Julia Wallach

Julia Wallach

Julia Wallach was born Julia Kac on June 14, 1925 in Paris, France.

She was the only Daughter of Polish Jewish Immigrants living in France.

Julia was 14 years old when the Germans invaded and occupied Paris in June 1940.

Julia’s Mother, Marie, was arrested during the Vel’ d’Hiv Roundup and Julia never saw her again.

The Vel’ d’Hiv Roundup (French:  la rafle du Vel' d'Hiv' and German: Rafle du Vélodrome d’Hiver) took place on July 16-17, 1942 in German-Occupied Paris.

French Nazi Collaborators including 9,000 Paris Policemen, arrested 13,152 Jews including 4,114 Children in Paris and kept them at the Vélodrome d'Hiver (an Indoor Bicycle Racing Track) in Paris before being sent to the Auschwitz Death Camp in German-Occupied Poland.

Only 100 of the 9,038 Adult Jews arrested during the Roundup survived the War.

None of the 4,114 Jewish Children arrested during the Roundup survived the War.

On April 1943 Julia and were Father, Joseph, who were in hiding, were denounced as Jews and arrested.

They were imprisoned at the Drancy Internment Camp outside of Paris.

On June 23, 1943 both were deported to the Auschwitz Death Camp in German-Occupied Poland on Transport Number 55.

Of the 1,008 Men, Women and Children deported from Drancy to Auschwitz on Transport Number 55 with Julia and her Father 518 of them were gassed immediately upon arrival at the Camp.

383 Men and 217 Women were selected for Forced Labor including Julia.

Her Father, Joseph, died (it is not known if he was gassed upon arriving at Auschwitz or from doing Forced Labor there.)

Julia was registered as Prisoner Number: 46645 at Auschwitz.

Julia survived in Auschwitz until she was made to go on a Death March in January 1945 (because the Soviet Red Army was close to liberating the Death Camp.)

She walked in the snow and cold with 58,000 other Prisoners.

Anyone who stopped was shot dead by the Germans.

Julia ended up in the Ravensbrück Concentration Camp 56 miles from Berlin.

As the Soviets again came close to liberating Ravensbrück Julia was sent on another Death March in April 1945 from which she escaped and eventually reached American Soldiers.

She was 19 years old when the War ended in May 1945.

After the War Julia went back to Paris and recovered her Family’s Apartment (which many Survivors in Postwar Europe were not allowed to do.)

On July 27, 1945 Julia married Marcel Wallach, another Holocaust Survivor, and had two Children.

From the 1960s onwards she regularly spoke about the Holocaust and what happed to her.

In  2022 Julia was awarded France’s Légion d’honneur.

Julia Wallach died on September 23, 2026 at the age of 101.

V-J Day

 

85: Star of David

85 years ago today (September 1, 1941) the Germans required Jews in Germany, Austria and Czechoslovakia  to wear a Yellow Star of David with the German Word “Jude” for “Jew.”

(A Jewish Girl in German-Occupied Croatia forced to wear a Star of David with the Ž for “Židov”, English: “Jew” on it.)

Every Man, Woman and Child over the age of 6 had to buy these Badges (using their own Clothing Ration Coupons) and have them clearly visible on their outer clothing (including a coat) so that they could easily be identified and discriminated against for being Jewish.

When Germany invaded Poland on September 1, 1939 they required Jews there to wear a White Armband with a Blue Star of David for the same purpose.

(Jewish People in German-Occupied Belgium forced to wear the Star of David with the J (for "Jude" in German, "Juif" in French and "Jood" in Dutch.)

Parts of Poland had different Badges. In German-Occupied Warsaw Jews had to wear the Armband and in German-Occupied Lodz Jews had to wear the Yellow Star (because that part of Poland was illegally annexed into Germany.)

(A Jewish Man in German-Occupied Poland forced to wear the Star of David Armband.)

In every European and North African Country/Territory that Germany occupied during World War 2 the Jews there had to wear similar Identifying Badges with the local name for “Jew” on it (French: “Juif”, Dutch: “Jood”, Croatian: Ž for “Židov”, English: “Jew” for the British Channel Islands which Germany occupied, etc.)

Failure to not wear the Armband or the Star or to “hide it” and not have it clearly visible resulted in instant death.

This requirement was on top of every Jewish Man, Woman and Child having to carry an Identity Card with a large “J” on it – since 1938 in Germany and every German Jewish Man, Woman and Child having to add either “Israel” for Men or “Sara” for Women to their Names to be “more easily recognizable as Jews” – since 1936.

The Germans wanted to first identity the Jews and then to murder them.

82: Parade

(American Victory Parade in Paris, France – August 29, 1944.)

82 years ago today (August 25, 1944) Paris was liberated from the Germans.

2,000 Parisian Civilians were killed during the Liberation of Paris.

1,600 French Resistance Members were killed.

