I thought it necessary to make a non-rugby posting and my person ex[ereinces as to the berlin Wall. In 1973 I took six months leave and went to Europe. I spent some three weeks in Greece and from there to Germany. During that stay I went to Berlin. as well.
On the first day I was in Berlin I took a walk to the viewpoint opposite the Brandenburg Tor. I spoke German fairly rwell those days and started a conversation with three elderly ladies. One of them turned out to be a Mrs Botha from Johannesburg She was from berlin and left the city in 1938 - went to SA and married a chap by the name of Botha. It was her first visit to Berlin after the War - but what was weird was she could not speak English or Afrikaans.
However, the discussion was very depressing. When I asked th one lady what the area was like before the war she burst out in tears. The looklout point was in a garden and they said the garden was planted over an area that was completely destroyed fduring the war and not rebuild. There were thousands of people in the bombed out buildings wh o were never buried - they were just remaining under the rubble and the garden was laid out over them. Th one lady told me that her brother in law was from 1944 until 1972 a POW in Russia where he did forced labour. His health deteriorated and the Russians then decided to send him back to Frankfurt - um -Oder. They were allowed to go to Eat Germany at the time provided they paid a visiting tax and she went to see her brother-in-law. While in Frankfort-um-Oder for the whole week the only food available was cabbage. When I aslked them whether they ever visit East Germany - the response was that Berlin was like a prison to them - with a wall all around them - but East-Germany was worse.
After accepting that the SA govrnment would not accept any responsibility for my safety - the SA Government removed gave me permission to visit Communist countries and I intended to vist East germany. Russia and Hungary. So - while in Berlin I thought I would go on an organised tour to East berlin. We got to Check Point Charlie and the bus stopped atthe East German side. We were all ordered out of the bus and I got worried while standing in the drizzle. I had some books in my possession - which I should have left at the hotel in West-Berlin. However, the guards came up - took my passport and for about three minutes stood looking at the Pass Port and then at me. It was very irritating - espeialy since it was raining. They evenntually handed me back my passport and after doing the same with most other passengers - we got back in the buss after about half an hour.
Whiel travelling through East Berlin - I saw something that caused me to say "I am in heaven". There was a huge parking area where there were virtually no cars parked. We got to the Est german War Monument and while walking around there were some young Russian soldiers - who came up to me ad asked me where I am from. I told them SA and they started laughing and asked me if I mind taking a photo of them together with me. Really very nice youngsters. Howevr, their officers would not have been pleased - those photos could give away military info.
A fe days later I went on an organised tour to Potsdam to visit San Soucci - the palace of Frderick the Great that by then was fully restored. The tour leader was very flunet in English and soemetime during the trip I mentioned to himthat I went to Greece - and he then made some strange remarks. He said he was a archeologist and was very interested in going there. he applied for a passport - but had no response for two year. He then asked me how I got my passport and I said i applied and if it was not issued within 3 weeks I would tell them they are the most worthless idiots working in any government department. He looked amazed and exclaimed: "Can you say that to a government official?" I responded - Sure you can and burst out laughing.
When in Berlin it always felt like you are in prison - caged in by a wall tht ran everywhere when you go for a walk. For me the ebst news I sa on TV was the night of 9 November 1989 when the wall was breached by tens-of-thousands of people.
