It was October 1952 when my family and I set out for an unknown future. As a twelve-year-old girl, I lived under the oppression of the strict East German regime. I knew nothing else, but through visits to relatives in the West, I experienced what it was like to live freely. A life without the shackles of control. Our escape had been carefully planned. My mother had considered every detail to minimize the risk of discovery. We had quietly and secretly begun dismantling our home days before. Furniture was sold to friends, our chickens were brought from the garden in the dark. The proceeds would help us bridge the time while we had to hide with relatives. Our house remained empty, a silent witness to our escape. My father and little sister had already traveled ahead by train, while my mother and I carried out the plan at a later date. To cross the border, we had to get to Berlin. But we knew that traveling directly from Gera to Berlin would have been too conspicuous. In a country where even the slightest suspicion could lead to imprisonment, we had to be careful. So my mother and I first went to Leipzig, from where we traveled on to Berlin. When we finally arrived in Berlin, I felt a mixture of fear and hope. Fortunately, the border was still open at that time, and we could take the subway to West Berlin. The possibility of freedom was within reach, but we knew the road wasn't over yet. For six weeks, we hid with one of my mother's cousins in West Berlin. Finally, the day came when we had to leave our homeland behind forever. We flew to Bavaria, as we could no longer travel by train or car. Police were everywhere, ready to detain any refugee. But now the final step had been taken to begin a new life in freedom. I left the past behind, knowing I couldn't forget what we had to give up. Our homeland, our friends, our identity—we had given all of this up for an uncertain tomorrow. Today, at the age of 82, I realize that by fleeing, I also lost a home. But at the same time, I am forever grateful to my parents for taking the risk to enable us to live a life of freedom. Because I, too, don't know what would have happened if we had stayed in the GDR. I am deeply grateful that I was given the chance to shape my own life.
