I was born in Erfurt on 23 April 1970, at 4.25 pm.
My arrival was not only an important moment in the lives of my parents and siblings. It also came during a turbulent period in German history.
At the time, Erfurt was part of the German Democratic Republic (GDR) — a city undergoing change. Socialism shaped everyday life, and the political system governed many aspects of it. Yet people here still had hopes, dreams and the desire to give their children a good life.
In the early 1970s, the GDR’s guiding phrase was the “unity of economic and social policy”. State measures promised stability and secure provision, while personal freedoms remained restricted. I was born at a time when many parents hoped to give their children security, an education and opportunities despite the ideological demands placed upon them.
I was not only my parents’ son, but also a child of my time — born into a divided German nation and raised in a state of rigid structures and quietly held longings.
My life began on a spring day in Erfurt…