Talk:Berlin Wall

West Berlin was scarcely democratic in many senses that we would understand. Until German reunification it had a somewhat anomalous status, beingp art of neither the Federal Republic nor the DDR. It remained an 'occupied city' ruled by the Four Powers, in whom authority ultimately rested; West Berliners could not elect deputioes to the West german parliament (though they could elect city councillors and mayor).

Yeah, it was so bad that people were risking their lives to escape ...

Now you are being fatuous. I'm not suggesting any equivalence of freedoms between east and west, as you well know, just that the use of 'democratic' to apply to West Berlin is open to question. Would you consider yourself free living in a city under (ultimately) foreign military government, in which you were not permitted to vote for your own country's legislature? John11:35 08:44, 1 May 2007 (EDT)

Until unification the final power was with the allied forces. In every day live that did not make much difference. However, it became important when members of the allied forces were involved. In a case of rape by an american soldier the trial was held at an american court and the German woman applied to be admitted and was refected. Unfortunately, this is only from my memory, but maybe some one else knows a reference. It must have been not to long before unification. Some time in the eigthies. On the funny side, there was a ban on knifes, which were considered weapons. --schifra 18:22, 23 May 2007 (EDT)

On the night the Berlin Wall fell, it was so exhilarating - not with pride, but with hope. To be relieved of all the fear, privations and sacrifices we suffered throughout the Cold War. To have lived long enough to see the final reconciliation between East & West that our parents had fought for - the final end of the Second World War.

And now those hopes and sacrifices have been thrown in the trash. May the names of Antony Blinken, Jake Sullivan, Joe Biden and anyone associated with this travesty of history and justice forever be shamed. RobS^{Zelensky Must Go!}