Only Yesterday: Remembering East Germany
GUEST COLUMN
“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
SUBSCRIBEYou May Also Enjoy
A reader, responding to my slap at Karl Marx and Adam Smith (Jan.-Feb.), has sent…
The Democrats are by and large the enemy, but the Republicans are by and large false friends.
When sacrilegious art -- like a painting depicting the Virgin Mary wearing a G-string -- appears on a Catholic campus, what should be the proper response?