European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 13, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Germany i bicyclists and pedestrians crowd the main shopping Street on an autumn morning Irr warn. Exploring is Peter Jaeger what a difference 4o years make stories by Norm Zeigler travel outdoor writers amps photos by cos Schuettler i. It always seemed part myth the other Germany isolated behind a Wall of Concrete and barbed wire a land unreachable for Western  those willing to endure the severest restrictions. For those who wanted to travel freely and meet its. People to View parts of the country other than a few carefully chosen historical Sites and monuments to socialism it was As far away As the dark Side of the Moon. The few pictures of the society that were glimpsed through the veil of secrecy and shame called the Iron curtain were often contradictory a poor country that after world War it was stripped by the soviets of Many of its factories but still became an fast bloc Industrial Power a Small nation of 16 million whose athletes rolled up More olympic medals than countries with 10 times its population a state whose leaders ranted against the repressive militarism of the nazi past but sent soldiers Goose stepping Dow n  of its capital and shot anyone who tried to escape. Since the Berlin Wall fell a year ago political change has swept across the Region like a whirlwind culminating in the unification of East Germany and West Germany Ori oct. 3. Americans now have the Opportunity to travel freely in the land that for More than 40 years was As closed As a prison. Last month my colleague Cus Schuettler and i spent nearly a week exploring the former German democratic Republic. We started our tour by crossing the old inner German Border at set Misdorf East of  Border control Point a with its 13 lanes for eastbound traffic a was cordoned off and deserted. Wind rustled the curtains inthe broken windows of the Low Concrete buildings. Our route took us on a circuitous 700mile tour through a Large part of what was once East Germany because of the volumes that have been written about a few areas a Berlin Dresden Leipzig we concentrated on lesser known places Small towns and cities resorts Rural areas. First we headed East along the Baltic coast to the Island of Riingen in the Northeast Corner Southwest through the Mecklenburg Lake District farther South to the spree Wald Southeast of Berlin and West for a final. Stop in Luther s Lio Meloun of Wittenberg. We discos erod a Lamia ill no graphic evidence of 40 \ ears of hardship. Decay arid poverty. We had expected some of it hut the extent of the deterioration is shocking. After All these Are the same people who in the Western part of the county manicure the streets in front of their houses in town alter town you see Only dirty Gray stucco sagging roofs and crumbling facades. There is hardly a House that has seen a Paintbrush in the last 4 1 years. In the dirty Gritty cities except East Berlin which was the communists showcase mgt Opsta ined Brick structures with mortar falling out of the Walls front on potholed. Streets pools of water lie stagnant in the gutters ind the wind piles paper in alleyways Corners of buildings. Nearly every Community has its historical buildings in various states of collapse. Many Are beyond rescue.1 lie former workers and peasants stale is a place where the government s Lolli Colury concept of industrialization poisoned the air and water and blighted the landscape with smokestacks when it came to pollution the communist rulers outdid capitalism s worst robber Barons. Three quarters of the Trees Iri the East German forests ate sick or dying every Small to medium size City has at least five or six giant factory chimneys belching noxious fumes. V a. / a. A a even the resort areas did not escape. It was All part of the policy of dispersing Industry to the Countryside to transform the Rural Economy. On the Edge of the spree Wald Berlin s i rat fit tonal weekend resort Region a giant Brown Coal Bovyer Plant spews a sulphurous Brown smudge Over the Countryside. The locals disgustedly refer to it As their  a son sewer. In the Countryside lie must tailored Patchwork c patterns of the Farmland in Western Germany Are nowhere to be found. Instead massive communal farms 1 have created Enrilo alter mile of rolling Fields slowed to the. Horizon hardly broken by a tree or Bush. A a. A. Here and there Are Small signs that Western capitalism. Is beginning to Flower amid the socialist rubble it May be a sparkling new bakery or dollies store maybe a car a. Dealership a a a \ a. The area presents certain challenges for the traveler. This was not a society geared toward mobility and Leisure travel. Hotels Are scarce restaurants few and far Between. Many places do not have tourist offices if they do the. Information they can provide is minimal the staff Small. Brochures Are difficult to obtain arid most that  Are propaganda rags left from the Days before the Border opened. They contain much Praise for the. Glorious triumphs of socialism but Little helpful information. Because of i he penchant for secrecy the maps in these old brochures Are in bits and pieces. In some cases maps were even falsified with the aim of deceiving potential  for americans anole glitch is the Scarcity of people who speak English in the spirit of Quot socialist brotherhood russian was the no. 1 foreign language taught ill the a schools. These Days the books clips Are foil of English language textbooks but if you go take a German English dictionary with you a a. A a a along the Way to met people who were a a overwhelmingly Friendly but Shyer More modest than. Their cousins in the West some were apprehensive but mus were hopeful for the future. Many express a sense of Relief at putting the past behind them there was the i miss snack bar owner in Hohe Bucko South of Berlin who had been a truck Driver but lost his Job in the changes. Now lie was making More Money and happier than when he had been working for a regular paycheck. He was fascinated with the idea of moving to Canada. His wife wanted to go to Florida on vacation. In Sossnitz on Rugen a former bus Driver turned travel Bureau operator told us Quot we Liv amp a 40 years for nothing Quot a woman in Waren said it would take Quot a whole generation Quot to catch up with Western Germany. But not everyone is Happy with the changes Ufi Wittenberg we me a train Engineer who was still a faithful idealistic communist. In Lubenau a Florist shop. Owner told us the crime rate had soared and imported dutch Flowers were putting her family Oufou business. Eastern Germany is not an area to pack the kids in the car and head out for a weekend Outing. But if you have a Little adventurous spirit and flexibility you will get a fascinating glimpse into what was an alien society. Vou. Will not forget it. A a a Deceron be r 13, 199q stripes Magazine