Imagine you live in a country
where every politically different thinking resident gets declared a public
enemy, and gets a record in his or her personal file, to be from then on
disadvantaged in society. This is how life in the GDR was.
All these years ago the German singer Udo Lindenberg used his songs as a way to fight for a unified Germany. He so wanted to perform in the GDR but was never allowed to. And one of his songs is “Is this the chartered train to Pankow?”
… Honey (Honecker), I think, you’re actually quite relaxed
All these years ago the German singer Udo Lindenberg used his songs as a way to fight for a unified Germany. He so wanted to perform in the GDR but was never allowed to. And one of his songs is “Is this the chartered train to Pankow?”
The Chartered Train to Pankow |
… Honey (Honecker), I think, you’re actually quite relaxed
I know deep inside you,
you're actually a Rocker
you secretly like to put
on your leather jacket
and lock yourself up on
the loo, and listen to West Radio …
Sonderzug nach Pankow
Udo Lindenberg gave Erich Honecker indeed a leather jacket, and Erich returned the favour with a shawm (a musical instrument). For his efforts for the understanding between East and West Germany, Udo Lindenberg was awarded the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany in 1989.
Every time I jump onto the U2 to
Pankow, I can’t help but think “Is this the chartered train to Pankow?” And I
mean it; it is every single time, no matter how often I use it. Thank you Udo.
Last year on the metro celebrity
voices announced the next station, and as you can imagine I was over the moon
when Udo Lindenberg announced the next station on the U2. I nearly started to
weep, so overwhelming is the fact that now everybody can live together
peacefully, and won't get shot at the border. No one high fived each other, there was not even a smile, which is pretty strange, given what has been achieved here.
Today we know there was a true happy ending to this terrible part of history. Berlin, so full of life and excitement. What if you become part of history when in Berlin? Please tweet me your celebratory party photo on the U2 to Pankow and I publish it on The Touristin? Find me here: @DoroLef.
Today we know there was a true happy ending to this terrible part of history. Berlin, so full of life and excitement. What if you become part of history when in Berlin? Please tweet me your celebratory party photo on the U2 to Pankow and I publish it on The Touristin? Find me here: @DoroLef.
From Berlin with love