Mit schöner Regelmäßigkeit: Der Berliner Maler und Grafiker Horst Bartnig, komponiert ein Universum aus geometrischen Formen und mathematischen Gesetzen.
Bernd never trouble with its neighbors and will not get it too. No one argues with a rusty diesel locomotive lying on its side and a brontosaurus made of fiberglass.
Bernd has a lot of space. He is the last inhabitants of the Spree River Park in the deserted theme park. Here once growled the largest amusement machine of the GDR. With the roller coaster, Ferris wheel and up to 1.7 million visitors a year.
The excitement has given way to an almost eerie silence. In the mini-railway tunnel foxes live in the oak tree-tops above the artificial mountain nesting herons. Since 2001, the quiet rides. An administrator handles the former Wonderland from his unfinished whitewater course. Ex-owner Norbert Witte is sitting in jail because he had tried in the mast of a carousel 167 kilos of cocaine from Peru to smuggle into Germany. A few people still waiting out in the neighboring ex-Western village on the edge of the park. All the others are gone. Only one will not budge: Bernd, the wild man, the hermit with the bad Teeth and the cap. Earlier, when the carousel is still running, one of the children gathered Bernd the chips. Today he gets a few euros from the state and collecting deposit bottles, which he sold. His orange container is hidden next to the old props Hall, has no running water, Bernd living without electricity. "I need this here so just to sleep."
If the 66-year-old wants to wash times, he knocks on the old Western saloon of the village. There's even running water. "I'm satisfied. I do not want to get away," he said shortly.
In an oak tree in front of his house as a bank. The grass that proliferates everywhere else here is lush, ripped out. A stone circle with fresh flowers, shows the place where his beloved dog is buried. "14 years he has grown old. All of a sudden he was dead '
's now two years ago. Bernd has not yet got over the death. The cats still living in the park, because its old inhabitants have left behind them, are no substitute. Gerd Emge (57) and Bernd know fleeting. "A nice guy. They greet one," said Emge. He heads the security guards of the park, go with hunting dog Brisko " regularly patrol. His job: Take care that no one steals, and intruders ask you to leave the premises. Emge reserve officer does so politely but firmly. Recently he has copper thieves caught in the act. The only one he endures in the park is - Bernd. The Berlin property fund, which manages the park ruins, has experienced some time ago by the eccentric recluse. "We were not going to find an apartment. But he did not want to get out of the park," says a spokeswoman.
Then they have the real estate funds, the matter can 'rest first. " Bernd is permissible. "He does not make any trouble."
and THILO FOLESKY (photos)
Ulrich Miethkes altes Leben steckt in einer blauen Plastiktüte von Tchibo. Mit seiner linken Hand umklammert der 57-Jährige den Griff der Tüte. Die Uniform darin - sie ist die Montur eines Hauptmanns der Staatssicherheit, zuständig für die Passkontrolle am Grenzübergang Drewitz.
Vor 17 Jahren endete Miethkes altes Leben schlagartig. Mit der Wende wurde der Passkontrolleur der DDR nicht mehr gebraucht. 20 Jahre lang hatte er sich die Pässe der Reisenden aus West-Berlin und der Bundesrepublik zeigen lassen. Er war ein pflichtbewusster Befehlsempfänger an Europas damals größtem Grenzübergang. "Ich hatte ein aufregendes, a privileged life, "he said. In November 1989, was suddenly all over." Everything changed. "And for him it was now no longer very good.
Now, after nearly two decades, is Miethke . back here in Drewitz From the huge border crossing has remained a crumbling watchtower (see box) The massive check-in areas -. disappeared without a trace Where once the average of 2500 vehicles per day on their list sits today, the Germany-headquartered Ebay
Miethke has a firm handshake, his face with deep lines, his deep blue Piercing eyes look. Without further ado, he says he would put on his old uniform again. Here too, the old border. "We have harassed anyone, even if today sometimes claimed otherwise," he justified. Miethke , one of the many incorrigible, who wants to hear nothing of the terror, the spread, he and his colleagues.
glorified ideologically In his memory, the German-German border to the playground of amusing anecdotes. In a conversational tone, he said that he had always adhered to the principle of his grandmother: Go to reason with the people around, then the nice to Dir
The sentiment of the grandmother Miethke twisted into a terrible moral corruption. If he controlled a coach, he put forward on the dashboard of his service cap off - with the inside facing up. "When I came back, were a few necrotic or some chocolate in his cap." Whether the small gifts have accelerated the clearance? "You have, at least not adversely affected," he says and smiles. Thus speaks one of the power, gave the Stasi uniforms, enjoying - quite obviously.
