerScheisse]

@@davidhollenshead4892 No. The inquiry into the allegations was dropped.

[@EEX97623]

@@davidhollenshead4892 fabricated allegations and conspiracy, all dropped after close investigation of the false "victim" allegations and suspicious actions of police and government involvement.

[@gallitotuntun]

Another great DW documentary, I don't think I've seen a bad one yet, you guys are really good at it. Kudos

[@Obekant08]

Beautiful piece of work DW. History must not be forgotten. Thank you DW. "We must be free not because we claim freedom, but because we practice it." -William Faulkner

[@eastsider7301]

What an amazing legacy your grandmother leaves behind.... Yet I imagine she's smiling from ear to ear watching her family make this documentary.... I found the ending especially special and emotional. Thank you for sharing with us all.... Much Love From New Zealand 💖💖

[@samelq]

Hats off to DW for this wonderful documentary. Franz and Antonia you guys are beautiful human beings, God bless you :)

[@vallabhpankhania3516]

An emotional letter from a grandma made a German man cry.

[@syarh]

NOT FUNNY

[@hudekhoustonartist]

This was a very informative, eye opening video. Thank you for this. This is the kind of stuff that should be used in history classes.

[@mdfayaj113]

I'm in love with this channel. It gives me so many things more than just another movie.❤❤❤ Thank you

[@TheZiziliano]

I'm 100 % in accord with you in this comment

[@adissiosdynos9087]

All channels should be Iike this.

[@Improveng1]

I am so grateful to KZbin for introducing me to the DW channel. Truly world class documentaries for sure.

[@sudha4128]

I went through Checkpoint Charlie from the West into East Berlin in 1984. What a contrast from West Germany everything looked rundown. . The people never looked at you straight in the eye, they had little confidence. The shops were bare. Visited the museum which exhibited the looted treasures of Egypt. One of my West German friends tried to smuggle his friend from East Berlin, I presume he was caught and we never heard from him again. I was so happy when the dreaded Wall came down.

[@Willxdiana]

good luck everyone, may you find peace

[@mikefay5698]

Not with Capitalism. Trumpy Pumpy builds the Mexican wall. Trumpy Pumpy will have a big fall. The Israei's build up great wall too. Turning Palestine into a Zoo. The wailing wall of Jericho. Happy land Germany?

[@kekedong]

I didn't know about the Berlin wall，but I remembered the Soviet falling apart when I was 8. Every morning just before I went to school, the news would announce two or three countries declare independent and went on for weeks, every word is the same except the name of the countries,

[@efilwv1635]

I was 6 when the Berlin Wall fell. I barley remember it because I would watch the news with my grandma. I thought the wall was a celebrated monument that tipped over and everyone was mad about it 😂.

[@michaelrmurphy2734]

Well, yeah. That is true too.

[@dlewis8405]

I visited Berlin in 1993. It was an exciting time. Lot's of clubs built in these old industrial spaces, techno was getting big then. Fun.

[@semsemeini7905]

Not an exciting time for us Jews Germany robbed a 3rd time the second their Wall fell.

[@srinivasvaranasi1645]

I liked that statement - We cannot take our democracy for granted. We have a very similar situation in India too that hopefully will not worsen.

[@JAM661]

We very much have that problem in the United State's with cheating Traitor Trump as President..

[@TMBpk]

Hilarious to compare a civilized country like Germany to a Hindu fascist morally corrupt state like a India. Ask the people of Jammu and Kashmir who for 70 years have been occupied by your country and tortured by your military. Good laugh.

[@victorseger6044]

@@JAM661 That comment of yours aged like milk

[@rebelfighter5249]

​@@JAM661 you're a l0ser if you think Trump was a traitor. That's the fake govt we see today who executed a coup against Trump and the American people using a fake health scare to get it done. Wake up now before you get sledged over the head with the truth.

