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Forty Autumns: A Family's Story of Courage and Survival on Both Sides of the Berlin Wall

Nina Willner

Discussion: Europe

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Europe

Ireland - County by County
By Andrea , Slow but steady · 2 posts · 7 views

last updated Jun 23, 2023 08:38PM

Ukraine reading ideas
By Andrea , Slow but steady · 7 posts · 14 views

last updated Mar 05, 2022 06:49PM

What Members Thought

Jun 23, 2017 Toni rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: biography-memoir, history, multi-cultural, germany

Of course I remember the news about the East Germany, and the horror stories of those who attempted to flee from the oppression inflicted on the citizens of Germany. That being said, prior to reading Nina Willner's family story, I had no idea of the extent of the repression and paranoia on the part of the leaders of East Germany. From the time shortly after the end of World War II to President Reagan ("Mr Gorbachav, tear down this wall") to glasnost and perestroika, forty years passed. A lifetim ...more

1 like · Like · see review

Jan 30, 2018 Daisy rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: ddr, bicycles, aroundtheworld2018

This should be required reading.
Pair this with the German series "Weissensee" which is available on a subscription streaming channel called MHz Choice.
I'd like to learn more about what life was like for the former East Germans after reunification.

remember:
workers' uprising 1953
marginalization
"defection by television"
Diamant bicycles
16,000,000 population DDR
Karl Marx Stadt = Chemnitz
Uchtpringe (Opa)
Hoheneck Castle (women's prison)
Günter Schabowski ("As far as I know, immediately.") ...more

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