130 Free French Soldiers were killed.

The 2nd Armored Division suffered 71 killed and 225 wounded.

12,800 Germans became Prisoners of War.

10,000 Parisians who had Collaborated (French Women had their heads shaved) with the Germans were arrested and tried, 8,000 were convicted, and 116 were executed by the Allies after the War.

General Dietrich von Choltitz was sent to London, England where he stayed for the remainder of the War and then he was transferred to Camp Clinton in Mississippi, USA until his release in 1947. He died in 1966.

General Charles de Gaulle became Chairman of the Provisional Government of the French Republic from June 1944 until January 1946 then the French Prime Minister from 1958-1959 and then the French President from 1959-1969. He died in 1970.

“Is Paris Burning” is a 1966 Film that shows the Liberation of Paris (blending acting with archival footage.

82: Paris

82 years ago today (August 25, 1944) Paris, France was liberated from German Occupation by the Americans, the British and the Free French during World War 2.

(As Allied Troops enter Paris on August 25, 1944, celebrating crowds on place De La Concorde scatter for cover from small bands of remaining German Snipers.)

Paris had been occupied by the Germans since June 14, 1940. A Curfew was in effect from 9 pm in until 5 am and at night, the City of Light went dark.

Rationing of food, tobacco, coal and clothing was initiated in September 1940. Every year the supplies grew scarcer and the prices higher. The French Press and Radio Broadcast only German Propaganda.

Jews in Paris were forced to wear the Yellow Star of David Badge and were barred from Professions and Public Places.

On July 16-17, 1942, 13,152 Parisian Jews, including 4,115 Children, were rounded up by the French Police, on orders of the Germans, and were sent to the Auschwitz Death Camp in German-Occupied Poland (of the 76,000 French Jews deported from France.)

Following the Allied Invasion of Normandy on June, 6, 1944, the French Resistance in Paris launched an Uprising on August 19th, seizing the Police Headquarters and other Government Buildings.

On August 7, 1944 , Dietrich von Choltitz was appointed the Military Governor of the Garrison of "Greater Paris" (Groβ Paris) with 20,000 German Soldiers in Paris.

The French Resistance in Paris had 19,000 Members , but only 60 hand guns, a few machine guns, and no heavy weapons.

On August 20th Barricades were erected across Paris by the French Resistance and Ordinary Parisians. Fighting broke out between the French Resistance and the Germans from August 20th to 25th when the Resistance was joined by the Free French and the Americans.

General von Choltitz had been ordered by Hitler to leave the city a "heap of burning ruins", but he also realized the battle was lost, and he did not want to be captured by the Resistance.

Through the offices of the Swedish Consul-General, Raoul Nordling, he ignored Hitler's orders and arranged a truce. In the afternoon of the 25th he traveled from his Headquarters in the Hôtel Meurice to the Montparnasse Train Station, the Headquarters of General Leclerc, where he signed the Surrender.

The Occupation of Paris was officially over.

General Charles de Gaulle held his Free French Victory Parade in Paris on August 26, 1944.

America held its Victory Parade in Paris on August 29, 1944.

35: World

The World honors Ukraine's fight over Russia on Ukraine's 35th Independence Day today!

Black Ribbon

Black Ribbon Day

Today (August 23rd) is Black Ribbon Day. It is the day the European Union, Georgia, the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States remembers the Men, Women and Children murdered by both the Nazis and the Communists. The date was chosen because it was when the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact between the German Nazis and the Soviet Communists was signed in 1939.

The Nazis murdered 24,826,424 Men, Women and Children (Non-Military Civilians) from 1933-1945.

That number also includes those in Targeted Groups that the Nazis specifically went after:

 Jews:   6 Million Men, Women and Children;

Non-Jewish Polish Civilians: 3 Million Men, Women and Children

People with Disabilities: 270,000 Men, Women and Children (doesn’t include the 375,000 Disabled who were Forcibly Sterilized)

Roma and Sinti (Gypsies): 500,000- 1.5 Million Men, Women and Children

Jehovah's Witnesses:  5,000 Men, Women and Children

Homosexuals:  9,000 Men and Women in Concentration Camps (Doesn’t include the 50,000 Men and Women held in Regular Prisons)

 

 The Communists murdered 149,469,610 Men, Women and Children (Non-Military Civilians)  Worldwide since 1917 and the Communists in China, Cuba, Vietnam, Laos and North Korea continue murdering Innocent People.

We should also remember the Ukrainian Men, Women and Children being murdered by the Russian Nazi Zs since 2022.

81: The End

 

81 years ago today (August 15, 1945) World War 2 ended with Victory Over Japan Day (V-J Day.)

 

75 Million Men, Women and Children died during World War 2 (1939-1945.)

55 Million of that Number were Civilians.

 

Canada:

In 1939 Canada had a Population of: 11,267,000

42,000 Canadian Soldiers died during the War.