[@barbaraaraujo7700]

The same is happening here in Brazil. The Supreme Court of Brazil, made up of judges appointed by the PT (Lula's leftist party), censors and persecutes all conservative politicians and journalists who criticize the government. Several politicians and people have already been arrested for criticizing the Supreme Court and the Brazilian Constitution has been disobeyed countless times by those who claim to "defend democracy".

[@fransbastian3032]

Thanks for this awesome documentary. It is mindblowning for me and open my mind too cause I've been doing a study about West and East Germany from it's history to reality to today and I'm lucky enough to find this awesome documentary.

[@paul0gb]

I first visited Berlin and Germany the first summer after the wall came down. I remember watching the news as it was happening. I was only 15. I went back 2 years ago....changed so much! Great documentry as always :)

[@djholliday4413]

Great documentary. I was born in November of 1981. I can remember as a kid, watching the Berlin Wall fall, on the US news. I never realized how much former East Germans are still impacted by the scars of communism, & the difficulties they've endured in reuniting with the. It is almost reminiscent of the American Reconstruction after the Civil War. I pray that an economic solution can be found, & that industry picks up in the East. I am all for saving the environment, but it doesn't pay the bills & feed children. The decimation of the coal industry will hurt families, especially with no proposed plan. This gives me visions of what happened in Appalachia, in the US. Blessings, love & peace from the US. FREEDOM FOR ALL!! 🙏🏻❤✌🏻

[@tomihaili8756]

My father died on the 23rd of November 1989 so I always connect it to the fall of the Wall...it was in a way the fall of my father also.

[@user-ij5sw7fd6x]

How did he die?

[@ndma5574]

had to use this video for a school assessment, helped me a lot, thank you

[@_rio]

Give a raise to the guy who picked the background songs.

[@brianmiller6340]

I've never been to Berlin. My dad, and consequently, me, was stationed in W. Germany in 80-83, and 86-89. I have, some where at their house, a picture of the East German border that I took with my little Kodak 110 camera while on a train ride in '88. I'm 41 now. Out of all of my childhood memories of life in a divided Germany, that train trip and picture has stayed with me. I don't get folks today who think they'll do socialism correctly. The only way to make everyone equal is to make them equally poor, while the very few that "represent" them in government enjoy luxuries that blue collar Americans take for granted.

[@DMF716]

100% agree! I was stationed in Germany too. 1972-1975. It was the Czechoslovkian border that humbled me one night, as a citizen tried to escape and was shot. He cried until he died. That is burned in my mind forever. The West German Army couldn't do anything and neither could we. That next morning I was standing in the back of a jeep looking through our binoculars, the military on the other side was looking at me, as I looked back at them my senior officer was sitting in the front passenger seat. When the wall finally came down, I cried. Remembering whomever it was that died trying to escape. Our senior officer knew the Russian language and told us this many, many times.: " socialism; it only moves forward and never back. The next step is communism. Looking at today's DEMOCRATIC SOCIALISM, WHAT THEY ARE TRYING TO RAM DOWN OUR THROATS, IS THE SAME SHIT SANDWICH, COMMUNIST RAMMED DOWN EVERYONES THROATS! FROM STALIN, TO MAO, TO POL'POT TO VIETNAM. LIBERALISM IS THE PROBLEM AND IT WAS APPARENT WITH THIS VIDEO, WITH DESOLVING ALL BORDERS AND ALLOWING ANYONE WITHOUT VETTING INTO A SOVEREIGN NATION. AND THEY BROUGHT UP PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP'S NAME....I STOPPED THE VIDEO AT THAT POINT UNDERSTANDING THE BRAINWASHING THEY ARE DOING FOR THE GREAT RESET TAKING PLACE! GLOBAL COMMUNISM! EVERYONE WAS LULLED TO SLEEP AND THE YOUNG WERE BRAINWASHED AGAIN AND THEY DIDNT EVEN KNOW IT! YOU WILL OWN NOTHING AND BE HAPPY? F**&^ THAT SHIT!

