Today Pegman takes us to Berlin’s Stresemannstraße in the former GDR.
Feel free to stroll around the area using the Google street view and grab any picture you choose to include in your post.
To enjoy stories inspired by the What Pegman Saw prompt or to submit your own 150-word story, visit the inLinkz button:
For guidelines and rules for the What Pegman Saw weekly writing prompt, visit the home page.
Thanks to J Hardy Carroll and K Rawson for facilitating this weekly challenge.
Some of you might remember a shorter version of this story. I confess. It’s a refurbished rerun. It just seemed to fit and it’s been two years since I posted it. Perhaps the addition of fifty words has freshened it up a bit.
Genre: Historical Fiction
Word Count: 150
UNTER DER WAND
“Hurry, Annika.” Vati whispered, glanced over his shoulder at the border guards and pulled me by the hand down Bernauer Strasse. “Mr. Schulenburg and his friends have risked their lives for this moment. This is our one and only chance to get to West.”
“What about Fritz?”
“Forget him!”
It was October 1964, a few days before my seventh birthday. What did I care of Mr. Schulenburg’s sacrifice? I only cared about Fritz.
Blinded by tears, I stumbled into a crowded building once used as a toilettenhäuschen where we followed other refugees through a hole in the floor. My father held me as we crawled through the dank tunnel. Within minutes we were lifted out on the other side.
While others shouted for joy I mourned my loss.
“Don’t cry, Liebling.” Vati grinned and took a groggy puppy from his coat pocket. “I couldn’t forget him either.”
Once more I share a link that’s worth a little over three minutes of your time.
Excellent story as always, Rochelle. I knew you’d have a good one for this prompt;-)
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Dear Josh,
It seemed just the right location for pulling an oldie out of the attic and giving it a slightly new look. Glad it worked. Thank you. 😀
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Ah yes! I do remember (I’ve been at FF that long?)
Such a lovely story it is, too!
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My dear friend,
Two years has gone by fast, hasn’t it? Apparently you were there for the first run. Glad you’ve stayed for the long haul. Who else would listen to my kvetching with as much tolerance? Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Kvetch shmetch!
Time flies in good company…
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Good story with a great ending.
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Thank you m’love. 😀
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I saw the wall last summer.. it was a bit surreal. We also went to a very small town out in the country where the wall went thru. I can’t even begin to imagine what it would be like to know your loved ones were so close and you were forbidden from contact. It made me so sad… 😟
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Dear Courtney,
I haven’t seen the wall in person. One day perhaps. I can’t imagine the pain of the separation either. The lengths that these people went to is amazing and inspiring. Thanks for stopping by to read and leave a comment.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Dear Rochelle you are the first at the party! Wonderfully woven story. You truly have a gift for bringing history to life and for injecting tender details to make it real.
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Dear Karen,
I did kind of ‘cheat’ by pulling one from my Friday Fictioneers archives. On the other hand, it’s a story that fits and one of my favorites. Just added fifty extra words. 😉 Thank you for such high praise. I’m blushing…and grinning.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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That’s not cheating 😉 That is just giving one of your wonderful stories a little bit more room to breathe.
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😀
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Thank you for this heartwarming story and another bit of interesting history 🙂
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Dear Dahlia,
Thank you for coming by and taking the time to leave a comment.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Entirely my pleasure Rochelle. I missed reading and commenting these past few weeks. I managed this week, who knows about the next 😉
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I’ve had a crazy week myself and find myself playing ‘catch-up.’ 😉
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What a delightful ending. All that worry and panic of a seven-year-old over a little puppy – and why not – while the adults try for a better life. Fun that we both found a part of the painted wall.
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Dear Lish,
When you’re seven what could be more important than your puppy? I like the way we both went to the wall the week. 😉 Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Me, too!
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Suspenseful and endearing, Rochelle. I have to admit, I almost wrote a tale about the Berlin Wall until I settled on another topic.
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Dear James,
Glad you liked this one. So many ways to go with Berlin. 😉 I like what you did. Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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You’ve depicted those days very clearly. I remember reading about those tunnels and the people who managed to escape from the East before the guards tore them open and fired on the people caught inside.
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Dear Christine,
Thank you for such an encouraging and affirming comment.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Wonderfully written. It’s amazing to think how recently the wall came down, and how many loved ones were separated by it.
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Dear Magarisa,
It really hasn’t been that long ago since the wall came down. I remember it. It seems Germany went from horrific to merely terrible. Thank you. 😀
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Superb story embellished with just the right ingredients. You are amazing, as always, dear Rochelle.
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