1990: A Visit to Berlin as the Cold War Thaws by Jan Westbury

In the summer of 1990, a few months after the Berlin Wall came down, I travelled the 100 miles from the West German border town of Helmstedt, along what was called the ‘autobahn corridor’ through East Germany, into West Berlin and back.

The map below shows the remoteness of West Berlin from West Germany, located in the Soviet occupied East Germany. Two separate countries requiring travel documents to move between the two. However, most East Germans were not allowed to leave their country or travel between East and West Berlin.

Although symbolically the wall between East and West Berlin was down, many restrictions remained in place, particularly for serving personnel, until the unification of East and West Germany in October 1990 and the eventual withdrawal of all occupying troops by 1994.

As a serving officer in the British Army, to travel to and from West Berlin along the autobahn corridor, I required a special movement order from the Allied Forces (British, French & American) Checkpoint in Helmstedt and West Berlin respectively. 

Once you left West Germany or West Berlin and were in East Germany you had to present your movement order at the Russian Army Checkpoints both on entering and leaving East Germany. A most surreal situation, having to take my travel documents to the Russian posts to be approved and stamped. Although I was not in uniform, the Russian soldiers saluted me, and I had to return the salute each time before entering to get my document stamped and again on leaving. I tried to do my absolute best salute so as not to let the QARANC down. I do hope the Russians were impressed!

It was great to be in the British Military, as masses of civilian cars and lorries queued at the East German controlled border posts, whereas we had special military lanes that took us straight to the Russian controlled posts for checking. This usually ensured a quick getaway, provided your documents were correct. However, if any details were incorrect on the movement order, even a full stop missing, you could be refused access to the autobahn corridor or even worse, detained by the Russians for many hours. It was always an anxious time as your documents were scrutinised.  You were also warned not to get involved in discussions with the KGB officers who frequented these checkpoints.

It was an interesting trip to experience so many early changes just months after the wall began to be dismantled. It was reported the Russian soldiers were not being paid and we observed them surreptitiously selling their uniforms at the Soviet War Memorial in West Berlin. Hats were very popular.

Amazingly it was easy to walk alongside the wall, as much of it was still in place and there were no restrictions. Indeed, we wandered around over the top of what had been Hitler’s underground bunker, where he was considered to have committed suicide. 

Standing on top of what had been Hitler’s Bunker with the Reich Stag in the background, without the dome that has now been restored.

Nearby was 'the death strip', an area of land between East and West Berlin during the Cold War, where people died trying to escape from the East to the West. 

It was not long before the wasteland was replaced by flats and hotels.

There were large gaps in the wall and at that time you could just pick up a piece of the wall as a memento, although many stall holders around were making money selling the lumps of concrete. A huge section of the wall had been removed and in just a few months there were high rise buildings reportedly built by the Japanese in the Eastern part of the city. The old buildings in the East had not been renovated and many of them had bullet holes and damage dating back to the Second World War.

A once divided city was very quickly developing and thriving. It was a trip I would never forget.


Jan Westbury - Retired Nursing Officer QARANC and currently an active member of the Jurassic Coast Branch of the QARANC Association.