"On this very first German Unity Day, we went and looked at various sites of historical importance, such as the Reichstag and the Rotes Rathaus [Berlin’s town hall], and – in complete contrast - the East Side Gallery [a stretch of the Wall covered by paintings] in Friedrichshain. Not everyone was in the mood for celebrating that day. Friends of ours from East Germany were in the process of saying a final goodbye to their state. And we were not so sure, either, whether this was really a holiday to celebrate, because we suspected that unification would not be easy, as so many jobs were disappearing in the East."
Dagmar Lipper (West-Berlin)