As a part of the Bosch programme, our topic of second week was. The German reunification and its coverage in Asian Media. Our students have conducted interviews about the same from people who have seen the coverage of the Reunification. Students have also seen movies based on the same and have written reviews and their views on them .Following are some of them.
Coverage of German Reunification in Asian Media
Q1. Do you remember the date when the Berlin Wall was brought down?
Ans. Yes, I remember the bold headlines in all national dailies in India. It was 10th November 1989 that this incident happened and it was covered in the newspapers on 11th November 1989.
Q2. What was the basic issue which was being highlighted?
Ans. The main issue which was being highlighted was that at least 25% of the east Germany population wanted to come across over to west Germany. The administration in West Germany was finding it difficult to cope with this large influx of the refugees.
(Total population of East Germany was 16m). The Chancellor Helmut Kohl of west Germany who was on a five day official visit to Poland even had to cut short his trip for this reason.
Q3. Do you remember any major incidents which were covered in media regarding the huge movement of refugees?
Ans.The news said that hundreds of East Berliners stormed Checkpoint Charlie at the wall in an effort to force their way through the West German side. They pushed across the line dividing east and west shouting: ‘we want in, we want in.’ east German border guards were finding it difficult to hold them back. The guards were not able to hold them back and were actually aghast over the change of the situation. Many of the people trying to come cross over were skeptical if they will be able to return back unlike before.
Q4. Can you narrate the feelings of any of the citizens at that point of time?
Ans. Torsten Kahlbaum, 32, had been across to West Berlin with his father when he was three, a year before the wall was built in 1961; now he, too, was weighing up the new possibilities. He said ‘he would go – but come back.’ It makes no sense to keep the border here anymore. During the last few days, so much has happened that I would say that anything is possible.’ He paused. ‘I think all of this is bad for the country.’
Q5. Did any of the news item memories of 1961 when the country was divided?
Ans. Standing at Bornholmer Street checkpoint yesterday at 1:30 pm, watching thousands of East Berliners surge toward West Berlin in cars and on foot, was like seeing a 28-year old film run backwards.
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Interview with Dr.Kanchan Jain
Topic: Coverage of German reunification in Asian Media
Movie review
A prison in Brandenburg in 2001. 36-year-old Martin Schulz is released after more than 11 years' imprisonment. A former citizen of East Germany from East Berlin, he was in prison when the wall came down in 1989. Martin is full of optimism as he steps out of the prison door. But he hardly recognises his old East Berlin any more, so much of it is new. He visits his wife, Manuela, and his 11-year-old son, Rokko. All of a sudden, Martin is confronted with his worst fear. Rokko, it seems, doesn't even know who he is. Martin wanders aimlessly about eastern Berlin, meeting both winners and losers from the fall of the wall. All Martin wants is to do is find his feet and get to know his son. But in spite of his good intentions, he is overshadowed by his past. He is arrested and, although innocent, winds up in a cell again. All the odds are stacked up against him; nobody believes him when he declares his innocence. Except Manuela and Rokko, who stand by him...
The situation of the people of Germany at that time, the winners as well as losers, is quite a distinction to the present!
QUES 1:WHAT ALL DO YOU KNOW ABOUT GERMAN RENIFICATION?
ANS: In 1989 mass demonstrations led to a collapse of the Berlin Wall. A year later, on October 3, 1990, East and West Germany were reunited, after being separate states for forty years. 20 years ago,whereas I remember German Chancellor Helmut Kohl pushed unification forward and served as the architect of a united Germany.
QUES.2 : HOW WAS THE GERMAN REUNIFICATION DONE ?
ANS : The system transformation after German unification in 1990 constituted an experiment on an unprecedented scale. At no point in history had one state attempted to redesign another without conquest, bloodshed or coercion but by treaties, public policy and bureaucratic processes. Unification was achieved by erasing the eastern political and economic model. However, in the meantime it has become clear that the same cannot be said about social transformation.
QUES.3: WHY DO YOU HAVE TO SAY ABOUT SOCIAL TRANSFORMATIONS?
ANS : The transformations of East Germany since unification has wrought vast changes in the economy and in society and left deep scars .while many faced labour market exclusion. Women had been under particular pressure and while children have become employment disadvantage.
QUES.4: FOR YOUR OPINION , WAS IT SUCCESSFUL?
