Günter Götz

* 1939

  • “Just before the Eastern Berlin the train stopped and the folk police came in, checking with Kalashnikovs and everyone had to show their documents. Those with a large suitcase, had to take it down and get off the train for a thorough inspection. I pointed to this briefcase only and they said: ‚All right, that´s fine.‘ And the policeman asked me: ‚And how about you? You´re coming to Berlin to do what?‘ And I replied: ‚I got a cousin there, who studied the high school.‘ I had an address: ‚She lives here. As she is celebrating her birthday, she invited me to her party.‘ Two people had to get off the carriage and I could stay in. That made me really happy.”

  • “Some time at the end of January I had a phone call from my mummy (we had none at home back then so she was probably calling from work) and said: ‚Daddy is not coming back, he has a new job now and wishes to stay in the Western Germany.‘“

  • “I had no connection with my family, but two days later (as my mother told me) the secret police came and said: ‚Listen, your husband was allowed to go to Germany, but it was valid until January 15 and now it is February already. Where is he?‘ And my mother said: ‚He phone us to say he was ill and can’t set off to the journey now.‘“

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    Brno, 03.12.2015

    (audio)
    délka: 01:17:21
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I made it to Berlin with only a small breifcase

Günter Götz
Günter Götz
zdroj: PNS 2015

Günter Götz was born on October 30, 1938 in Lößnitz in Saxony.Just before Günter´s secondary school graduation his father left to visit his uncle in the western Germany and ended up staying abroad. The family decided to follow and Günter was the first to go and meet his dad.At school he excused himself to his aunt´s visit and carrying only a plastic bag he set off to travel to the former BRD. In Berlin he managed to escape attention of the guards, he exchanged money and flew to Hannover, from where he travelled to his father without any trouble. The mother and his sister followed the same way immediately as they learnt that Günter arrived all right. Only a week after the decision was made to follow the father the whole family was reunited again in BRD. Despite many difference in education system and school subjects Günter managed to finish the secondary school with success and began working as a tax inspector. He moved to the Czech Republic in 2001.