[@theflaca]

I spent the first 24 years of my life knowing about two germanies. I still think like this

[@DWDocumentary]

Hi @theflaca, thanks for watching and sharing your thoughts.

[@JJMHigner]

Well done documentary. It's one of the most informative programs on the former East. The 'Former East' really is under represented--media, etc; A fuller story like this really helps. As an obvious note, also, there are alot of people that there that look like many Americans.

[@stephanielarassati1942]

This is a very beautiful and touching documentary about Berlin and its people. Vielen Dank, DW.

[@justincoleman7856]

I just found this documentary & im surprised that there's still division in the country, despite the fact that there's so much tourism going on in that country. Unfortunately for me being a US citizen, all I got to see was what the news showed us on tv back in the early 90s. Im so thankful that I found this documentary so that I can better understand what the locals in Berlin are dealing with.

[@adro894]

Very interesting, my grandmother was from Regensburg and told me lots of interesting stories. Would love to go Germany one day

[@malikqadeer]

as usual agreat documentry. i hope we all will learn from history, and try to make this world a better place for all of us.

[@zawir_usaodpowiadausa3354]

Its stupid capitalistic Propagnda. Wheres your Brain?

[@davidhollenshead4892]

​@@zawir_usaodpowiadausa3354 Hardly, if you want propaganda visit FOX News...

[@flavio4923]

I like how everything seems so spontaneous in contrast to documentaries made by americans. DW has great content.

[@steshka1015]

In the history, though Germany was portraited as evil, I believe they have no choice because America push them to limit. As we always know, UK and USA don't what other nations to arise powerful. That's a new competition against them. They tried by in suppress Germany. Brainwash other countries against Germany. In my heart, that's how I see it.

[@BomChickyBowWow]

Steffy Su - yeah, Germany wasn’t evil. They were PORTRAYED as evil.....🙄

[@mimi1o8]

Honest , simple and straightforward documentary . I really appreciate those qualities.

[@communism_is_based]

So allowing a regime to rise to power and then kill millions is a mere interpretation? I guess you could say that about Germany in WWI, but even then, there was already strong anti-semitic sentiment in the German population. The best part about Germans is that they don't try to deny or bury their past, they acknowledge it.

[@Willxdiana]

What's wrong with Americans. Bs

[@graziaorlandini6796]

Sehr schön gemacht, danke!

[@jamesgribben798]

This bit of irish beef was made in 82, i remember watching it on tv, at that time here in northern ireland was a tough place with the troubles, i was in belin last year, wow loved it, nice people, nice food and i enjoyed it, one love ✌️

[@Crisandro]

Brilliant piece.

[@Isaias-wq7wu]

I was born in November 1994 in Cuba. The wall has not yet fallen there. PLEASE, BE CAREFUL: "the democracy, we live in, can't be taken for granted"

[@Eric-yu1ur]

This is a very poignant story cant help but tearing down at the end

[@kellystravelworld]

Beautiful documentary

[@noneyours3237]

My father was a factory worker in East Germany. One day he came home and said pack your belongings, we're leaving. And so we went back to Africa. About a week later the wall fell. Lots of turmoil in the east back in those days.

[@prolefeed9371]

Wait .... you left AFTER the fall of the Berlin wall?

[@noneyours3237]

@@prolefeed9371 No, we left a week or so before it fell. My father sensed there was going to be turmoil so we just packed up and left. I watched the wall being destroyed on TV in Africa.

[@prolefeed9371]

@@noneyours3237 I'm confused. Your family saw the fall of the wall as a bad thing to happen?

[@noneyours3237]

@@prolefeed9371 Yes indeed. There were rumors of an eventuality of a war. We didn't really go anywhere while we lived there because of the many racial attacks. My father thought if something happened, we would undoubtedly be targeted for whatever reason. He chose to leave. We weren't the only ones. Many other foreigners left at the same time. I'm thankful my father was wrong.