Miethke led a comfortable life, he earned 2,000 marks plus Sunday premium, drove a Trabant Deluxe from Potsdam to the layer at the border.
waited there almost every day celebrities to continue their journey, which he knew from the radio or the television Western. He checked Walter Momper and Eberhard Diepgen, Freddy Quinn and Mr. Trude.
Once the tour bus and the Rolling Stones on the road in the forest stage. "At some point it was said, as a Mr. Michael Jagger sitting in the bus." Miethke was excited, he met his idol. Unfortunately, says Miethke wrote the Stones frontman no autographs.
Ulrich Miethke , der Grenzgänger. Als Hauptmann verteidigte er ein System, das seinen Bürgern Stones-Platten nicht erlaubte. Er selbst aber hatte das Privileg, die britischen Musiker um Autogramme zu bitten. Paradox finde er das nicht. Sagt er. War es die Nähe zur Macht, die ihn faszinierte, die ihn vielleicht sogar verführte? Weil Schlagersänger Christian Anders ("Es fährt ein Zug nach Nirgendwo") keine Autogramme geben wollte, ignorierten die Grenzer ihn. "Wir taten so, als würden wir nicht wissen, wer er ist. Das hat ihn gekränkt", feixt Miethke . Und plötzlich ist da Häme. Und die verrät, dass der sanft-freundliche Miethke probably differently. On the day of reunification, his unit was disbanded. He signed with Telekom to - and was also settled there. Also as a security guard he had no luck. He has been unemployed get jobs sometimes in a department store.
If he had fled, then on a Sunday
He has still not satisfied, as he stands as this, the Tchibo bag under control.
The logo of the Great Western Coffee Group on the bag and the old secret police uniforms in it. Two worlds, between which also moves the Miethke life. Does he feel a responsibility for the inhumane border policies of the East German regime? "No," he replied, without thinking twice. "So that was just then." Then he tells of the man who managed to escape because he was running next to a truck here and the border guards can not see him on the other side of the vehicle could.
He speaks loud and tells the story as it was a personal defeat for him. "The man has told a newspaper his flight, which then reported it. We have for months looking for him because we thought so, he would perhaps as a transit traveler back across the border."
A Republic for Refugees has it, the frontiersman, tricked. Somehow annoyed Miethke about today.
Whether he was ever even tried to pile up in the West? "No, what I had to make since? I should have probably found a job."
And if he had wanted to flee, as he would have done it?
"Then, when traffic was dense. Return travel. There was not controlled as precisely that just did not." He pauses for a moment, then says: "I would have fled on a Sunday evening."
By Mark Harman
and Thilo FOLESKY (photos)
He has been unemployed for eight years, lives on Hartz IV and yet the mayor of Brieskow-Finkenheerd. Now, however, wants the job center that Ralf Theuer (52) drummed for another career. Dear Ralf must cram three weeks of operating costs. It says so on the timetable that the mayor was officially ordained. A mayor without work, who has yet to do much - because he is the only one in Germany. Does he believe in any case. "I once inquired and found no other Hartz-IV-mayor." Theuer and his village. It's just part. The people greet their mayor on the street.
He has the same habits, the same problems. One in five of the 2650 population Brieskow-Finkenheerds has no job. Money is tight. Like nearly all his neighbors bought Theuer cigarettes and gasoline in Poland.
Lunch brings the workers' welfare. "The portion costs EUR 3.45 for my wife. . The also has no job. "Theuer does not believe that he so quickly gets a job" One finds difficult something "But at least get Dearman for his honorary mayoral an allowance of 800 EUR per month -. Tax-free No one is in town jealous.. "He earned it. He does, too few, "says one woman. Instantly Theuer fighting against the course of a bypass road, which has planned the land." There arise where it should, live people, "he says.
So he stands up against the route - if he's not doing his internship