German-German border these days

[Alex_B]

Some of you might still remember the cold war.

Here are two shots of the former German-German border in the Harz region as it looks like today .. no more fences, no more watchtowers, no more patrols ... and nature is slowly reclaiming ...

1:

2:

 

[THORHAMMER]

its a treat to be able to see the decay of these previous installations

 

[Antarctican]

^^^ Yes, how apropos that nature is burying the evidence of those times.

 

[DeepSpring]

I love the first one. Beautiful

 

[Tangerini]

For such simple images they are certiantly packed with a lot of meaning. They are both very nice.

 

[Scooter]

Very nice!

 

[Alex_B]

Thanks all.

I know, photographically they could be better, but I posted them also to share

 

[lostprophet]

Although its not Berlin the first shot makes me think of the Marillion song Berlin,

Someone got stranded in no man's land
Dancing in the spotlight to the sound of clapping hands
Nobody knows who's side he was on
It's a risk that you take in no man's land
Nobody knows what made him decide
To run for freedom and to certain suicide

 

[Alex_B]

well, those were bad times ... I had relatives on both sides of the iron curtain ... not really fun! Also one of my relatives escaped from the east.

 

[LaFoto]

... how apropos that nature is burying the evidence of those times.

Very true, Jeanne, and many of those former border areas have become our most treasured nature resorts where there now are plants and wildlife that has never been there before and our wildlife foundations try as they might to keep these new little resort areas and have them grow and develop.

I have never been to Harz in the after-reunification times and am surprised at how clearly the former border is still to be seen, which might also be because of the patrolling road being kept sort of "intact"... when you cross the former border on the Autobahn at Helmstedt you can look to the left and the right and see only little of what once was a border. Next to nothing, really (I find), but they left one of the watchtowers standing as monument. And the former customs offices are still there, too, but in decay, so I wonder what is going to happen with those...

When have you been to Harz last, Alex?
Next time you go, give me a shout and I might head your way, too. (Though getting from here to Harz is about as long a journey as getting from here do D'dorf, maybe half an hour or an hour less).

My son is just telling me he has gone down that path when he was on triathlon training camp in Harz ... but not on the racer bikes, of course, but on their mountain bikes.

 

[lostprophet]

good for nature!!

as soon as we make a mess of something and leave it nature comes along and takes over

 

[Alex_B]

When have you been to Harz last, Alex?

That was when I took those images, early spring 2004. Not much changed since then I'd guess.

Funny enough, more than 20 years before I was at exactly the spot which is shown at the images ... but unfortunately without a camera those days...

Next time you go, give me a shout and I might head your way, too.

I can try, but it won'T be too soon I guess!

 

[lostprophet]

well, those were bad times ... I had relatives on both sides of the iron curtain ... not really fun! Also one of my relatives escaped from the east.

I can't even imagine what that must of been like for everyone, not what you'd call a lot of fun

 

[LaFoto]

Early spring of 2004 ... let me think ... what it then that Florian was there, too? Not... no ... he was there in spring of 2005 and they still had quite a bit of snow.