how well it would be if the wall had not fallen?
A visit with compatriots in Lima
entrance arch to the GDR
The 3rd October 2009, the day of German unity, I have spent this year in the GDR. I boarded a minibus with the words "Alemana" am the "arco" and got out through a black-gold-red bow in the "República Democrática Alemana" occurred. There I walked up the only paved street, and asked me what it's like, 20 years after the fall of the Berlin Mauer, to live in the GDR. Nothing easier than a few East Germans to question it.
"I am a 100% German," laughs Francisco Cárdenas, all the mentioned here Pancho. "This is manufactured and born here." He looks slyly to his mother, who comes straight from the kitchen. "It's true, Mom, right?". "Yes," confirms this. "When we came here there was nothing, just sand are. You are one of the first children who were born here." Pancho Cárdenas is now 24 years old, in sweatshirt and tracksuit, he leans against the Eingagstür his house. On the ground floor a few computers to see, with the internet car earned their mother would add something. Pancho other hand, has been a business. "I am a businessman. Buy rolls and rolls and spread them in all the corner shops around here." Business was good, Pancho, although he worked 12 hours a day, but he could not complain. In general, it was a lot of things have improved in the last 10 years, says his mother. The
with the "better" is all a matter of perspective. I find it rather hard behind the unpaved side streets, everywhere recognize the outstanding air power and telephone cables or the stray dogs an emerging area. But if it is remembered that there was absolutely nothing 25 years ago, not a single house, no only water-let alone power line, then you have to pay respect to the GDR.
The DDR, which I believe it is in the south of the Peruvian capital Lima, where because of the poor quarters have captured over the past 30 years, the sand hills around the city. Their names all sound promising: cloverleaf, city of the Redeemer, New Hope, Indoamérica. The "East" should not really, "DDR" hot, original, 25 years ago. associated with so much hope was the GDR on the other side of the Atlantic because even then not for young Peruvians in search of a piece of land.
Crisólogo Lago is one who can still remember, in what 25 years ago happened. A few yards up the main road he has his little shoe store. By hand he makes the shoes yet, a hoop in red leather child's shoe is its showcase, and is waiting to be picked up. The shoemaker, in work uniforms told. "We had young families formed a housing association, an agent had promised us a piece of land here in the then undeveloped south of Lima. Saved them all on their land, had her little house. To the agent with their money it made, and decided the damaged homeowners to occupy wild land. "Federal Republic of Germany" should be glad their neighborhood that they wanted to sit in the desert. The Federal Republic was at that time, in the 80's, when rich country. And one of them, it was fate, then working as a chauffeur in the (federal) German Embassy in Lima. If one child, so the district to be established, named after the sponsor, then the device .... perhaps in a generous mood This was the simple hope that people associated with the naming of West Germany. access that the message of the FRG occupants of land to build their houses under the arms would be with money.
"But why is then called the East district and not Germany?" Crisólogo Lago smiles easily, he almost forgot the story. "Our leaders got into a dispute and the group split up." The one took his men and occupied a new sand hills, one kilometer south of the planned "BRD". And since the name "Germany" was already taken, he had the idea to call the district "DDR". Finally had the time, 1984, real and existing and supposedly alive and kicking.
As godmother, but proved to be the GDR at that time somewhat stingy. A few leaflets was what everyone wanted to contribute the former East German representative office in Lima for the welfare of the self-appointed ward.
"And you, are you also German," Aleman ", I ask a group of children who come straight from school. Have their blue school uniforms, after all, black, red and gold strands. The three boys and the girls look at me clueless at. "Of course not, we are Peruvians. But you are born here, in the German Republic? Yes ...... only now they have realized the ambiguity of the question. From the other Germany, the Germany side of the Atlantic know it nothing. Not even that the Peruvian football idols Claudio Pizarro and Pablo Guerrero kick in Germany, or that "Bayern Munich" and "Hamburger SV" have something to do with Germany. Why its own district is named after a foreign country, they do not know well.
your teacher, Maria Ochoa, however, can be had well remember the first years of colonization, run "at that time as we have hundreds of meters to fill a bucket of water because there was no water. "brooding it is but if it is to give the correct name of the neighborhood." Is the German Democratic Republic or only German Republic? "The" República Democrática Alemana "turned into an identity crisis, when the Wall fell and the GDR sang across the Atlantic and quietly went down. The then President Fujimori, so know some older residents to report, I then visited the district and advised them, rename it yet. Therefore, the doubt whether it for now still the Democratic Republic is, or whether the "democratic" because it would rather leave the school should have ...... opt for the latter. It's called simply "Alemana" German. The minibus, which tear up the hill praise their places with "Alemana" at. The GDR has become a synonym for all of Germany, at least here in the south of Lima.
leaves the "Federal Alemana", the Federal Republic. The fact there is even one kilometer to the south, and younger a week as the GDR. The Federal Republic squatters had more luck with her godmother. A sign above the kindergarten of the "Republica Federal Alemana" bears witness to the willingness to donate some German. Otherwise, the FRG has remained small, a handful of houses wedged between the neighborhoods Valle Saron "and" The Clover "is all of what the Federal Republic has stopped. In a side street carries a class a typical Peruvian dances. Dances from the Andean highlands, where there came from the parents and grandparents of the children once. The girls hit the dance with a rope around him, as skilful "Cowgirls", the guys have to create it, come close to her dance partner, without getting the rope is wiped. With great enthusiasm bouncing around the 5-grade students on the road. "Do you know that today is your national day?" Big surprise, then laughter, it must be a joke with. Whatever it is actually yes.
The German unit hopes no one here, everyone has settled into his neighborhood, the East Germans Germany and the Germans. Only the postman, the suppliers and taxi drivers would be helped if they find the address "Germany", would not end up in the wrong part of Germany.
dancing children in Germany
kindergarten in Germany
Crisólogo Lagos, the shoemaker of the GDR
Pancho Cárdenas, Young entrepreneurs in the GDR
