"On 3 October 1990, after I had finished work, I quickly jumped into my car and drove to Berlin with very mixed feelings. Above all, I was deeply concerned about the re-emerging nationalism, which was also receiving repeated mention in the foreign press. Would a reunited Germany be domineering? This was the perspective from which I followed events. And even then, I feared there would be an increase in right-wing violence throughout Germany. Was a healthy nationalism possible in Germany, or would it go hand in hand with resurgences of right-wing radicalism? I noticed, above all, a look of great seriousness on many faces. The euphoric feeling of impending change had long since disappeared. I was also unsure whether there would be clashes with left-wing groups, or whether right-wing groups would turn up from out of town. I saw lots of people who were moved by events, and others who were withdrawn and disillusioned. The tourists who had come from all over the world seemed less perturbed and more cheerful. And people strolled back and forth through the Brandenburg Gate as if they were performing a ritual of reassurance."
Bernd Schmidt (Göttingen)
(4 rankings)