1,600 Canadian Civilians died during the War.

53,174 Canadian Soldiers were Wounded during the War.

 

The United Kingdom:

In 1939 the United Kingdom had a Population of: 47,760,000 (not including British Colonies.)

383,700 British Soldiers died during the War.

67,200 British Civilians died during the War.

376,239 British Soldiers were Wounded during the War.

 

The United States of America:

In 1939 the United States had a Population of: 131,028,000 (not including American Territories of Alaska, Hawaii, the Philippines, Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands, etc.)

407,300  American Soldiers died during the War.

12,100 American Civilians died during the War.

671,801 American Soldiers were Wounded during the War.

VJ Day

 

81: Fronts

 81: All Fronts

2026 is the 81^st Anniversary of the end of World War 2.

The United States is the only country that fought in every single Theater of World War 2.

The US fought from December 7, 1941 until August 14, 1945.

16,112,566 Americans served in the United States Armed Forces, with 291,557 killed and 671,278 wounded.

130,201 Americans became Prisoners of War, of whom 116,129 returned home after the War.

19,000 American Civilians (Men, Women and Children) were interned by either the Germans or the Japanese during World War 2 (1941-1945.)

5,000 American Civilians were interned by the Germans and 14,000 American Civilians were interned by the Japanese.

The US fought in the Atlantic Ocean Theater from 1941-1945 (US Occupied Iceland; US Occupied Greenland, Sank German U-Boats; Sent US Troop Ships to Europe with Soldiers, Weapons and Supplies, etc.)

The US Fought in the Caribbean Theater from 1941-1945 (Sank German U-Boats, Protected Shipping and Raw Materials, built American Bases on Non-American Islands, Protected Dutch Curacao and Aruba Oil from German Attacks, Len Lease, etc.)

The US Fought in the North American Theater from 1941-1945 (Sank German U-Boats off the coast of the US – Torpedo Alley; Protected Shipping Troops and Raw Materials; Stopped German Attacks on the US under Operation Pastorius , Stopped Japanese Attacks on the US – along the West Coast and The Aleutian Islands of Alaska which were occupied by the Japanese from 1942-1943,  Won the Battle of the Saint Lawrence, Lend Lease, etc.)

The US Fought in the Latin American Theater from 1941-1945 (Sank German U-Boats, Built American Bases on Non-American Countries, Carried out Espionage on the Germans, Lend Lease, etc.)

The US Fought in the Western European Theater from 1941-1945 (Lend Lease, Sent Undercover Agents of the Office of Strategic Services to German-Occupied Territory, Bombed Germany, D-Day Landings in northern France, Liberation of France, Operation Market Garden, The Battle of the Bulge, Crossing the Rhine River into Germany, Meeting with the Soviets at the Elbe River, the Liberation of Concentration Camps, etc.)

The US Fought in the Eastern European Theater from 1941-1945 (Lend Lease, Sent Arctic Conveys to supply the USSR, Warsaw Airlift, etc.)

The US Fought in the Mediterranean Theater from 1942-1945 (Sent Conveys to break the Siege of Malta, Invasion of Sicily, Invasion of the rest of Italy, Invasion of southern France, Battle of Anzio, Liberation of Rome, etc.)

The US Fought in the North Africa Theater from 1942-1945 (Operation Torch – Invasion of Morocco and Tunisia, etc.)

The US Fought in the African Theater from 1942-1945 (Lend Lease, Protected against German Attacks, Shipped Raw Materials, etc.)

The US Fought in the Middle East Theater from 1942-1945 (Lend Lease, Sent Materials and Men to British Mandatory of Palestine, Protected Egypt, etc.)

The US Fought in the Antarctic Theater from 1942-1945 (Operation Tabarin, etc.)

The US Fought in the Australia/New Zealand Theater from 1941-1945 (Lend Lease, Protected against Japanese Invasion, Built US Bases, etc.)

The US Fought in the Pacific Theater from 1941-1945 (Fought the Japanese Island-To Island, The American Territories of the Philippines and Guam were Occupied by the Japanese from 1942-1945, Bombed Japan including the Doolittle Raid, Battle of the Coral Sea, Battle of Midway, Battle of Guadalcanal, Sank Japanese Subs, Burma Campaign, Battle of Saipan, Liberation of the Philippines,  Battle of Iwo Jima, Battle of Okinawa, Dropped Atomic Bombs, etc.)

 

5: Fall

It has been Five Years since the Fall of Kabul (August 15, 2021.)

Here is a look at key dates since the Taliban returned to power four years ago, as United States and NATO forces withdrew from the country:

February 29, 2020  - President Trump negotatied and signed the United States–Taliban Deal which reduced America’s Influence in Afghanistan and allowed the Taliban to retake the country (when the US ended Economic Sancations against the Taliban.)

