18 years later in Berlin

Just after getting to the next destination of Italy from West Berlin for sightseeing, the Berlin wall was collapsed. I have the friend who has such dramatic experience. Me myself, of course, don't have the precious experience like that, although I remember the news clearly. And recently, I've visited Berlin for the first time. 18 years have passed since collapsing the wall.

It's true I thought "I should have come here much earlier" at first. Because in many meanings, the former east and west border has almost faded. Of course, there are many differences in the appearance of city between ex-east and west Berlin, a tram train or an architecture, for instance. But for the person who doesn't know the old Berlin which had the wall, those are just one of the characters as a capital city of Germany. And I am the person.
Generally speaking, tourists are merciless. They are seeking some traces for Berlin as a special city which has tragic history. So did I...

Actually, I saw many vacant lots when I walked around the city. The vacant space looked so purposeful in the landscape. So I could guess there had used be the wall. But the wall itself has almost gone except preserved for monuments. In front of the monumental wall, tourists take a snap photo.

The baby who was born in 1989 is now 18years old. The generation who doesn't know the existence of the wall will be the majority of society. Maybe they look the monument like me, as a relic. The wall will be fading out from the people's mind. It's regrettable but inevitable.

However, the more people live peacefully in the brilliant capital city of unified Germany, the more thinking "What was the 40 years which had been separated by the wall?" Is it only me thinking like that? No. Maybe the Berliner who knows the wall period must feel it more than me. What was the people's life which had been separated with family entire life or the people's life which was lost for trying to cross the border?

What a tiny life it is under the crazy military balance of the super powers. War or conflict is always like that. With running away from violence of power, a man is like a bug. The tragic history of war has ended here in Berlin. But even now, they repeat the same mistake some where in the world and an another wall is newly built.

In the 18th year of the post-wall, Berlin which became a ordinary city told me a lot of things.