The Berlin Wall

By Jim Olsen

My Life and the Berlin Wall

• Jim Olsen born 1956.

• The Berlin Wall was erected in 1961 by the communist government, to make it impossible for East Germans to leave their country.

Berlin, 1961. Berlin Wall at Zimmerstrasse. West Berliners watching over the Wall to the East.

Berlin Wall being built – separation.

Berlin. Bernauer Strasse/BrunnenstrasseView from West to East Berlin.

Berlin, Checkpoint CharlieView from West to East Berlin, 1961

Standoff between US and Soviet

tanks at Checkpoint

Charlie, 1961.

• In sixth grade my social studies teacher showed slides of her visit to Berlin.

• My first encounter with the Berlin Wall.

• This is what she described.

Berlin, Potsdamer Platz, 60s

Berlin, Potsdamer Platz, 60s

Brandenburg Gate photographed through the barbed wire there, from the West

Berlin, April 1963

Checkpoint CharlieBerlin, April 1963

Berlin, 1963. John F. Kennedy visiting Berlin on June 26, 1963.

JFK gave his famous “Ich bin ein Berliner” speech.http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/jfkberliner.html

President Kennedy says, “Ich bin ein Berliner.”

(I am a Berliner) – I support you.

Due to the Allied Air Lift, from a few years prior, and President

Kennedy’s support, West Berlin remained a vigorous and healthy

city. Berlin, unfortunately, remained divided.

In the last phase of the wall's development, the "death strip" between fence and concrete wall.

East Germans were killed if they tried to escape.

• In the summer of 1972 I traveled to Berlin with my family (my second encounter).

• This is the sight I saw.

Brandenburg GateView from West Berlin to East Berlin

Berliner Mauer, Berlin 1983.

In 1985 I took a group of students to Germany (3rd encounter).

This is what I saw.

United States President Ronald Reagan delivers his famed "Tear Down This Wall" speech at the Berlin Wall in June of

1987, in which he called for Soviet General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev to tear down the wall.

http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/ronaldreaganbrandenburggate.htm

In 1989 the Berlin Wall came DOWN!!

My friend sent be a post card

showing people walking

under the Brandenburg Gate for the

first time since 1961.

My 4th encounter.

In summer 2007 I took my family to Berlin.

My 5th encounter. It was awesome!

Here we are at the Hard Rock Café, Berlin with my friend, Heinz.

They have the line marked where the Wall stood.

Potsdamer Platz has

been restored.

They have kept a section of

the Wall.

Potsdamer Platz restored.

Potsdamer Platz

Sony Center

2007

Checkpoint Charlie today.

Checkpoint Charlie today.

Photo taken of my children

with a relic of past

communist oppression.

Brandenburg Gate, 2007.

Here I am, proudly walking under the Brandenburger Gate. Something I did not

think I’d be able to do in my lifetime.

I am thankful the Berlin Wall is no more.

I am thankful for freedom.