Aug. 15, 2021 — The Taliban march into Kabul as internationally backed President Ashraf Ghani flees the country.

Aug. 26, 2021 — Islamic State group suicide bombers and gunmen kill over 170 Afghans and 13 U.S. troops in an attack on the crowds trying to be evacuated at Kabul’s airport.

March 23, 2022 — On the day high schools are opening, the Taliban abruptly reverse a promise to allow girls above the sixth grade to attend school.

May 7, 2022 — The Taliban Virtue and Vice Ministry says Women in public must wear all-encompassing robes and cover their faces except for their eyes. It advises them to stay home unless they have important work outside the house.

June 22, 2022 — A powerful earthquake hits a remote region of eastern Afghanistan, killing more than 1,100 people. The Taliban struggle with rescue efforts, underscoring a lack of resources and a reliance on aid groups.

July 31, 2022 — The U.S. kills al-Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahri in a drone strike on a safe house in Kabul. American officials accuse the Taliban of sheltering him.

Sept. 30, 2022 — A suicide bomber strikes an education center in a Shiite area of the capital, killing dozens of people, including teenagers taking university entrance exams.

Nov. 10, 2022 — A nationwide ban on Women using gyms and parks comes into force. The Taliban say they imposed the ban because women allegedly disobeyed gender segregation rules or didn’t cover themselves properly.

Nov. 20, 2022 — The Taliban lash 19 people, including alleged adulterers, in the first public flogging since their return to rule.

Dec. 8, 2022 — The Taliban execute a convicted killer before hundreds of spectators in the first public execution since the takeover.

Dec. 21, 2022 — The Taliban bar female students from attending university. Afghanistan is the only country in the world that bans female education.

Dec. 24, 2022 — The Taliban bar Afghan women from working with national and international nongovernmental groups.

July 4, 2023 — The Taliban order beauty salons to shut down for offering allegedly un-Islamic services like eyebrow shaping. The decision affects as many as 60,000 female entrepreneurs.

Sept. 13, 2023 — The Taliban hail China’s new ambassador with fanfare. Months later, the Taliban officially send their new ambassador to Beijing.

Oct. 4, 2023 — Pakistan announces a major crackdown on foreigners living in the country illegally, including 1.7 million Afghans. The Taliban, the U.N. and rights groups condemn the policy.

Oct. 7, 2023 — A 6.3 magnitude earthquake in western Herat province kills thousands of people. More quakes follow, bringing further devastation to the area.

Nov. 15, 2023 - FlyDubai becomes the first international carrier to resume flights to Kabul after a two-year hiatus. AirArabia and Turkish Airlines follow suit.

Jan. 4, 2024 — The Taliban arrest Women in Kabul for wearing “bad hijab,” the first official dress code crackdown since they returned to power.

Feb. 22, 2024 — The Taliban hold a double execution at a stadium in the country’s southeast while thousands of people watch.

March 2024 – The Taliban reinstate flogging and death by stoning for Women.

May 11, 2024 — Flash floods in Afghanistan’s north from unusually heavy seasonal rains kill more than 300 people.

May 17, 2024 — Shooters open fire in central Bamiyan province killing six people, including three Spanish holidaymakers. It’s a blow to the Taliban’s plans to woo tourists. IS claims the attack.

June 4, 2024 — The Taliban publicly flog at least 60 people, including more than a dozen women, accused of crimes such as sodomy, theft and immoral relations.

June 4, 2024 — The leader of the United Arab Emirates meets a Taliban official with a U.S. bounty on his head over his involvement in an attack that killed an American citizen and other assaults. It highlights the growing divide on how to deal with the Taliban.

June 30, 2024 — The Taliban attend a U.N.-sponsored meeting in Qatar. Although it’s the third such gathering, it’s the first time the Taliban are attending. There’s backlash after Afghan women and civil society representatives are excluded.

July 30, 2024 — The Taliban say they no longer recognize Afghan diplomatic missions staffed by diplomats from the former Western-backed government.

August 2024 - New law barring women from raising voices in public

In December 2024 -  the Taliban's Health Ministry banned women from being trained in Nursing and Midwifery.

July 4, 2025 - Russia becomes the first Country to officially recognize the Taliban.

September 2025 - The Taliban bans books written by Women from Afghan universities.

May 2026 - The Taliban publishes Decree No.18, which writes into law rules that imply legal approval of child marriage, and in which a girl's silence is allowed to be interpreted as consent to marriage.

 

Five years on and life in Afghanistan remains horrible.

The Taliban continues to force Women out of Public Life.

Half of Afghan Women only leave the house once or twice a month due to the Taliban’s strict Laws on movement.

The Taliban forces Girls as young as 8 to marry Taliban Soldiers.

The Taliban kills Homosexuals.

The Taliban continues to hunt down and kill the thousands of Afghans who worked with the US, the UK and any other Western Country from 2001-2021.

