: Hans J. Rokohl
: Memories of West Berlin and West Germany In the Shadow of the Wall, in the Light of the West
: Books on Demand
: 9783819289286
: 1
: CHF 5.30
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: Romanhafte Biographien
: English
: 164
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All my stories are autobiographical, so they're true, and they're positive. Who wants to read about bad things? There was a little bit of it, but I didn't think too much about it. In my post-war memoirs, I talk about my experiences during this time and the events that happened at that time. This continued into the years of the economic miracle. In the Heimatgefühle aus Neu-Tempelhof, I describe the world I lived in, including a bit of the city's history, and I haven't quite finished yet. Neu-Tempelhof is interesting for two reasons. It is historically significant and it is an example of urban development. The 60s were a time of young love, fun trips, and cool cars. People socialized with friends and co-workers. There is also contemporary history. In the 70s, they say goodbye to grandma and look to the West, with lots of free time for fun. In the stories from Kurfürstendamm, I describe my experiences on this street. It is also a journey through time, from the ruins of the memorial church to the boulevard in its festive splendor. Bill Haley's rock and roll, the Beatles'"Let It Be," and the Let's Twist Again song are some examples. The song by Hildegard Knef is unforgettable. My student Christmas stories are at the end. There are some interesting things in there, but I don't want to spoil the surprise. I have illustrated the stories, using my own photos, photos I found online, and photos from books. I thought to myself,"This will show that the stories are true." The illustrated stories from West Berlin are followed in a second volume by stories from West Germany, where I still spend the second half of my life.

Born on August 6, 1941 in Berlin-Mitte, grew up in shattered West Berlin, finished secondary school. Followed by an apprenticeship in the metal trade, evening school to become a mechanical engineering technician. Educational initiative: Secondary school leaving certificate, studied industrial engineering at the Technical University of Berlin, Dipl.-Ing., volunteer work in South Africa, doctorate in engineering. Technical articles and 1st publication. Worked as a business consultant, later in the defense sector. Married to a dentist since 1982, two daughters and two grandchildren. Wrote a novella about a Berlin friendship and his many travels have resulted in two books. He is particularly fond of the two protagonists Kalle and Manni, two real Berliners who are upset by the educated classes of all kinds.

Post-war memories


From the beginning

My post-war memories begin with the Allied air raids on the center of Berlin. Simeonstraße, where I lived with my mother and aunt, grandma and grandpa, was completely destroyed in the hail of bombs. Thus bombed out, the Beck family was assigned an apartment at Burgherrenstraße 11, not far from Tempelhof Airport. Grandpa was put to work repairing Me 109s and other fighter planes. I will tell you more about life in Burgherrenstraße in the post-war period, from the time of the economic miracle until I finished school. But what happened before that? How and in what circumstances did the Beck family live in Berlin-Mitte back then?

The idea came to me while reading a crime novel by Philipp Kerr. In the first book of his “Berlin Trilogy” (March Violets), he describes the impression his protagonist, private detective Berni Günther, got of Simeonstraße when he visited a Jewish fence there. Incidentally, the Kerr crime novels were the basis for Volker Kutscher's “Babylon Berlin”.

From Alte Jakobstraße, which runs parallel to Lindenstraße, you can see Simeonstraße through the gate, followed by Wassertorstraße, where you can see the Evangelical Simeon Church. At the end you come to Prinzenstraße, where there was a crossing in GDR times. Kerr's protagonist describes Simeonstraße in 1936 something like this:

“Simeonstraße was only a few streets away from Neuenburger Straße, but differed in that in Neuenburger Straße only the paint was peeling off the window frames, but in Simeonstraße the

window glass was missing. A really poor area. The 5- to 6-storey tenements stood high above the narrow cobbled street, over which clotheslines were stretched.”

“Sullen youths loitered in the dark doorways, staring at the snot-nosed children playing noisily on the sidewalks, unimpressed by the swastika and hammer-and-sickle graffiti on the walls of the houses, not to mention the obscene images”

“Below the littered street level and in the shadows of the buildings were cellar stores offering goods and services. But there was no need for them.”

The Beck family lived at Simeonstraße 7 for at least 20 years. This can be seen from daughter Ilse's birth certificate, which was issued by the Prussian Registry Office VI from 1924 to the end of 1944.

My mother and my aunt Ille spent their childhood there, went to elementary school and were baptized and confirmed in the Simeon Church. I was also baptized there. Grandma was very fond of this.

The picture shows the street around 1930. People are trading firewood for potato peelings. In the background you can see the passageway to Alte Jakobstraße, on the other side of the street, where passers-by are walking, you can see one of the cellar stores. The poor pavement can also be seen. If you were to walk in the other direction, you would reach Simeonkirche.

I wonder if the Becks were queuing here too. And whether they lived all the time in the dark first floor apartment at the back of the house that I remember. In a photo from 1935 at the fountain in Urbanstraße in March, all four of them don't look like poor people, but rather well-dressed for the time. Perhaps Kerr exaggerated the circumstances in his novel. As a Scot, he knows that things were similar in Glasgow.

For the Becks, the assignment to Tempelhof was probably a gain, an apartment for the better-off. Even if they all lived in one room. Bright, with a balcony, there was central heating and an elevator, which later also worked.

Simeonstrasse 1944/45

To anticipate, Simeonstraße no longer exists. It was completely destroyed during the war. You can still find it on previous city maps, see illustration.

We lived in this street at the time, in a rear building or side wing, on the first floor, the apartment was dark. Grandma and Grandpa probably