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Berlin and The Colors of Freedom

„All in all it’s just another brick in the wall,

All in all you’re just another brick in the wall.” (Pink Floyd – The Wall)

 

HellO, WOrld!

 

The most beautiful moment of my short holiday in Berlin happened on a Sunday, at noon. It was a sunny warm but not too strong, and went to discover what was left standing of the Berlin Wall, who, almost 30 years separated the two cultures, two political systems, and divided into two not only a city but a whole country, Germany, in the West and the East. Free and democratic, the other turned into a satellite of the Soviet Union.

Ovidiu Muresanu Wall

Ovidiu Muresanu Wall

Ovidiu Muresanu Wall

Ovidiu Muresanu Wall

Ovidiu Muresanu Wall

Ovidiu Muresanu Wall

Ovidiu Muresanu Wall

Ovidiu Muresanu Wall

Ovidiu Muresanu Wall

Ovidiu Muresanu ZidOvidiu Muresanu Zid

Ovidiu Muresanu Zid

Ovidiu Muresanu Wall

I think this is one of the biggest advantages, if not the most important of a professional traveler. He can face the history, to see and interact with it.  As some know about those places from books or from the evening news coverage, globetrotters have the chance to see them with their eyes. Interact with a history that is so palpable. They have the great chance to see things from a better perspective, to meet people who lived that special historical events. And that could make you very happy. As it happened to me when I got to the East Side Gallery, the fragment of the Berlin Wall that is still standing.

My first memory of this place came from 1990, when I saw a TV footage from the Roger Waters concert’s The Wall, when he performed together with several artists to celebrate the symbolic reunification of Germany.

At that time, I did not know much about Germans life, but I’ve  heard that the wall, built somewhat overnight, arrived to separate not only the neighborhoods of a city, but also members of the same family who found themselves thus, living in different countries. That has led to countless tragedies, especially for those who found themselves living under a communist system just because the block or house where they lived was included in what will be the East Berlin.

But not about the sad moments the Berlin Wall witnessed I want to write. I want to tell you about the joy of a city that I discovered alive and very eager to overcome the whole years it was broken in half. This is best seen even the East Side Gallery, almost two kilometers portion of the wall that is still standing. Immediately after 1990, a lot of artists around the world wanted to turn the gray wall in a huge artwork, the one that we can admire today. There are 102 works of art that you can see on the Berlin Wall, a whole burst of color as thousands of tourists enjoy daily. I walked for hours along the East Side Gallery, trying not to miss any detail of paintings (many with messages of strong social and political impact). In was a glorious September day, the sun was shinning, the river Spree sparkles, and a local artist was playing his guitar very close, singing some fragments from „The Wall”.

Maybe we are bricks in the wall. But this wall can brake any system. Because we are stronger than it. The Berlin Wall is just a symbol of a wrong system. And when the Berlin Wall started to fall, began to crumble slowly throughout the communist system. And that meant that millions of people were free. And able to travel.

To reach places which could only dream of.

Like I did. So never stop dreaming.

 

LOve,

O.

The Project Friday is in LOVE with O. it’s realized with the special support of Molecule F, and it’s a tribute to Romanian designers.

Photography: Mishka Kravits
Hair Style: Robert Both Studio
Outfit: Customized Skin Deep tshirt, available on Molecule-F, Diesel Trousers, Italia Independent sunglasses available in OPTIblu stores, Adidas Superstar sneakers. 

 

HellO, WOrld!

Cel mai frumos moment din scurta mea vacanta la Berlin s-a intamplat intr-o duminica, pe la pranz. Era un soare caldut, dar nu prea puternic, si plecasem sa descopar ce a mai ramas in picioare din Zidul Berlinului, cel care, aproape 30 de ani, a separat doua culturi, doua sisteme politice, si a impartit in doua nu doar un oras, ci o tara intreaga, Germania, in cea de Vest si cea de Est. Una libera si democrata, cealalta, transformata intr-un satelit al Uniunii Sovietice.

Cred ca asta este unul din cele mai mari avantaje, daca nu e cumva cel mai mare castig al calatorilor. Sunt pusi, de cele mai multe ori, fata in fata cu istoria. Asa cum unii afla despre locurile alea din carti, sau din stiri prezentate seara la televizor, globetrotteri au sansa sa le vada cu ochii lor. Sa interactioneze cu o istorie ce devine astfel, palpabila. Sa o cunoasca mai bine si sa se bucure de ea. Asa cum mi s-a intamplat mie cand am ajus la East Side Gallery, singura bucata din Zidul Berlinului care inca mai e in picioare.

Prima mea amintire despre acest loc este din 1990, cand am vazut la televizor secvente din concertul The Wall, sustinut de Roger Waters alaturi de mai multi artisti, pentru a sarbatori reunificarea simbolica a Germaniei. Nu stiam prea multe lucruri despre viata germanilor, auzisem doar ca zidul, contruit cumva peste noapte, a ajuns sa separe nu doar cartiere dintr-un oras, dar si membri ale aceleiasi familii, care s-au trezit astfel, traind in tari diferite. Asta a dus la nenumarate drame, mai ales pentru cei care s-au trezit traind sub un sistem comunist, doar din motivul ca blocul sau casa in care locuiau a fost inclusa in ceea ce va fi Berlinul de Est.

Insa nu despre momentele triste la care a fost martor Zidul Berlinului vreau sa va vorbesc. Ci despre bucuria regasirii unui oras, pe care eu l-am simtit foarte viu si dornic de a depasi anii intregi in care a fost rupt in doua. Asta se vede cel mai bine chiar la East Side Gallery, portiunea de aproape doi kilometri din zid care este pastrata in continuare in picioare. Imediat dupa 1990, o multime de artisti din toata lumea si-au dorit sa transforme cenusiul zid intr-o opera de arta comuna, pe care o putem admira si azi. Sunt 102 opere de arta pe care le puteti si voi vedea pe Zidul Berlinului, o intreaga explozie de culoare ce bucura mii si mii de turisti, zilnic. M-am plimbat ore in sir pe langa East Side Gallery, incercand sa nu scap niciun detaliu al picturilor (multe dintre ele avand mesaje cu putenic impact social sau politic). In aer se auzea chitara si vocea unui artist amator ce fredona celebrele versuri din „The Wall”, raul Spree stralucea in soare, iar eu ma bucuram ca am ajuns intr-un loc atat de frumos.

Da, poate ca suntem si noi doar niste caramizi dintr-un zid. Dar suntem un zid atat de puternic, incat putem darama orice sistem. Iar Zidul Berlinului a fost doar un simbol al unui sistem complet gresit si inuman. Iar odata cu zidul, sistemul comunist a inceput, incet incet, sa se prabuseasca. Iar asta a insemnat ca milioane de oameni au fost dintr-o data liberi. Au avut posibilitatea sa calatoreasca. Sa ajunga in locuri la care doar puteau sa viseze.

Asa cum am facut eu. Asa ca nu incetati sa visati.

LOve,

O.

La East Side Gallery puteti ajunge cu metroul (U Bahn), sau cu trenul (S Bahn). Cu trenul, coborati la Warschauer Strasse, iar cu metroul, puteti cobori la Schlesisches Tor sau Warschauer Strasse. Eu am ajuns la Berlin cu Air Berlin, care are frecvent oferte speciale si este singura companie care efectueaza zboruri directe din Bucuresti.