|
 A man stands before her giving a testimony that will form
part of an art project aimed at getting a sense of how people
today feel about one of the most pivotal moments in modern
German and world history.
"When I stand here, I am affected very emotionally," says Hans
Kitta, who left East Germany shortly before the wall, the most
potent symbol of the Cold War, was built in 1961. The barrier
divided the West German part of the city from the Communist East
until 1989.
Kitta recounts his journey as a young man from an area of Poland
that was part of Germany before World War Two, to the German
city of Leipzig, then to East Berlin from where, one night, he
sneaked into West Berlin.
"I was allowed to leave Berlin after four weeks to take a plane
to Hanover. I am eternally grateful to West Berlin."
Oring has been typing up similar stories since September when
she set up her "Maueramt", or Wall Department, collecting the
memories and impressions of people as they pass the remnants of
the wall that fell almost 25 years ago.
An assistant art professor at the University of North Carolina
at Greensboro, Oring started the project to understand how
people feel now.
"The Berlin Wall is interesting because it's history, but it's
also contemporary," she told Reuters. "It's sort of unimaginable
that one country that used to be together is now divided ... For
us to try to understand that is very important."
Twice a week, she sits and waits for people to come by, types
their story, stamps the paper with words like "urgent" or
"complete" and snaps a polaroid of the person.
[to top of second column] |
Oring will display the testimonies and photographs in an exhibit at
the Kennedys museum near the Brandenburg Gate for the 25th
anniversary of the fall of the wall on Nov. 9.
Oring has collected more than 150 testimonies from people who grew
up with the wall and others who were farther away.
"When I was 11 years old and the announcement that they would build
the wall was made, we sat by the TV and watched all the frantic
people in Berlin," said Nancy Simpson from Edmond, Oklahoma. "It was
a big deal, my parents were freaking out."
Oring has also interviewed people born after the wall fell.
"When I think about the wall, I think that it was not a nice time
and that many must have suffered," said Yael Miriam, 9, from Berlin.
"I'm glad I didn't have to live through that time."
It is not the first time Oring has documented the personal impact of
a major event. In a project for the tenth anniversary of the Sept.
11 attacks in the United States, she gathered people's memories of
another day that changed a country and the world.
(Editing by Madeline Chambers and Robin Pomeroy)
[© 2014 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2014 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
 |