The US and other Countries continues to little to nothing to help those Afghans who helped the Americans and other Westerners.

The Taliban hunts down non-Muslims (mostly Christians) and forces them to convert to Islam or be killed.

The Taliban hunts down Muslims of other Sects and forces them to convert to their Sect of Islam or be killed.

212,000 Afghan Men and Women who worked for the US Government in Afghanistan from 2001-2021 remain inside Taliban-Controlled Afghanistan still waiting for the United States to keep its promise to help them

They remain hidden under the threat of arrest and being murdered for working for us.

60,000 Afghan Men and Women who worked for the US Government in Afghanistan from 2001-2021 are in 90 different Countries still waiting for the United States to keept its promise to help them.

In November 2025 President Trump ended all Visa Processing and Admittance of Afghans into the US (including those that worked for the US Government) with no timeline to restart.

In 2025 Trump’s Govenrment has deported 402 Afghans back to Taliban-Controlled Afghanistan.

So far in 2026 Trump’s Govenrment has deported 104 Afghans back to Taliban-Controlled Afghanistan .

Berlin Wall

The Berlin Wall

(Berlin Wall in 1986)

The Berlin Wall (German: Berliner Mauer and Russian: Берлинская стена) was created 65 years ago today (August 13, 1961.)

After the defeat of Nazi Germany in 1945 Germany was split into 4 Occupation Zones: the British, the French, the American and the Soviet.

Berlin, laying 100 miles inside the Soviet Occupation Zone, was also split between the British, the French, the Americans and the Soviets.

(East Berlin and West Berlin and East Germany and West Germany)

In 1948 the British, the French and the American Occupation Zones of Germany became the Federal Republic of Germany (German: Bundesrepublik Deutschland) also called West Germany (German: West Deutschland.)

In 1948 the British, the French and the American of Berlin became West Berlin (German: West Berlin.)

In 1949 the Soviet Occupation Zone of Germany became the German Democratic Republic (German: Deutsche Demokratische Republik) also called East Germany (German: Ost Deutschland.)

In 1949 the Soviet Occupation Zone of Berlin became East Berlin (German: Ost Berlin.)

In 1949 the Inner-German Border (German: innerdeutsche Grenze) separating West Germany with East Germany was closed.

858 Miles of Border Fortifications were built by the East German and Soviet Communists to stop East Germans from fleeing to the West and Freedom.

The Inner-German Border was a continuous line of high metal fences and walls, barbed wire, alarms, anti-vehicle ditches, watchtowers, automatic booby traps and minefields.

The Communists moved People away from the Border Zone and even destroyed whole Villages to make a Buffer Zone (it was 6% of East Germany’s total area.)

50,000 East German Border Guards along with hundreds of Soviet Troops guarded the Inner-German Border and had orders to shoot and kill any person fleeing East Germany (German: Republikflucht or Republic Flight.)

20,000 West German Border Guards and hundreds of British and American Troops guarded the Inner-German Border to make sure the East Germans and the Soviets didn’t try to invade.

40,000 Men, Women and Children successfully fled East Germany into West Germany through the Inner-German Border from 1949-1989.

371 Men and Women were murdered by the Communists trying to flee East Germany into West Germany through the Inner-German Border from 1949-1989.

Thousands more were arrested and imprisoned by the Communists.

From 1949-1961 Berlin was a Loop-Hole between Communism/Dictatorship and Capitalism/Freedom.

East Germans could go to East Berlin and then just walk across into West Berlin.

3.5 Million East Germans did just that from 1945-1961.

From August 1-11, 1961 16,000 East Germans fled into West Berlin.

On August 12, 1961 2,400 East Germans fled into West Berlin.

These Men, Women and Children were: Doctors, Teachers, Engineers, etc. and caused a major Brain Drain and costing East Germany $9 Billion US Dollars.

(Building the Berlin Wall in 1961)

On August 13, 1961 the East German and Soviet Communists decided to close the Berlin Loop-Hole and built the Berlin Wall.

Without any warning and done overnight on a Sunday the Communists closed the Border between East Berlin and West Berlin.

The initial Barbed Wire Barrier was built up into the Wall proper, the first concrete elements and large blocks being put in place on August 17, 1961.

Immediate effects of the Wall included the separation of Families (some never seeing their Relatives ever again) and the loss of jobs by East Berliners who worked in West Berlin.

While publicly the British, the French and the Americans acted surprised by the building of the Berlin Wall in private they were glad that there would no longer be any more Military Confrontations with the Soviets.

US President John F. Kennedy replied: "A wall is damn better than a War."

British Prime Minister Harold Macmillian said: "The East Germans are holding up the flow of refugees and entrenching themselves behind an even tighter Iron Curtain. There is nothing illegal about this in itself."

