"Germany" a Germany Travel Page by traveldave

In 1982 when I visited, there were two nations that comprised today's Germany: the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany) and the German Democratic Republic (East Germany). This division was the result of the aftermath of the Second World War, when the Allied powers divided Germany among themselves. The areas occupied by the United States, the United Kingdom, and France became West Germany; and the eastern sector, occupied by the Soviet Union, became East Germany. The city of Berlin was similarly divided, and was deep within East German territory. Overland travel to Berlin at the time was restricted only to certain roads, and it was forbidden to leave those roads.

In order to keep East German citizens from fleeing to the west, the Soviets built the infamous Berlin Wall in 1961. They also constructed a similar wall along the entire border between East and West Germany. The wall not only represented a physical divide between the countries, but also served as a political, and to a lesser extent, a cultural division.

Before the Berlin Wall fell and Germany was once more united, the division was one of the most fascinating and poignant things I have ever experienced in all my travels.

Since my initial visit in 1982, I have returned to Germany only to make connections through Frankfurt International Airport on my way to other destinations. Therefore, my experiences as described below reflect Germany as it was during the height of the Cold War and are certainly not reflective of Germany as it is today.

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