Berlin Wall's legacy endures for family separated by Cold War division
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Erich Guetinger's family was split when his uncle Hans moved from Bavaria to East Germany in 1958, drawn by work and hunting freedoms. The Berlin Wall later formalized that separation, leaving the family divided for decades. The legacy of that division still shapes the family's story today.
Key Facts
- Hans Guetinger moved from Babenhausen, Bavaria, to Brieskow-Finkenheerd in East Germany in 1958.
- Between 1949 and 1961, roughly 2.7 million people moved from East Germany to West Germany.
- Erich Guetinger was born in Bavaria in 1951 to Ernst Guetinger, Hans's younger brother.
- In the GDR, Hans Guetinger could hunt freely because the government owned all the land, unlike in West Germany where hunting required land ownership.
Family Separation
Hans Guetinger, the eldest of three brothers, returned to Babenhausen, Bavaria, after World War II and struggled to find work as a shoemaker. His wife, homesick for her native East Germany, encouraged him to seek work there, knowing the GDR welcomed those moving east. In 1958, Hans moved with his family to Brieskow-Finkenheerd, a village near the Polish border, where he worked at a power station that provided accommodation. Meanwhile, his younger brother Ernst remained in Bavaria and became father to Erich Guetinger in 1951.
Life in East Germany
Hans Guetinger became known for his hunting skills, often called upon by party cadres to hunt boar or wild swine for celebrations. In West Germany, hunting was restricted to landowners, but in the GDR, the government owned all land, allowing Hans to hunt wherever he wanted. Erich Guetinger recalled that his father and uncle Hans were not close, partly due to the age gap and their wartime experiences.
Division and Legacy
Freedom of movement between East and West Germany remained largely unrestricted in the 1950s, but tougher measures were instituted from the 1960s onward. After that, East Germans were generally allowed to travel west only for urgent family matters such as funerals or weddings. The Berlin Wall, built in 1961, physically cemented the division that had already separated the Guetinger family.
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Berlin Wall's legacy endures for family separated by Cold War division