On August 19, 1961, the Kennedy sent1,500 American Troops from the 8^th US Infantry Division in Mannheim through the Transit Route in East Germany and to West Berlin to show America’s commitment to protect the West Berliners (but not to help the East Berliners.)

The Communists officially called the Berlin Wall the Anti-Fascist Protection Rampart (German: Antifaschistischer Schutzwall.)

The Berlin Wall was 96 miles long and included guard towers placed along large concrete walls, accompanied by a wide area (later known as the "Death Strip") that contained anti-vehicle trenches, beds of nails and other defenses.

From 1961-1989 100,000 Men, Women and Children tried to flee over, through or under the Berlin Wall.

5,000 succeeded in fleeing to West Berlin.

239 were murdered by the Communists while trying to flee.

Ida Siekmann, 58 was the first person who died trying to flee her apartment in East Berlin on August 22, 1961  when she jumped out of her window and died on the way to the Hospital in West Berlin.

(Peter Fechter)

On August 17, 1962 Peter Fechter, 18, was shot by the East German Border Guards while trying to flee into West Berlin.

His murder was witnessed by hundreds of West Berliners who saw him shot, fall back to the East German Death Strip where he cried out for help for an hour before he bled to death.

Winfried Freudenberg, 32, was the last person who died while trying to fly a Hot Air Balloon over the Berlin Wall on March 8, 1989.

94,761 People were arrested by the Communists and sent to Prison for trying to flee.

(Checkpoints between East Berlin and West Berlin)

From 1961 until 1964 no West German or West Berliner was allowed to visit East Germany or East Berlin.

From 1961 until 1964 no East German or East Berliner was allowed to leave East Berling or East Germany to go to West Berlin or West Germany.

In November 1964 the East German Government allowed East German Pensioners to visit West Berlin and West Germany.

Starting in 1972 the East German Government officially allowed the rest of the East Germans to apply for permission to leave East Germany to visit West Berlin and West Germany.

Very few East Germans were given official permission to travel to West Berlin and West Germany from 1972-1989.

Those who were allowed were Members of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany (German: Sozialistische Einheitspartei Deutschlands) the Communist Party that ran East Germany and they had to have an Immediate Member of their Family stay behind as a Hostage.

An average of 100,000 applications to temporary leave East Germany to visit West Berlin and West Germany were submitted every year from 1972-1989 with 1% of the applications being approved by the Communists.

Those East Germans who were allowed by the East German Government to visit West Germany or West Berlin could not bring out any Non-East German Marks so the West German Government created the Begrüßungsgeld (Welcome Money) Program  in which from 1970 until December 1989.

Initially every East German was given 30 West German Marks twice a year.

In 1988 it was changed to 100 West German Marks a year.

From 1970-1988 260 Million West German Marks were paid to visiting East Germans.

From November to December 1989 4 Billion West German Marks were paid to visiting East Germans.

West Germans entering East Germany had to exchange a Minimum of 25 West German Marks into the worthless East German Marks per day they stayed.

They weren’t allowed to exchange the East German Marks back into West German Marks when they left East Germany.

There were 9 Border Crossings between East and West Berlin.

These allowed visits by West Berliners, other West Germans, Western Foreigners and Allied Personnel into East Berlin, as well as visits by East German Citizens and Citizens of other Communist Countries into West Berlin, provided that they held the necessary permits.

(Checkpoint Charlie in 1963)

The most famous was Checkpoint Charlie), which was restricted to Allied Personnel and Foreigners.

Another way to officially leave East Germany was to be “bought” by the West German Government.

This was called the Freikauf (literally the Buying of Freedom.)

Between 1964 and 1989, 33,755 East German Political Prisoners were ransomed.

 A further 2,087 East German Prisoners were released to the West under an amnesty in 1972.

Another 215,000 East Germans including 2,000 Children cut off from their Parents, were allowed to leave East Germany to rejoin their Families.

 In exchange, West Germany paid over 3.4 Billion DM – nearly $2.3 billion at 1990 prices – in goods and Hard Currency to the broke East German Communist Government.

West Germany paid 1,875 DM for an East German Worker and  11,250 DM for an East German Doctor.

(November 1989)

On November 9, 1989 an unplanned announcement at an East Berlin Conference live on East German Television said that East Germans could immediately travel freely into West Berlin with no restrictions.

Thousands of East Berliners went to the Border Checkpoints where the East German Border Guards had not received any orders (except to shot to kill.)

Eventually, the East German Border Guards opened the Borders and the East Berliners fled into West Berlin.

East Germans started going into West Germany through the Inner-German Border in November 1989 too.

1 Million East Germans went into West Berlin or West Germany in the first few days after November 9, 1989

On December 24, 1989 West Berliners and West Germans were officially allowed, by the East German Government, to visit East Germany without needing a Visa first.

On July 1, 1990 East Germany officially stopped using the East German Mark and started using the West German Mark.

