Volume > Issue > Only Yesterday: Remembering East Germany

Only Yesterday: Remembering East Germany

GUEST COLUMN

By Nancy O. McAdams | March 1990
Nancy O. McAdams is a substitute teacher in the public schools of Princeton, New Jersey.

 

“You want to search my box of Pampers?” I exclaimed.

I couldn’t believe I’d heard the border guard at Checkpoint Charlie correctly. And why was she eying me so suspiciously?

Yet, of course, in April 1988 it was East German security policy to examine all incom­ing vehicles in the search for drugs, books, tapes — anything that might corrupt or con­taminate the East German citizenry.

The guard removed the Pampers box from my car and examined it with a mechanical de­vice. She then selected one of several bags in my trunk to inspect, plus the glove compart­ment in the car, before she felt satisfied I was not transporting any illegal material into East Berlin.

Enjoyed reading this?

READ MORE! REGISTER TODAY

SUBSCRIBE

Archives

1983 1984 1985 1986 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997 1996 1995 1994 1993 1992 1991 1990 1989 1988 1987 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025

Topics
"Catholicism's Intellectual Prizefighter!"

- Karl Keating

Strengthen the Catholic cause.

SUPPORT NOR TODAY

SUBSCRIBE

You May Also Enjoy

The Will

I’ve heard of those on milk and honey fed

But when I set about to…

Letter to the Editor: May 1994

Slouching Toward Civil War... A Non-Catholic Views Smorgasborg 'Catholics'... Oxford's Bad Grammar... Chesterton: No Curmudgeon... When Catholic Schools Aren't Catholic... ...

Briefly: May 2010

Review of The Fourth Secret of Fatima... A Postcard From the Volcano... The New Ecumenism: How the Catholic Church After Vatican II Took Over the Leadership of the World Ecumenical Movement...