A Soldier in the DDR, Erich Wittmann's Diary-1989. Fall of the Berlin Wall.

A Soldier In the DDR.

[size=12]Back-story of; Erich Wittmann.

[size=12]‘’Präsentiert das Gewehr!
[size=12]The sound of hundreds of soldiers presenting their arms can be heard, the column of hundreds or thousands stretches out along the street, ‘’Links auf!’’ The columns of soldier’s changes to the left direction in a second, the sound of jackboots hitting the stone street can be heard as a harmonic sound. ‘’Für das vaterland und Deutschland!’’ ‘’Marsch’’ The orchestra starts to softly beat on their drums, and blowing into their flutes. The columns marches down the streets, as they reaches the middle of it, the drums begins to beat heavy and the flutes begins to play in a powerful sound of patriotism. The trombone and trumpets joins in, blowing powerfully in their instruments.

The goose-stepping soldiers marches with precision and discipline, the black jackboots and the metal clacks on them sends the sound of the marching soldiers, their clean and pressed uniforms and the medals in German. This was the Nationale Volksarmee, the Army of the Deutsche DemokratischeRepublik. More known as East Germany.

Erich Wittmann, born in Dresden 1970, and was conscripted into the National People’s Army at the year of 1988, at the age of eighteen. After completing school.

His grandfather served the ‘’Waffen-SS’’ Panzer Divizionen. During World War Two, who was a panzer ace, Named ‘’Michael Wittmann’’, which was famous for destroying over one hundred of enemy tanks with his ‘’Tiger’’.

Erich’s father; Johan Wittmann, who was born 1938. And lived through the National socialist regime in Dresden, Germany. Was conscripted into the army, 1958. Until he was resigned from the Army, was offered a state job. He worked for the DDR government, by delivering information to the ‘’Stasi’’ The East German Secret Police. He later resigned from the Stasi, through some hard demands and settled down and started to search for Civilian jobs. At the age of 33, he brought born to Erich.

His mother; Amelinda Wittmann, born 1938, Dresden. Met Johan the first time, at the age of twelve in the school in Dresden, there they both developed a friendship and later got married. Works as a Teacher in Berlin’s Youth University.

The German Democratic Republic is crumbling, the Soviet Union lost in Afghanistan and the Soviet rule is beginning to loose, in Poland several Democratic movements have been established and in Hungary and in the Czech Socialist Republic, demonstrations trains have been made, and in Rumania, President Nicolae Ceaușescu remains unpopular, and a civil unrest might as well develop at anytime. The NVA training was harsh and humiliating, many gave up. But Erich remained strong, because at home, he knew his girl friend; Erika Müller, waiting for him. He used to sing the old Wehrmacht song ‘’Erika’’, which his father taught him as young, since it reminded him about his love back home, he still remember the lyrics, it was: Auf der heide blüth ein kleines Blümelein, und das heist; Erika.

(On the heath a little flower blooms and it's called: Erika.)








Diary-Erich Wittmann, 1989




I remember, the sound of our boots clashing together as we goose stepped across the street, down to the heart of Berlin. Later that day I was posted to guard the ‘’Wall’’. Which the most people knew as the Berlin wall, I had orders to shot anyone who tried to cross it. Which I couldn’t think of even, I wouldn’t harm any innocent man or women, just because they want. A few months later, I was promoted to Corporal, and was directly posted as the Officer of the main checkpoint of the Berlin wall. I still remember the tensions, thousands of cars was in front of me, honking and wanted me to move, which I refused….The news of the Berlin wall being open for anyone hadn’t reached us who were posted at the wall, only when my girl friend, who I for the first time on months seen, came to me and told me about it. I was in shock and didn’t know what to do, all around me, thousands of people started to gather around me, climbing over the wall, some even brought tools and sledge-hammers and started to destroy the wall, the people kept yelling at us as we told them to stay back, then…On the TV, which I saw through the window of the Guard’s Resting place, I could see the politicians ordering the opening to West Berlin for everyone, I ordered the soldiers to open the gates and let the cars pass, the yells formed into cheers and all over us, people came to hug me and my men, and the cars kept swarming over the border. Erika grabbed onto my uniform, and pulled me to her, and hugged me, I responded in kissing her, the a camera man appeared on the scene and filmed the opening of the wall, and got us on tape. I remember, my father seeing us of television from his house, together with my mother. They told me they smiled as they saw us together, and my grandfather on my mother’s side, who was in hospital after a recent heart-attack perhaps smiled at us, since he died in his sleep minutes later. The supreme officer came to me later, asked me why the people are flooding over to West Germany, I told him. The German Democratic Republic is dead, they announced it on Television, open your borders as well for these people. He quickly went away, and all over East Germany the news came, and the Berlin wall was flooded by people over several days.

I've noticed both of your threads are set in 1990s USSR. And they're both very good, damn shame that you don't expand them more ol' boy.