(Memorial of where the Berlin Wall used to be)

All Border Controls between East Berlin and West Berlin and East Germany and West Germany ended that day too.

East Berlin and East Germany ceased to exist on October 3, 1990 when they became part of West Germany (the Federal Republic of Germany.)

Royal Myths

 

Remembrance

 

Today (August 2^nd) is Roma and Sinti Holocaust Memorial Day (called "Porajmos" or "Destruction" in the Roma Language.)

The Roma and Sinti (often called Gypsies) were treated at the same level as the Jews under the 1935 Nuremberg Laws by the Germans and sent to different Ghettos (Warsaw and Lodz) and then sent to the Death Camps (Belzec, Treblinka, Auschwitz and Sobibor) where an estimated 500,000 to 1.5 million Roma and Sinti Men, Women and Children were murdered.

This picture is one I took in Cologne, Germany in 2014. It remembers the 1,000 Roma and Sinti from Cologne that were deported to the ghettos and death camps starting in May 1940.

Porajmos

Sinti & Roma Genocide

(Roma and Sinti Families in the Belzec Death Camp, German-occupied Poland, not realizing that they will soon be gassed.)

Today (August 2nd) is International Day of Remembrance of the Genocide of the Roma and Sinti.

The Germans and their Allied murdered 1.5 Million Roma and Sinti (often called Gypsies) throughout German-Occupied Europe during World War 2.

The Roma and Sinti lost their German Citizenships (along with the Jews) when the Nuremberg Race Laws were passed in 1935.

A total of 23,000 Roma and Sinti were deported to the Auschwitz Death Camp in German-Occupied Poland and imprisoned there in the “Gypsy Family Camp” (German: Zigeunerfamilienlager) starting in February 1943.

Unlike the other Prisoners of Auschwitz (except the Czechoslovak Jews in the Theresienstadt Family Camp - German: Theresienstädter Familienlager - who were kept at Auschwitz so the Swiss Red Cross could visit them at the Death Camp the same way they had visited them at the Theresienstadt Ghetto in German-Occupied Czechoslovakia) the Roma and Sinti were allowed to keep their Hair, wear Civilian Clothes and kept away from the other Prisoners.

At the end of July 1944, all healthy Roma and Sinti Prisoners (3,000 of them) were shipped from Auschwitz to different German Concentration Camps to do Forced Labor.

On the night of August 2nd-3rd, 1944, all the remaining Roma and Sinti Prisoners at the Gypsy Camp in Auschwitz (mostly the Elderly, the Disabled, Women and Children) were sent to the Gas Chambers and murdered.

5,600 Roma and Sinti Men, Women and Children died that night.

Of the 23,000 Roma and Sinti deported to Auschwitz: 3,000 were sent to other Concentration Camps, 13,600 succumbed to planned Malnutrition, Diseases and Epidemics and 5,600 were Gassed to Death.

In total 1.2 Million Roma and Sinti Men, Women and Children were murdered during the War.

After the War (from 1945 to 1979) the West German Government did not recognize the Roma and Sinti as Nazi Victims and so didn’t give them any Reparations.

In 1979 the West German Supreme Court finally acknowledged that the Nazis had persecuted and murdered the Roma and Sinti due to the Race and so West Germany started giving the Victims Reparations.

The East German Government (along with the Communist Governments of: the Soviet Union, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Albania, Yugoslavia and Romania) never recognized the Roma and Sinti as Nazi Victims.

In fact, from 1945 until the 1990s, the Communist Governments Imprisoned and Forcibly Sterilized the Roma and Sinti.

After Germany reunited in 1990 the German Government continued and continued to this day to give Reparations to the Roma and Sinti Victims.

Today, the Roma and Sinti continue to be openly discriminated against and attacked throughout Europe.

A 2019 Poll found: 83% of Italians, 76% of Slovaks, 72% of Greeks, 68% of Bulgarians, 66% of Czechs, 61% of Lithuanians, 61% of Hungarians, 52% of Russians, 51% of Poles, 44% of French, 40% of Spaniards and 37% of Germans do not like or trust the Roma and Sinti People and believe they should be kept separate from the rest of the Population.

Responses

From the BBC:

“Spain attacks 'selfish' response of some EU countries to Ceuta migrant crossings”

Spain has condemned the "selfish, polarising and unlawful" reaction of some EU countries to the influx of about 60,000 migrants from Morocco to Ceuta. Officials say almost all those who reached the enclave on 30 July have returned, while Spain's Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska said on Saturday that the death toll had risen to at least 67.