[@prolefeed9371]

@@noneyours3237 thank you I find that very interesting. But it was not hard to leave for your family? You were not citizens of east germany?

[@olegdordik2058]

I was a soviet army soldier in 1987. My regiment stayed in Postdam. And now everything is over, communism is ruined together with this damned wall. We live in the new Europe and i wish germans all the best. Greetings from Ukraine)

[@duncanedwards7840]

Oleg Dordik, I hope you are ok right now? ✌👍🤞🙏

[@SigmundJaehn]

Shame the Russians can’t think the same way.

[@carlbyronrodgers]

Very interesting, pity about the ending.

[@omardabo1287]

I love DW documentaries. I love learning about German history. But that kitty cat at 16:50 😍🤔😻

[@DWDocumentary]

Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment, Omar! We're glad you enjoy our content. :)

[@EuropeanMedia]

Great documentary

[@Bulletguy07]

An excellent documentary. Very informative. I was born in 1950 so 11 years old when the wall went up and 39 when it fell. I've visited Berlin many times and the old border crossing at Helmstedt is well worth a visit as they left all the buildings in place and made it a museum.

[@capefear3297]

Outstanding Documentary. Thanks, DW.

[@alexcarter8807]

Those mopeds are awesome!

[@richtfox]

It is my impression that these young people have no idea of what happened to their country, and it saddens me.

[@1catmac]

Agreed. Shame on their parents. The kids need to learn to listen, learn and think critically

[@XX-gy7ue]

people are people , but THE FALL OF THE BERLIN WALL IS ONE OF THE MOST DRAMATIC AND BEAUTIFUL MOMENTS IN ALL OF HISTORY ! GOD BLESS BERLIN ! I was mesmerised by the television holding my mother and fathers hands and we were all crying for THE MAGNIFICENCE OF THE EVENT ! IT WAS A TRUE MIRACLE !

[@mariacanares6358]

The democracy we are enjoying now can not just be taken for granted.

[@erenerturk8289]

it looks just tell the story of a family but it explains the history of Germany. As always short but tells so much things about the history

[@mikefay5698]

Paradise for everyone! this tale is pulp!

[@angusyates828]

I was in Berlin in 2015 and the former eastern sector is still starkly apparent.

[@nikhilrampal2431]

When people say 2020 is the worst year to survive, one needs to listen to the voices who have seen much worse days. World Wars, Separation and the wall has shown the Germans the price they had to pay for dictatorships and suppressing peoples' voice. What it has done is that it has made the Germans value their freedom and openness even more, for they've seen a life without it. The documentary is emotional, tears rolled down from my eyes reading the grandmother's letter. The documentary surely exhibits the fact that amidst being high on GDP, literacy and level of education or Human Development, Democracies are vulnerable to lies and false narratives peddled by some greedy ones. But remember it's not the fault of Democracy that wrong leaders may get chosen, Democracies are reflections of societies - the better the society is - the better is leaders would be. Great work.

[@patgilchrist9339]

Brilliant documentary. Vielen Dank

[@monsieurfortuna9952]

DW always amazes!

[@holger_p]

Don't forget, this is a story of mainly retired people now, yes, some had broken careers. Everything else was an unexpected change, but most often a change for the better.

[@CarsSupercars]

Nice documentary. I'm watching on the 30th Anniversary 🙏😍

[@CyanTeamProductions]

It’s odd how most East Germans I know view it favorably. I guess it must be nice having a house, job and medical needs guaranteed. Having streets not cluttered with advertisements, but propaganda promoting science and working together. Anyone else see similar trends with Eastern Block citizens? I know some Lithuanians who also feel this way.

[@Lionfish5656]

I am aware of the fact that a significant majority of eastern Germans view the G.D.R very positively. Polls constantly back this up. I myself cannot fathom why that is especially with the Stasi spying on everyone & their dog.

[@CyanTeamProductions]

Cody Crouse One of them said a castle under siege usually isn’t a friendly one.

