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It was 1961 in a city divided. Leaders of the East German Communist Party and the German Democratic Party had raised a wall, splitting one city into East and West Berlin. People were forbidden from crossing freely, regardless of the loved ones left on the opposite side.
It wouldn’t be until 1989 when restrictions were lifted. It was then that people brought the wall down, marking the end of an era.
Now, 24 years later, the Golzen family has donated two pieces of the wall to the city of Mountain View. Originally purchased by German-American businessman Frank Golzen in 1990, they now stand before the Mountain View Public Library on view for all. The Berlin Wall Dedication Ceremony was held on Thursday, Nov. 14, commemorating the sections’ new permanent home.
The podcast below includes remarks from Peter Rothen, German Consul General in San Francisco; Renee Roberts from the Golzen family; a welcome from Mountain View Mayor John Inks; and memories shared by Caroline Raymond of the German American Business Association. German International School students provided live musical entertainment during the event, playing John Williams’ “Theme from Schindler’s List.”
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