It comes after Italy temporarily suspended the EU's border-free Schengen arrangement with Spain, as Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni called the scenes "shocking". Finland and Denmark backed Italy's move, while Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš urged a temporary suspension of Spain's Schengen membership. In a letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said he had "serious concerns" about some European governments. He said the Spanish government had fully restored control over the border and prevented any "unauthorised onward movement towards continental Europe" in less than 48 hours. While most had shown "support and solidarity", Sanchez said other European governments had chosen to attack Spain, "driven by prejudice, fake news, ignorance, or political interest", and pointed out that Ceuta was not part of the Schengen area. "The European Union cannot afford this kind of selfish, polarising and unlawful reaction," he said. The Spanish leader called for an urgent meeting with EU interior ministers to "reaffirm that the security of our external borders is a shared responsibility of all Member States".

Meanwhile, 22 of the EU's 27 countries also called for emergency talks in an open letter, citing "serious concerns" regarding the developments in Ceuta. The nations "welcome that Spain and Morocco are cooperating closely to ensure the swift return of migrants", but said a video conference of EU interior ministers would help reach agreement on mobilising EU instruments and support for Spain to restore "effective control" of the border and prevent further uncontrolled crossings. Also on Saturday, UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham said he had spoken to Sánchez and the UK was "providing what help we can". There were chaotic scenes on Thursday in Ceuta as border controls in the North African enclave apparently broke down. In a news conference on Saturday, Grande-Marlaska told reporters the situation in Ceuta had almost returned to normal. "Almost all of [the migrants] have already left Ceuta," the minister said, adding that businesses had now reopened. "The situation has been almost entirely reversed." He also said Spain had started to establish an inflatable maritime barrier to prevent further illegal migrant entry. But while the situation on the ground appears to be easing, political and diplomatic fallout is rippling through Madrid and other capitals.

On Thursday, Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni wrote on social media that such "uncontrolled immigration" was a threat to national security, before suspending the Schengen zone agreement with Spain for a month. The Schengen Area is a system of open borders spanning 29 European countries that have abolished controls at their common borders. Spain responded by summoning the Italian ambassador to Madrid, while its foreign minister said he expected "European solidarity and not partisan demagoguery". Finland's Interior Minister Mari Rantanen said she had started preparations for restoring internal border checks "if the need arises". She also urged "all European countries" to support Meloni's move. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen also urged the EU to "consider all options, including a suspension of Schengen co-operation". France has tightened checks on its border with Spain and said it would increase its police presence by Saturday. Portuguese PM Luis Montenegro said he was considering reinforcing border checks. Von der Leyen said the images from Ceuta were "unacceptable". "We cannot allow anyone to come to our Union without abiding by our rules," she said on social media. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said he "supports Spain's intention not to allow illegal migrants onto the European continent", and demanded that Morocco "take back illegal migrants immediately". In the US, the State Department said the incident was a direct result of Spain's migration policies. President Donald Trump called the situation a "catastrophe" and said "it looks like an invasion of a country by hundreds of thousands of people".

Spain has defended its handling of the migrant surge. Madrid has sent troops, more police, drones, divers and boats to Ceuta. The country has also deployed its armed forces to bolster security in another Spanish enclave, Melilla, where hundreds of crossings were also reported. Sánchez, who has visited Ceuta after the migrant influx, said he would consider reinforcing the border with Morocco, and that Moroccan authorities were co-operating. He blamed trafficking gangs for the migrant surge, calling the incident a "violation of Spain's territorial integrity". "Trafficking mafias took a self-serving interpretation of a Supreme Court ruling" which "spread like wildfire", he said.

EU Commissioner Magnus Brunner said, after a phone call with Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares, that "not a single person has crossed to mainland EU". In June, Spain's Supreme Court ruled that migrants stopped at sea while trying to reach Ceuta or Melilla could not be summarily returned to Morocco without due process. While the surge of migrants this year is extraordinary, Ceuta has long been a focal point for migrants attempting to reach Europe. During the summer months, there is often a big push to reach Ceuta, typically organised over social media. In 2021, about 8,000 people entered Ceuta over a matter of days, exacerbating Spain's diplomatic tensions with Morocco. Morocco, which has been suffering from a high unemployment rate, witnessed several Gen Z anti-government protests last year, with young people demanding better opportunities and improvements to public services.

Together with Melilla, Ceuta forms the European Union's only land borders with Africa. Migrants can enter the enclave by swimming several kilometres. Spain has a relatively friendly approach to immigration. In April, the government approved plans to give legal status to 500,000 undocumented migrants, allowing them to be formally integrated into the workforce.

At that time, the right-wing Italian prime minister had already criticised Sánchez, saying the policy would "affect its neighbours". In June the European Parliament approved tougher migration rules that grant authorities broader powers to return irregular arrivals.

^ Italy, the Czech Republic, Finland, Denmark have temporary removed Spain from the Schengen Free Travel Area.

France has sent more police to conduct checks on their border with Spain and Portugal is considering the same.

In January 2026 Spain granted 500,000 Illegal Immigrants in Spain Legal Status which helps encourage more Illegals to go to Spain. ^

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx2v91xn1z9o