Unity Day 2009

Saturday Afternoon, October 3, 2009
Germany’s national holiday, Unity Day, takes place annually on October 3rd to commemorate the anniversary of German Reunification in 1990. On this day most shops and stores close and people take to the streets to enjoy a variety of festivities. In the afternoon, I made my way to Brandenburg Tor; this was easier said than done, due to the closing of major streets and the rerouting of public transportation to accommodate the thousands of pedestrians pouring into the historical center of Berlin. Had I been a complete stranger to the city I would have easily found my way to Brandenburg Tor as everyone was caught up in the river of people flowing down Unter den Linden. The most emotional moment of the day came when the two giants, who had been winding their ways through the streets of Berlin for the past several days, finally came together. I could barely see the action above the crowd but the atmosphere was electric. Though the reaction of the people was overwhelmingly positive, I could not help but think of those amongst them who had lived in the GDR and whose hopes and dreams for a legitimate, socialist democratic East Germany were crushed by Unification with Western Germany. Surely the annual celebration of Unification brings up conflicted feelings of both the happiness of being one people again, and nostalgia for the East Germany of which they were citizens for four decades. This was a cultural experience I will never forget, though I did not fully understand the metaphor of the two giants - the crowd clearly identified with the symbols of unity.

Pictured above is a photo I took on Friday October 2nd. The smaller of the two giants is pictured slumbering peacefully, surrounded by interested onlookers. In the background is Humboldt University where I am currently attending classes.