[@modernhippie5281]

@@Lionfish5656 Well, if you think the Stasi was bad and spied on everyone and their dog (which wasn't true by the way)... What do you think about modern government agencies with help of private companies such as Amazon, Facebook, Google, cell phone/internet providers etc.? They collect far more data than we are aware of, about truly everyone, which is stored indefinitely. We have some choices as in if we choose to become a member of Facebook, opt against Alexa, pay in cash - but for the majority of information being gathered, we are not being asked, nor do we have a choice. Most folks aren't even aware of this happening. As a former citizen of the GDR, this worries me! Who knows what will happen with our data in the future? We don't have a say. At least the data collected from the Stasi could be burnt and that was it.

[@_o..o_1871]

modern hippie Excepting extremely few cases such as Cambridge Analytica, you’re actually informed about the data that they will collect. Moreover, the EU has some of the most strict internet and data security laws in the whole world.

[@_o..o_1871]

modern hippie The data collected from the Stasi could be burnt? Lol Here in Romania they still hide most of those info of the former “Securitate”. Hence why until now Romania couldn’t successfully find all those responsible for the 1989 Revolution.

[@vinaynarkar]

Damn! I miss Berlin, one of my favourite cities. So many beautiful friends and unforgettable memories. Danke DW für diese angenehm Dokumemtar Film.

[@DWDocumentary]

Hi @Vinay Narkar, thanks for watching and sharing your thoughts!

[@kayvan671]

Beautiful? LOL 🤣

[@pdd60absorbed12]

Pretty balanced coverage here, not overblown with the ostalgie angle at the expense of obvious self determination.

[@FarouqArifin]

When DW sent the 2 siblings to Eastern part of Germany, at 7:45 an East German car, Trabant, appeared.

[@phillipasalisbury7570]

I was in high school when the wall came down an I remember saying to my parents at the time that it was good to see wall coming down but shut a shame that a part of history that my parents an I grew up with was no more exept for a few small areas

[@robbyel3958]

A family of leaders. Their grandmother's letter at the end was both joyous and heartbreaking. Hopefully someday we will see her grandchildren holding office and leading Germany. On a side note: As an American who grew up in the 60s and 70s and feared what could happen to our world over an incident in Germany, I am pretty disappointed in West Germany for just taking over East Germany with little consideration for the East German population and what East Germany may have had to offer. This was news to me that this happened. I was always taught that "we are the good guys". All the criticism of the communist east by the west and here was the west just taking over everything. The people there lived under a complete dictatorship, fear of the government, the Stasi, the Soviets and even their neighbor and West Germany just takes over everything and forces their way of life on them. A life completely foreign to them. It's no wonder rightwing extremism is starting to flair up.

[@someoneniice]

11:19, is this the melody from 'Life is Strange:Before the storm' I hear?

[@adamrspears1981]

In America, we didn't have Die Berliner Mauer, but still this documentary made me realize that in America, we have the same problems that Deutschland has. These are real & big problems that are growing bigger everyday. The scary thing is that no one, myself included, seems to have answers that bring about real, positive change. I think, at the end of the day, we all just want our own definition of a Utopian Society; brought about our own way, & for our own purposes. I don't think a Utopian Society can exist. But if a Utopian Society _can_ exist....I don't think it can exist via selfishness.

[@arielombura704]

Awesome documentary. Who's the song at the end by?

[@franz_hiha]

Should be on Spotify and apple music as well

[@DWDocumentary]

Hi @Ariel Ombura, The track is called Drifting by Cile. We're really glad that you liked the documentary! Thanks for watching. Best, The DW Documentary Team

[@ems7623]

That Franz Hildebrandt is one hell of a hunk.

[@jeremyosborne8140]

I was the 800th person to like it. I feel lucky to be able to live in this city!

