Elsewhere on these pages you can read a little about the history of the city of Berlin, from the end of the Second World War until today, and specifically my involvement with the place [coming soon].

Obviously when the Wall came down just before Christmas in 1989, I felt a personal involvement, as did in particular my brother Ian. So as soon as we were able to, which was summer the following year, he and I took a trip out to East Germany.

The country of East Germany, or the German Democratic Republic (GDR) as it was officially known, still existed in June 1990. The Wall had been torn down in Berlin, but the border was still there, although crossing it for East German citizens presented few problems. Reunification was very much on the cards, planning was well under way, and in fact whilst we were in the East visa requirements for EU citizens were abolished.

Ian and I drove to Berlin in my Golf GTi. We got a ferry from Harwich, missing by minutes the one we had intended to catch to Hamburg, instead having to go to Esbjerg in Denmark and drive further the other side. This meant a night in the car on the journey across East Germany to West Berlin. When we got there we stayed one night with an old friend of Ian's, and did the tourist thing in the West.

As soon as we could though we went into the East - this was really why we'd come. We stayed in the very same Embassy flat we had lived in in 1978-80, now occupied by a colleague of my Dad's. We did the tourist thing here too, but East Berlin was a very different place from ten years before. Loads of western cars, and shops selling computers and other strange commodities; building sites everywhere, and even the old buildings with bullet holes from the battles of May and June 1945 were being patched up; and strangest of all black market money changers in Alexanderplatz who would swap Deutschmarks for 5 or 6 times as many 'Ostmarks' (the GDR's currency) because soon it would be worthless - which suited us very well, and allowed us to live like kings for the rest of our trip!

Next we drove south to Leipzig and Dresden, staying there a few days, and including a trip to Colditz castle. At the time it was a combined mental hospital and old folks home - not a good mixture. The curator of the town museum took us round while I filmed everything in sight. It felt all the more special because it was very much an unofficial tour. They had plans for the place - in particular creating a full museum inside the castle instead of in the town, but that would have to wait until the political situation had settled down, and there was some money available to do it.

Nevertheless, a fascinating experience, best told in a video of the whole trip which you have only to ask me and you can borrow (if I know you) or buy (if I don't).

© Hamish Walker 2001-2006