When I arrived back in Bonn from Prague, I had the chance to meet Sybille's cousins. Her cousins grew up in East Germany, so it was a very unique opportunity. I wish I had had more time to spend with them because they were both great people with interesting stories. Since they grew up in East Germany and Sybille, my host mom, had grown up in West Germany, all of them were not able to meet until they were older because her cousins were not allowed to leave East Germany. Sybille told me when she was older she had the chance to visit them in East Germany one time, but her cousins were never allowed to visit her in West Germany.
Her cousins had learned Russian in school and did not speak English so it was hard to communicate. However, we were able to look at some pictures I had taken while on this trip and talk about them. I showed them some from the House of History and it was interesting to hear about their first car, much like the one in the museum. Also, they told me about the Berlin wall and how it went up overnight and a lot about Stalin.
Being able to speak to them really hit home for me how recent these events were. It was CRAZY to hear firsthand how a family had been separated and how they weren't allowed to visit each other. I mean they are Family and they weren't allowed to visit. Also, just hearing how different there lives had been under communism in East Germany was mind-blowing and just amazing to see it with my own two eyes.
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