[@fugazi_]

To be honest I am pretty much tired of all this "Fall of the Berlin wall anniversary" stuff that you cannot escape currently (at least when you're living in Berlin). It was the youtube autoplay algorythm that tricked me into seeing this documentary. As a great admirer of Regine Hildebrandt I gave it a shot and did not regret it. Dealing with the issue from that perspective turned out to be a beautiful idea. Hats off to the authors and participants to this both interesting and touching journey.

[@Romar99]

23:18 anyone knows the title of song that Beranger Gras sang?

[@horshey02]

It's "BREAK YOUR CHAINS". You're welcome:)

[@patrickgreen9619]

Last summer, I visited both Mecklenburg (Wismar) and Sachsen (Dresden). I was shocked to learn that the infrastructure (mostly railroads) in Vorpommern was as run down and made from cheap materials like in Poland. Even the station signs and train logos were the same as in Poland! So even in East Germany you get a feel that you are still on the other side of the Wall. I think that East Germans feel their needs are not being addressed, they're poor and that they're being silenced so no wonder they vote for the right-wing parties. It's out of frustration and feeling powerless that they support the extremists. The neoliberal economy has created a lot of inequalities and a sense of insecurity whether in former Eastern Bloc countries or in the US where the de-industrialization has led many people to vote for Trump. I have also visited Berlin many times and sometimes I'm considering moving there. Would I fit there having the East and West parts in me? Are people really open and accept you regardless of your background? In my view, it feels a big hipsterish and not multicultural enough for me after living in NYC, London and Paris. The city feels still divided not only in the architectural sense but mentally wise, as well. I remember seeing elderly people around Frankfurter Allee last summer who were dressed as grey as their Polish counterparts in Warsaw and the same seriousness on their faces. I felt a relief when I saw a young guy wearing a skirt because it brought back the feeling of freedom as the sense of oppression is still looming on the facades of communist Plattenbauten. On the other hand, it seems that all the nightlife has moved to the Ost Kreuz area so things are changing. Nevertheless, the reunification is still far from being accomplished and it's a long journey.

[@michaelc.z.373]

Correct, people are afraid of not being poor, but being unequal.

[@rebelbelle1039]

That’s so interesting

[@mikefay5698]

@@michaelc.z.373 Everyone is equal on the dole!

[@Peppermint1]

5:55 Young lady, that's not how you lower a stylus and not how you handle a record

[@flipsolo]

What song is the one starting 07:54. Its catchy!

[@franz_hiha]

old east-german children's song - kzbin.info/www/bejne/q2jbaI15rs5oq5I

[@robertjones-wf8ix]

WoW....

[@atulanand7815]

What is the name of song in the end?

[@franz_hiha]

Atul Anand „Drifting“ By „Cile“

[@atulanand7815]

@@franz_hiha danke schön 😊

[@jakubstrama]

The way she grabbed the record, thought...

[@chazgurrero3090]

For ALL to remember. All involved to rule the world. Let " Peace, live and let live,"

[@czogg99]

It looks like the physical wall fell, but the west and east never reconciled . There was a substitution of the economic system but the people never reunited.

[@gdhse3]

I remember, when it was the East, when it came down, and today!

[@AA-fw4kp]

I have explored all the EU, countries and I"ve found that, the language of Germany is very difficult than all the European languages. However I like the people.

[@kukulroukul4698]

geille :) i danced once with one of them(many years ago). They look deep into your eyes without a trace of shame :P

[@HeatherBoo916]

I also found German alot harder to learn rather say Italian or Spanish. Met really awesome German people 😁

[@makeracistsafraidagain7608]

God's Love... yeah It’s difficult language but is the only language I would love to learn and know more about the German people and I hope one day I can learn German language... 👍❤️

[@artman7780]

German seems much easier than languages like Hungarian and Polish. Besides German has some words that can be found in English.

