Fascinating. I hitch-hiked to Berlin in 1966, crossing East German to go into West Berlin. I went to visit Gitti Scholz, whom I'd met in London when she was visiting during the summer. I crossed into East Berlin most days, sometimes through Checkpoint Charlie, sometimes by taking the S-bahn to Friedrichstrasse station. I drank in the bar along from the station and met some interesting people there. Modern Berlin has lost its atmosphere completely.
Hi Thomas Byrne. I'm a film student from Brisbane, Australia, and was wondering if it would be possible to use some of this footage in a short documentary I'm making about Russia in the 1960s. I'd obviously credit your Dad (and you) as the makers/owners of the film. It's such amazing footage and would be wonderful to include some snippets of it.
This is what the propaganda posters say that were put up by East Germany in the death strip of the wall so they could be read from the West German side of the wall: 3:08 Whoever wants to force open the border violently, whoever provokes at the border, only makes everything worse. (Wer die Staatsgrenze mit Gewalt einrennen will, wer an der Mauer provoziert, macht alles nur schlimmer) 3:23 and 5:46 Securing peace in Europe requires respecting existing borders (Sicherung des Friedens in Europa verlangt Respektierung bestehender Grenzen)
While I agree that borders should be respected (and that is what the East German authorities wanted, and the West did that), the East German government didn't realize that the Wall made a complete mockery out of their economic system. It shows once again that communism cannot work and will never work. But Western governments themselves were NOT against the wall, in fact this demarcation of clear borders put an end to all disputes and the West knew that ultimately this would be a matter of time. And it was indeed a matter of time. The first dent in the power of the USSR, the main "supplier" of communist East came in 1979 when the Soviets attacked a nation that has never been ruled by any force in human history. Not by the Chinese, not by the Mongols, not by the Moguls and not by the British: Afghanistan! And this war ultimately decimated the Soviet empire. This blunder (Brezhnev) would end Soviet influence in Eastern Europe as Hungary opened its border to Austria in early 1989. It pays to study history for any politician in office. Brezhnev clearly failed that course
Hello, I am a film maker and would love to get in touch with you about this video you shot. have no other way to maybe get in contact than leaving my email adress. I would be very grateful if you could send me an email here: info@rocky-estrella.be A warm and big thank you in advance! Marie from Belgium
I recall Berlin as cold and grey. My oma lived about a mile from templehof airport. The bombed out church was about two miles away from her place. Flying into Berlin and still seeing many bombed out buildings. Good video.
Sad to me that Berlin had some of the most beautiful architecture in Europe before the war and this film shows a post war Berlin that is stark and cold. Thankful for the film to see a glimpse of life at that time for Berliners. God only knows what those people endured in the last days of the war. It is amazing anyone survived.
I was looking for Trabant cars in E Berlin, but cars were similar to W Berlin, just not as many. I had to watch the film twice as I missed the change from east to west. Amazing film! While I've never visited Berlin, I visited Leipzig, Dresden, and Weimar in early 1989 (all in DDR), just weeks before demonstration started in Leipzig. Everything looked beautiful with the exception of cars in the streets as were all that small, compact Trabant. Thank you and your father for the beautiful film.
Hi Thomas. I'm a producer with the PBS NewsHour and we're doing a story about American spies in Soviet Russia. Your father's footage would be an incredible asset in this piece. Would we be able to use some of it with credit to your dad? Please email me when you can: arogin@newshour.org Thank you!!
I was there in '66. Thanks for posting. Brings back good as well as scary memories. I'll never forget the East German guards - there was nothing behind their eyes. They terrified me.
Rather a silly comment. Most of the border guards were just young guys doing their compulsory military service - it wasn't a choice and most would rather not have been there.
It was a joy! So polar compared to 1945. I am so gratified to see Europe having her growth pains again. The coalitions and friendships forged during this time of economic opportunity will be some of the grreatest alliances ever forged through dlversity. Good thing to come because cool heads will prevail; that is a certainty! We know more and we know better now.
I was in East and West Berlin in September 1966. How strange to see it again. I wonder what happened to the people I knew there? Gitti? Heidi? Axel? Are you still around?
I’m sure I’ve seen footage at 8:53 of the changing of the guard but with SS soldiers during the war, with the exact same movements. The synchronisation of their movements is incredible.
You can be sure of that..it was the monument for german heroes.. Heldengedenkstätte.. SS Gards and exactly the same action. Greetings from Wedding in Berlin ✌️
Was this part of the former Hoover Dam tour before September 11? It seems that you were able to walk outside the power plant and take a look at the dam from down below as part of that tour. How lucky you were!
Im born in 1950 in Berlin so I really enjoyed the trip in memory lane it's great that there are some privat footage exist to have a camera in the 60s were very rare
Thomas Many thanks for sharing this lovely well-shot film -it's certainly not tedious and it brings us many very interesting images of Berlin at this time. God bless your father and kind regards to your good self. Tom Duggan
