Chris O'Dell Photographs
East Berlin 1964
NeueKirche Berlin
In
1964 I took a trip to Berlin to see a school friend who was completing
his German degree course as an assitant in a West Berlin school.
This picture was taken aduring the time of the World Youth Rally in
East Berlin in 1964. The Berlin Wall was closed to West Germans
but foreign visitors could get a temporary visa and cross into the
Eastern sector through Checkpoint Charlie. We crossed the
border into the eastern sector a number of times, but eventually we
were arrested by Vopos, (the Volkspolizei - People's
Police) and the roll of film in my camera was confiscated.
Fortunately it was a new roll with few shots on it. We decided
that it might be better not to return across the wall. I took a
lot of shots around the centre of Easst Berlin, this scene is almost
unrecognisable now, the building has been restored and the space in
front is a busy public space. Although this was taken nineteen
years after the end of the war the East German government had not made
any attempt to reconstruct the historic buildings in the city centre.
Camera: Voigtlander Vito B, lens Colour-Skopar 50mm, film stock Kodachrome 135.
Exhibition prints of this and all other photographs on this site are available size A2 on Permajet Distinction Fine Art paper 325gsm price €100 including packing and posrtage to all parts of the world. Send email here with title of image and I will invoice you via PayPal (you do not need a PayPal account, you can pay with major credit/debit cards.
See home page for all other reproduction details
Exhibition prints of this and all other photographs on this site are available size A2 on Permajet Distinction Fine Art paper 325gsm price €100 including packing and posrtage to all parts of the world. Send email here with title of image and I will invoice you via PayPal (you do not need a PayPal account, you can pay with major credit/debit cards.
See home page for all other reproduction details
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