Deborah Herwald, Ulrike Nagel, Jacques Schmitz, on behalf of the Friends of the German Language and Culture Association.
The Friends of German Language and Culture Association is the alumni association for graduates of the German program at the University of Amsterdam and anyone interested in the German language and culture. The “Friends of the German Language and Culture” alumni association aims to foster and maintain connections among its members and between members and the academic programs. The association organizes various annual events, including a lecture during AUV Day and a special Friends’ Day for association members.
Summary
This video is a video column by Ulrike Nagel titled “Schicksalstag” (Day of Destiny). The column focuses on the date of November 9 in German history, specifically regarding the fall of the Berlin Wall on November 9, 1989.
Here is a summary of the content:
- Footage of the Fall of the Wall: The video begins with archival footage of the euphoria and people climbing the Berlin Wall on the evening of November 9, 1989. The text “Schicksalstag” appears on screen.
- The Commemoration and the Remaining Wall: The video then cuts to contemporary footage (from November 9, 2013, as mentioned later in the video) of the remaining sections of the Wall (the East Side Gallery), which have now been painted over with works of art, including the famous painting of the kissing leaders. The Wall is now a tourist attraction.
- A Correspondent’s Reflection: A man who identifies himself as a correspondent recounts his experiences in East Berlin in the fall of 1989, just before the fall of the Wall. He spent six consecutive weeks in East Berlin.
- The “Joyful Revolution”: He refers to the events in retrospect as the “peaceful, even ‘freuliche’ (joyful) revolution,” but emphasizes that it was overshadowed by fear. He refers to the Chinese example (the tanks on Tiananmen Square).
- The Great Demonstration: The fear finally dissipated on November 4, 1989, during the massive demonstration of one million people (in East Berlin).
- The Correspondent’s Fateful Day: Ironically, the correspondent was not in Berlin on November 9. His boss had given him a few days off to recuperate in Budapest, his home at the time, to celebrate his birthday there. He describes how he spent the “most fateful” day in bed as if the Wall were still standing, only to wake up “with a hangover” on November 10.
- The Double Meaning of November 9: The column emphasizes that, historically speaking, November 9 is a fateful day in German history, marked by events such as Kristallnacht in 1938. The speaker concludes with a quote from Kurt Tucholsky (a German writer) who, 90 years ago, viewed November 9 as “kein Grund zum Jubilieren” (no reason to celebrate), but rather a time to “Grün mick sein” (be frugal/be melancholy).
- Conclusion: The video contrasts the joy of the fall of the Wall with an awareness of the darker aspects of November 9 in German history, and the personal irony of missing this historic moment.
