Gisela Müller lived in Lüneburg, West Germany, in the near of a border crossing point. She visited friends in the GDR, bringing food and clothes for them. She also has a critical view to the populist movements and xenophobia. The problem could be that they are out of touch with any foreigners at all in the past. She helped as a wall-pecker to tear down the wall.

TAGS: life at the border crossing, freedom of travel, economic upheaval, migration, wall-pecker (remove Berlin Wall).

Heinrich Hauel was born in 1953 in Dömitz/ Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Since he was born he lives in Bitter/ Mecklenburg-Vorpommern – at the inner german border. He will talk about his experience about the surveillance and the repression. A big event was the first new election and he has had himself put up as a candidate for the local politics.

TAGS: Day of the opening of the border, experience report on life at the border crossing, surveillance of the Stasi, new elections after reunification, perspectives for EU.

Claus Göpfert was born in 1947 in Salzwedel/ Sachsen-Anhalt. He lives in Lüneburg/ Niedersachsen since 1989. He will talk about his escape from the GDR to the west. He has a critical view to the populist movements and xenophobia. This also in the context of European Union and would like to see equitable economical distribution in Germany. He also talk about suffer a loss his family and friends.

TAGS: Field report on the day of reunification, flight, loss of friends, xenophobia, economic distributive justice.

Hartmut Benecke was born in 1963 in Lüneburg/ Niedersachsen. He came back to Lüneburg in 1990.
He has good memory of this time. He worked as police officer in Düsseldorf and will talk about the “Stasi” hereditary load (state security, secret service of the GDR and investigating agency for political offences).
In his opinion the process of reunification to do too much too fast. He would like to see a carefully managed enlargement process that extends peace and learning from the past.

TAGS: day of the opening of the border, experience report of a police officer, experiences with Stasi, right wing groups, populism, perspectives for EU.

Hannelore Berlin was born in 1953 in Berlin/East.

At the time of the reunification she stayed in Mexico a fact she really regrets. Hannelore Berlin will talk about her escape from the GDR to Western Germany. She was hidden and disguised as a boy. Now she has a critical view to the populist movements and xenophobia. She will talk about the opportunities of a growing Europe in this context.
Hannelore Berlin now lives in Lüneburg/ Niedersachsen since 1999.

TAGS: Border opening day, Childhood experience of flight, Right wing groups, Populism, Prospects for EU.

Roman Kalex was born in 1980 in Cottbus/ Brandenburg (GDR). He lives in Lüneburg/ Niedersachsen since 1999. He witnessed the democratic turn from the perspective of a resident of the GDR.

Roman Kalex will talk about his experiences of his childhood in the GDR, which was more structured and much more strictly. The growing populist movements could be a protest movement, because of the promises were would made.

TAGS: childhood in GDR, day of the opening of the border, xenophobia, different understanding of democracy in GDR, perspectives for EU.

Lydia Völker is a governess for children and grew up in the near of a border crossing point in the western part of Berlin. She will talk about the day of the reunification and the existential fear of the citizens in the east. A big part of the family of her mother still lived in the east. Visiting this family in the GDR they always discussed about the importance and the missing of the freedom of expression and the freedom of traveling.
In her opinion the European Union representing an immense richness of cultural diversity.

TAGS: childhood near the border, democratic education in elementary education, xenophobia, freedom of expression and travel, perspectives for EU.

Mattias Werner worked as a pastor in the east part of Germany. He will talk about his work in different church congregations, the demonstrations and his experiences of introducing democratic revolution. Also about the downsides of capitalist system, for example homelessness and unemployment. He would like to see a carefully managed enlargement process that extends social justice. Important is to making the public aware of the need to care for the memories.

TAGS: former pastor from GDR speaks about the day of the opening of the border, church work, democracy, perspectives for EU, criticism of capitalism, memories (photo with Trabant).