“Stasiland: Stories from Behind the Berlin Wall” by Anna Funder

Before Jeff and I went to Germany in November, I checked out seven different books about Germany from the library. I then systematically read four pages of each book, to see which one I would take with me on the trip. “Stasiland” by Australian writer Anna Funder was the winner. I had studied a lot about the horrors of World War II in high school and college, but I knew very little about the time when East and West Berlin became separated by the wall that was built in 1961. Funder lived in Germany after the wall came down in 1989 and collected stories from residents who were forced to work with the Stasi (East German secret police). While reading this book I took a train to the former East Berlin section and saw decorated pieces of the wall that once separated the country. The wall is now painted with brightly colored murals by artists from all over the country and stands triumphantly as the free East West Gallery. The murals are beautiful and ironic at the same time because they cover an original drab grey wall that separated an entire city coming to symbolize hate, anger and the lack of freedom under Communism. Funder’s book, which was published in 2003, provides up-close-and-personal interviews with people who survived the wall, and are forever haunted by those who lost their lives trying to simply survive, work and raise children. Allegedly 80 people died trying to cross the wall during its history. But after reading this book and seeing the wall in person, you just know that number was tragically much higher.https To purchase this book on Amazon click here.