[@Willxdiana]

I just got the German articles lol

[@GoldenGateNum9]

*Reunification of the German spirit, which will always be as strong as steel.*

[@chazgurrero3090]

How sweet and wonderful youth of any culture. They are the hope of freedom of sorts. The beauty of miracles and sweet innocents, the miracle of freedom in our fabric of present. Peace and honesty be with us all. The German people have the freedom and right to be among all people to do there bidding and to live as they wish. Just because some people force themselves upon others. People must stand in there own country, protect their own communities and NOT, FORCE themselves upon anyone else for any reason.

Misguided kids always feeling they have to make up for what their forefathers did. They just make things worse by going to far the other way, which eventually leads to the opposite of their intentions. We really need to teach accurate history in all grades.

[@kerouacdostoevsky6776]

Brilliantly said.

[@sneek14peek]

Thank You, I respect those who share their experiences It’s hard to find those from Romania after Nicolae Ceausescu Literally tried to killed the soul of a country

[@franz_hiha]

Silent Steph hey my dad is from Cluj, so I heard about how hard this can be

[@melz6625]

I heard from my mother about him and what he did to the Romanian people. very sad and infuriating. Sadly in school in Germany we didn’t learn enough about the history of the Eastern European countries. I’m lucky to have a politics and history aware mother who lived through a lot in her 70yrs of life. I was born in 89 so I never knew the wall. Yet the stereotypes remained and were instilled on us in society. That is what I learned from this. Politics might change quickly but social consequences remain for a long time. I hope there will be a better future for the people who have been wronged. Lesson should also be to punch down like AFD does is never the solution when the issue was that West Germans didn’t treat them right. It was and never really is about immigrants, they are just easy scapegoats.

[@jakobie]

Was holidaying in Prague just a few days back and when we drove past a nuclear plant, my guide reassured me that it's the most environmental friendly way of producing energy. Needless to say, the thought of Fukushima and Cherbobyl crosses my mind. Yes, coal mining may not be the most environmental friendliest of industries but if our civilisation still massively relies on comfort and its relentless pursuit for modernity, then environmentalist needs to acknowledge that coal mining may need to be considered a viable (and scalable) option than its nuclear alternatives.

[@imagy27]

In Costa Rica we use renewable energies. But we are a small country and rich in hydrology.

[@mikefay5698]

Nuclear Power is fine but not under a a profit making system! Windmills are just silly.

[@farazkhan7035]

Very good journalism. Keep up the good work. Love from Islamabad Pakistan 🇵🇰

[@arisjatmika]

I love Germany ☺️ Hopefully someday I can visit Germany ☺️🙏🏻

[@PLUSQUAMPERFEKT.]

You should really do it :-) greetings from germany 🙋‍♀️🤭😊

[@ndirangugichuki6260]

Hey DW, just a suggestion, why don't you let people talk in their own language and add subtitles ? Good documentaries though.

[@V4551L]

It's worth noting that while the DDR's system was effectively annulled and replaced by that of West Germany, there also was a major political and social transformation already well underway in the West. The era of neoliberalism had already begun - then further accelerated - and changed not only the economic realities, but also the philosophical perception of society, of the responsibilities of the individual and those of the government. Much (and often valid) criticism has been written about the Reaganite/Thatcherite (and, to some extent, "Kohlite") dream of converting each citizen into a homo economicus, a self-interested "responsible" individual who would take care of all his/her needs in a "rational" way, without placing any demands on the government. It's a dubious proposal at best, generating massive wealth for relatively few people, and it has eroded a lot of social cohesion and civic trust even in societies which did not also have to simultaneously undergo a complete system reboot. So, while ethnonationalism, racism and the like are as moronic as they are toxic, one would nonetheless be reckless not to acknowledge and address the reasons for their rise.

[@darrylpaul7017]

YES

[@anothernumber9753]

Does anybody know what song it is that plays at 17:10 ?

