Remembering

Just when it gets colder and the leaves have been blown off the tress, leaving everything looking barren members of the German Canadian community congregate at Woodland Cemetery in Kitchener to honour those that died as war victims in Canada.

It is always a solemn affair with many attending representatives of all kinds of organizations from near and far as well as Canadian legions laying wreaths at a special site in the cemetery; all together nearly 30 wreaths were laid.

This year Klaus Koeppen MCed the event, Pastor Walter Hembrock spoke the opening prayer and German Vice Consul von Oppenkowski held a stirring speech and laid the first wreath together with Lieutenant Colonel Jan Becker, Liaison Officer at the Canadian Armed Forces College in Toronto, on behalf of the German Government. Mrs. Oppenkowski quoted Immanuel Kant who said: He who lives in the memory of his loved ones is not dead, he is just far away. Dead is only for those who will be forgotten. (Read her entire speech).

Helene Schramek, President of the Remembrance Society, which has taken over this event and the caring for the graves at the cemetery, noted that she was touched by the fact that despite the grey skies and the chill in the air many people in their 70s and 80s attended to honour their dead. She estimated that more than 400 people came. "On behalf of the Remembrance Society I pledge that we will continue to honour those who lie buried in this section of the Woodland Cemetery, the German War Graves Section, by doing our utmost to uphold the tradition of Volkstrauertag. We will not forget."

A final prayer was offered by Pastor Martin Mikulski. The framework for this event was created by the Transylvania Brass band and the Concordia Choirs under Dr. Alfred Kunz and ended appropriately with a Zapfenstreich (tattoo).

20^th Anniversary
The Fall of the Wall

It does not feel like 20 years have passed since the Wall in Berlin came down and opened the way for a flood of East Germans to spill into West Berlin. It was the beginning of the end of an oppressive regime that had an iron grip on its people.

Many Eastern Europeans and German celebrated

In front of Toronto City Hall members of the Central-Eastern European Council had organized in only 10 days an event to commemorate this occurrence that was so important to so many people in many countries behind the so called Iron Curtain.

Visitors at the scene

Representatives from various countries like the Baltic States, the Ukraine and Germany had come to recall what the communistic regime had done to their countries and how the lifted restrictions after the fall of the wall changed their lives.

The speakers in sequence

Many speakers of the political arena were at hand to express their views and hail Canada for offering a home to those who are living here form those oppressed regions. MP Bob Rae spoke eloquently and so did MP Jack Layton and MP Borys Wrzesnewskyj and many others. Consul General of Germany Sabine Sparwasser recounted the important events in history that lead up to the unprecedented happening in history that ultimately managed to unite Germany again. Toni Bergmeier spoke for the National German Congress (Read his speech). It was an impressive line-up.

Placing of the wreaths

TV crews and reporters were swarming the scene and interviews were held at various TV studios prior for the news. It truly was important to recount the day that changed our world; how much would change no one knew at the time, but we are glad it did!

Celebrating the long fight for freedom

The plaque where a piece of the Berlin Wall is installed reads:

"The Citizens of Toronto dedicate these arches to the millions who struggled including Canadians, to gain and defend freedom and to the tens of millions who suffered and died for the lack of it. May all that we do be worthy of them. Only in freedom can the Human Spirit soar. Against the Human drive for freedom nothing can long succeed."