Dear Emma...
4003 Elm Street
East Berlin, Germany 616
June 10, 1962
Dear Emma,
How are you? I have not seen you since the Berlin Wall was built in August of last year. I miss spending the weekends gossiping with you while the kids were playing together in the yard. We never ran out of things to say! Are your children doing well? You would not recognize mine if you saw them, they have grown so much. Mary talks about Jane all the time; she was always a good role model for her.
What is West Berlin like now? The government here in East Berlin prevents us from knowing what it is like on the other side of the wall. The only knowledge I have of West Berlin is from the commercials on television advertising the luxuries and advancements of the West. It makes me feel as though they are persuading citizens to move there, but we really do not have the choice to leave. The guards at the wall will shoot any one they see trying to escape. Also, the government regulates our traveling so it is near impossible to leave. Sometimes I get the urge to escape but my better judgment always creeps in.
I hope everything is going well for you and your family. Even though the government over here is strict, we still get by just fine. I wish to live under a capitalist rule. I wish that for my children especially. Communism is not something I have ever endorsed but living under it has not been unbearable. I hope soon we can see each other again. I hope all of Germany can unite again.
Please respond soon.
Sincerely,
Caroline Schneider
East Berlin, Germany 616
June 10, 1962
Dear Emma,
How are you? I have not seen you since the Berlin Wall was built in August of last year. I miss spending the weekends gossiping with you while the kids were playing together in the yard. We never ran out of things to say! Are your children doing well? You would not recognize mine if you saw them, they have grown so much. Mary talks about Jane all the time; she was always a good role model for her.
What is West Berlin like now? The government here in East Berlin prevents us from knowing what it is like on the other side of the wall. The only knowledge I have of West Berlin is from the commercials on television advertising the luxuries and advancements of the West. It makes me feel as though they are persuading citizens to move there, but we really do not have the choice to leave. The guards at the wall will shoot any one they see trying to escape. Also, the government regulates our traveling so it is near impossible to leave. Sometimes I get the urge to escape but my better judgment always creeps in.
I hope everything is going well for you and your family. Even though the government over here is strict, we still get by just fine. I wish to live under a capitalist rule. I wish that for my children especially. Communism is not something I have ever endorsed but living under it has not been unbearable. I hope soon we can see each other again. I hope all of Germany can unite again.
Please respond soon.
Sincerely,
Caroline Schneider
Explanation: I chose to write a letter between two friends who are separated by the wall. Many families and friends were torn apart due to the building of the wall. It was very tragic and many people feared they would never see each other again. Writing letters was a common form of communication during the time. This letter is written by a woman in East Berlin who is trying to reach out to an old friend living in West Berlin.
Source: I used one primary source which described the history of the wall and the living conditions of East and West Berlin ("Berlin History").
Source: I used one primary source which described the history of the wall and the living conditions of East and West Berlin ("Berlin History").