Synopses & Reviews
Growing up, what Sanford Tweedie knew about East Germany was basically . . . nothing. West Germans were our friends; East Germans, the enemy. In 2000, somewhat better informed, Tweedie took advantage of a Fulbright Scholarship to move his family to the eastern German town of Erfurt for the academic year. Far from home and the familiar, with temporary status and a tenuous grasp of the language, he and his wife were curious to see how they would function shorn of all the rules that governed their daily lives—housing, food acquisition, transportation, and even basic communication. As soon as their taxi delivered them to their grim tan and concrete Soviet-vintage apartment building, they knew their education had begun.
Learning about life in the former East Germany, amid the feverish embrace of Western culture and the tenacious legacy of a totalitarian past, Tweedie comes to understand the deeper cultural assumptions through which Americans view the larger world. Part travelogue, part history, part cultural critique, all thoroughly engrossing, the story of his yearlong experience is one of dislocation and accommodation, making a German town his own and now ours.
Review
“Tweedie has achieved what the best memoirs strive for. Beyond telling the story of a year in Germany, In the Shadows of a Fallen Wall is an eloquent argument for trying something novel, learning something new, and embracing discomfort to become a bigger, better, and more compassionate person.”—Julija Šukys, author of Epistolophilia: Writing the Life of Ona Šimaitė D. Driftless - Readers Lane
Review
“Few Americans these days take the trouble to investigate a country about which they know less than they think. Sanford Tweedie has, and the result is a lucidly written and perceptive account of one familys experience of a Germany that—though now united—is not yet as one.”—Michael Gorra, author of Portrait of a Novel: Henry James and the Making of an American Masterpiece Julija Sukys
Review
"In the Shadows of a Fallen Wall is highly recommended."—Jack Mason, Midwest Book Review Jack Mason
Review
"Tweedie's bravery and persistence in the face of formidable challenges makes for an entertaining and recommended read."—D. Driftless, Readers Lane Midwest Book Review
Review
“This comprehensive, well-illustrated book offers the reader fascinating insights into the world’s most notorious Wall." —Paul Sullivan, Slow Travel Berlin
Review
“A picturesque tour to the remembrances of the Wall that gives you a unique feeling about Berlin history." —Dorothee Dubrau, planning commissioner, Berlin-Mitte and Leipzig
Review
"It's not just a guide, but a commentary on the significance of the Wall. It highlights the dark history of the Iron Curtain, as well as its political and artistic legacy as a canvas and cultural landmark. Readers will be rewarded with a multi-faceted manual to understanding both the complexity and significance of a world-famous symbol." —Justinian Jampol, director, Wende Museum, Los Angeles
Synopsis
A tour of the last traces and fading memories of the Berlin Wall, this book takes the reader to memorials, parks, backyards, train tracks, factories, churches, and Prussian cemeteries. There are stories of struggle, desperation, survival, rebirth, and a history that shaped the post- war world. Also depicted are the people of Berlin as they are reclaiming and memorializing the ground where the Wall once stood: Mauer Park, where young people from all over world gather to party; a guard tower that is now the Museum of Forbidden Art; the Topography of Terror Museum, which includes the former Gestapo headquarters; and landmarks such as the Reichstag, the East Side Gallery, and Checkpoint Charlie.
About the Author
Michael Cramer is a member of the European Parliament who acts as speaker for the Green Party in the committee on transport and tourism. He lives in Berlin. Eva C. Schweitzer is the founder and owner of Berlinica, a New York-based publisher devoted to all things Berlin for Americans. She is the author of Manhattan Moments and the photographer of Wings of Desire. She lives in New York City.