ANS: On the whole , German reunification has been a success. Germany has progressed till the date and maintained its reputation in the last 20 years after reunification. However , many problems remain like income, unemployment ,policy mistakes ,economic headwinds and lack of opportunities in East Germany .QUES.5: WHAT DO FEEL IS THERE EQUAL EQUALITY BETWEEN EAST AND WEST GERMANY AFTER REUNIFICATION?
ANS: According to me , East Germans are not accepted as equal citizens yet. There are some resentments, but that’s OK in a country. Although East Germany has caught up significantly with West Germany, some meaningful gaps do persist.QUES 6: DO YOU THINK WOULD THE PEOPLE OF GERMANY WOULD EVER GET RID OFF OR COPE UP FROM INEQUALITY?
ANS: As for how Germany is faring through the current financial crisis, I hope they will soon get rid off it.
QUES 7: WHAT ELSE COULD HAVE BEEN DONE INSTEAD OF REUNIFICATION?
ANS: I think reunification was the best idea to unite the country which was a peaceful treaty.
QUES 8 : DO YOU THINK THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN A SIMPLE PROCESS?
ANS: I don’t think so that it was a simple process as Germany faced the serious challenge of mending itself. In East Germany, capital stock was largely useless, infrastructure was insufficient, pollution was as a serious problem, and East Germans—though well-educated—suffered from low standards of living and it can not simpler enough as Germany had undergone severe restructuring , social impacts and the stress of adjustment.
QUES 9: HOW THE MEDIA PORTRAYED THE REUNIFICATION?
ANS: The first video from which I got updated was from CNN, 1990. This video portrays the Reunification as a great celebration, full of optimism and hope. Everyone in this video, from children to adults, rejoice in the possible bright future that laid ahead for Germany. Notice that this is a CNN station, meaning that Americans and basically everyone around the world was interested and overwhelmed by the German Reunification. This shows how much staggering impact the German Reunification had on the world.
QUES 10: WHAT IMPACT DID THE GERMAN REUNIFICATION HAD ON OTHER COUNTRIES?
ANS: The German Reunification had a tremendously large impact and influence on shaping the Korean Unification. Without the German Reunification, Korea would have probably been walking into the path of ruins.
A prison in Brandenburg in 2001. 36-year-old Martin Schulz is released after more than 11 years' imprisonment. A former citizen of East Germany from East Berlin, he was in prison when the wall came down in 1989. Martin is full of optimism as he steps out of the prison door. But he hardly recognises his old East Berlin any more, so much of it is new. He visits his wife, Manuela, and his 11-year-old son, Rokko. All of a sudden, Martin is confronted with his worst fear. Rokko, it seems, doesn't even know who he is. Martin wanders aimlessly about eastern Berlin, meeting both winners and losers from the fall of the wall. All Martin wants is to do is find his feet and get to know his son. But in spite of his good intentions, he is overshadowed by his past. He is arrested and, although innocent, winds up in a cell again. All the odds are stacked up against him; nobody believes him when he declares his innocence. Except Manuela and Rokko, who stand by him...
The situation of the people of Germany at that time, the winners as well as losers, is quite a distinction to the present!
Movie review
Two star-crossed lovers, separated by the Berlin wall for thirty years are reunited. The major events in their separate lives become the focus in this German political drama. The story begins in August 1961 as the Wall is being built. In Eastern Berlin a group of young adults plans their escape. Included in the group are Konrad and Sophie who has an aunt on the other side. It is the aunt who will sponsor the escapees. Escape will be the only way Konrad and Sophie will be able to stay together. Konrad is involved in a mishap en route and must remain in East Berlin. In 1968, the lovers at last get a chance to briefly meet in Prague. There they express their frustration and pain. At least there, in Prague they can find occasional happiness. Suddenly Russian tanks appear and destroy their new dream. 1980 comes. Sophie and Konrad have since married other people. Their next meeting is bittersweet as they look back upon their promise which was broken by circumstance, and by the decisions each lover had to make.
My Point Of View
• Director Margarethe von Trotta effortlessly weaves history and personal events into a movie full of emotions and irony.
• This is a decent film set against the time Germany was divided by the Wall, but a part of it was just a little bit too overly sentimental for my tastes...
• In all, the movie has many tragic scenes, but the ultimate message made me feel that I had just heard to Beethoven's Ode.
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