25 years since

[BillyStubbsTears]

The fall of the Berlin Wall.

Where were you?

I'm ashamed to say, I was out getting shitfaced after another crap day at work. It by-passed me.

[not on facebook]

Watched it on the idiot box

Was not too long after the  Wall came down that i stopped in Berlin
For the  nite  ,before moving onto poznan poland for an England  game.

There was Loads Of chancers trying to sell lumps Of the former Berlin Wall
Out on the streets.

[gillinghamrover]

Northern Ireland on tour, having just done border patrol the previous winter near to silberhutte in the Hartz mountains.

[dknward2]

I was four so probably playing with cars or trains or something

[wilts rover]

In London, didnt have a tv at the time so was listening to the radio.

Years later I was in Amsterdam when I got talking to an East German guy who lived in Berlin and asked him what he did that day. 'I went to work and didnt know anything about it, but I did wonder why only about a dozen of 50 staff turned up!'

So if you think you missed out on an historic occassion.....

[IDM]

Just remember a succession of events in eastern europe unfolding over what only seemed like a few weeks.  From what I remember it all started off with large movements of people within the eastern countries then one of them opened a border with Austria (?) and the people leaving were in big numbers, 

[Highland Rover]

Spent 3 good years in Berlin whilst in the RAF 1970-73 , the difference between the two sides of the wall were staggering .
Once went on a coach tour of the east and after getting lost we ended up in the back streets and I can vividly remember looking into a grocery shop window and all that was there was a few tins of food . At night the west was all lit up while it looked like all the lights had been turned off in the east . Met my wife whilst there............first date Hertha BSC v Bayern Munich in the Olympic stadium !!!!
West German citizens were encouraged to move to West Berlin , in doing so they could avoid National Service and the pay was a lot higher and families were financially rewarded to stay in the city .
Went back in 1988 and  my wife and I are looking to go back next year sometime

[big fat yorkshire pudding]

I was 2....

Though I am going to Berlin soon, never been before but heard good things.

[Dagenham Rover]

Spent 3 good years in Berlin whilst in the RAF 1970-73 , the difference between the two sides of the wall were staggering .
Once went on a coach tour of the east and after getting lost we ended up in the back streets and I can vividly remember looking into a grocery shop window and all that was there was a few tins of food . At night the west was all lit up while it looked like all the lights had been turned off in the east . Met my wife whilst there............first date Hertha BSC v Bayern Munich in the Olympic stadium !!!!
West German citizens were encouraged to move to West Berlin , in doing so they could avoid National Service and the pay was a lot higher and families were financially rewarded to stay in the city .
Went back in 1988 and  my wife and I are looking to go back next year sometime

As you say the difference was staggering I used to go frequently between 1975 and 1985  on the British Military train funny as hell really at the border watching the East Germans "buying" 200 Marlboro at the station kiosk and then just walking round the corner to the kiosk door and handing them back it was a ritual every time the train stopped at the border.
Also at the border the West German engine was taken off and replaced by an East German one for the journey through East Germany and then at Potsdam just as you went into West Berlin the East German engine was swopped for a West German one for the last few miles.

The train had to run every day even if it happened to be empty

Mind you we were as bad, meal times on the train were  designed to be while we were crossing the border bunch of hairy arsed squaddies in the dining car getting meals served by silver service waiters.

[Dutch Uncle]

Despite it having a huge effect on my life I cannot actually remember where I was at the precise official moment - many moments of several days/weeks seem to merge into each other. I do remember a year later a German I was temporarily working for calling for a minute's silence to commemorate the fall, and this was immediately and impeccably observed by every last one of the multi-national group I was in, including several people from nations shall we say not historically comfortable with Germany.   

[Wild Rover]

Broadway Hotel. Out of my skull.

[Filo]

Broadway Hotel. Out of my skull.

Most of Broadway is still out of their skull! :-)