[@franz_hiha]

Another number it doesn’t really exist, just a random track my sister and a friend made at home last summer

[@anothernumber9753]

@@franz_hiha Well I think that it's really good. I really enjoyed your documentary and just thought it was beautiful overall. It was so great of you guys to share your family's story. Thank you. 🙂

[@teleopinions1367]

What I take from this is that the approach that West Germany took after the fall of the Berlin Wall was at best "Colonialist." They saw East Germany as a underdeveloped country and they came in, took over, and never ask how they felt about it. It was sort of "Father knows best, so get over it." I can see the resentment of people from the East, but that is no reason to be racist. Only when you guys shot in Berlin it showed a little diversity. The other places were very monolithically white German. Once you get out of the big cities it seems that people are very closed to other cultures and traditions. Some of them are probably comfortable reading about it in books, but that is a close as they would like to get to a diverse society. Btw, it takes 3 generations for people to get assimilated into a new country and culture. It doesn't happen overnight.

[@katarinasmith4351]

So you're saying that it's a bad thing that some parts of Germany (out of the big cities) are monolithically white German? What's wrong with that? It's Germany. Germans are white. Would you go to China and say that most of the cities are full of Chinese people with no diversity? It they don't want 'diversity', good on them. I live in London and it's funny- it's very diverse, but the one race of people that are disappearing are white British people. The outer borough I live in is now over 50% Muslim. The school I work in has only 2 or 3 white British children in each class. In ten years or so, less actually, there will be no white British kids. That's wrong. What you see in many places is not diversity...it's population replacement. So good on them for wanting to keep their own culture and traditions.

[@gmgunnhildr2711]

Katarina Smith less than ten years where would the white people go then

[@prolefeed9371]

What on earth does the end of the ddr have to do with Donald Trump??

[@juanrodriguezvictor292]

I Went there between 1985-1989 which was when I was in the us army with the 82 airborne we crossed inside I just don’t remember how we got to visit for one day a few hours . I just think we where on a tour so we could see the difference between west and east the thought of communism and democracy. The truth is we drank joked about it not understanding saw people that followed us with eyes of take me with you air beautiful girls & boys I imagine I would of been the same .

[@christinebauch1248]

My grandparents, my father and my aunt escaped from ex-DDR before the construction of the wall at about -1950- leaving behind all your belongings and in an awfull daring way where my grandfather nearly died but my father with the help of Swiss guards sawed him ... !!!

[@reach2theroot928]

kids are sweet although a tad naive ....

[@valdissverns5104]

No network ^_^

[@akhan4727]

So before the wall those in the east and west could have moved normally?

[@ErikOosterwal]

There are some other documentaries on the DW channel that explain it better in more detail, but here's a short explanation: After WWII Germany was divided into four areas which were occupied by the militaries of the four primary Allied countries, UK, France, USA, and USSR. They did the same with the capital city, Berlin. The three areas in the west got along pretty well together, but the eastern area, where Berlin is located, fell under Soviet rule and the USSR wanted tighter control and started restricting travel out of the area. A lot of families got split up by restrictions imposed by the communists, which were put in place soon after the war ended. So, prior to WWII there was free travel all across Germany, but soon after the war ended those Germans caught behind the iron curtain lost those freedoms.

[@FrederickFNNoronha]

I was a student of IIJ-Berlin (at BudapesterstraBe) from June-Aug 1990, in what was then West Berlin. Have a piece of die mauer (the Wall) somewhere in my cupboard! During those cold war days, there was an attempt to show each system -- capitalist and communist -- as better than the other. Of course, the West was more glitzy. It was good (if you had the money, that is....) I can understand what these people feel....

[@PeterMayer]

We went to a Bier Stube in East Berlin, former, in 2008. The owner, she said it's better now that it was. Yeah no kidding

[@orgasmatron-e8787]

I still remember hearing about the wall coming down and being taught about it in school as a kid. I don't think I fully started to understand all of it until I got much older and got more into history and researching conspiracy theories old literature and movies and all that and then I feel i thought I somewhat started to understand what started it and what brought it down.