Sign up for the editor's
weekly newsletter
- Germany edition
- Change edition:
- France |
- Norway |
- Sweden |
- Switzerland
Reader Offer
February 8, 2012
Berlin thanks airlift pilots 60 years later
Published: 12 May 09 14:16 CET
Online: http://www.thelocal.de/national/20090512-19229.html
The city of Berlin on Tuesday kicked off celebrations to mark the 60th anniversary of the end of the Soviet blockade of West Berlin.
- Arctic cold wreaks quirky havoc across Germany (8 Feb 12)
- Action! Babelsberg film studio fźtes 100 years (8 Feb 12)
- Lost ancient artefacts found after 50 years (7 Feb 12)
“The Berlin airlift was a human and logistical stroke of mastery,” Wowereit said, adding that the Allied forces had won the hearts of Berliners with the operation.
In 1948, Soviet leader Joseph Stalin cut off all land links into West Berlin in an attempt to force out British, French and US troops. In response, Western nations launched the biggest airlift in history to keep the city’s 2.25 million residents from starving. For the next 11 months, planes landed every two minutes, bringing in more than 2.5 million tons of food, fuel and machinery.
Tuesday's ceremony was attended by thousands including 120 American, British and French airlift veterans. While saving lives in Berlin, the effort took its toll – more than 60 British, German and American citizens died in plane crashes.
“Your actions secured the survival of Berlin as well as the freedom of this part of the city,” Wowereit said as he paid tribute to those involved in the airlift.
As part of the event, 700 tiny parachutes carrying candies were dropped over the airport, repeating something the Western pilots did to keep Germans’ spirits up during the blockade.
DDP/The Local (news@thelocal.de)
What do you think? Leave your comment below.
Fark It!
Digg This
Share everywhere
Send to a friend
Printable version
Twitter ThisToday's headlines
Germany signs €3 bln in deals with Kazakhstan
Germany and Kazakhstan signed agreements Wednesday worth €3 billion ($4 billion) to cooperate on raw materials, industry and technology in Berlin. READ (1 COMMENT) »
Drunken Munich U-Bahn train driver busted
A drunken train driver for Munich’s U-Bahn metro has been relieved of his duties after being busted driving with a blood alcohol level of 0.2 percent. READ (1 COMMENT) »
Arctic cold wreaks quirky havoc across Germany
The bitter cold is wreaking havoc across Germany in unexpected ways, with the subzero temps freezing an ice cream factory, forcing gravediggers to use jackhammers and driving penguins indoors. But Hamburg is having a party. READ (2 COMMENTS) »
Merkel helps boost conservatives' popularity
Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservatives are flying high in a new opinion poll showing them garnering their best result since her beleaguered coalition took power in 2009. Germans are also more confident the euro crisis can be beat. READ (9 COMMENTS) »
Action! Babelsberg film studio fźtes 100 years
The world's oldest major film studio celebrates its 100th birthday this month with Hollywood stars and European players ready to toast Germany's mythic Studio Babelsberg outside Berlin. AFP's Deborah Cole reports. READ »
Minister calls for school 'Facebook lessons'
Family Minister Kristina Schröder has called on Germany’s high schools to teach the dangers of social networks on the internet. READ (4 COMMENTS) »
German papers win paparazzi case in Europe
German media outlets did not infringe on celebrities' privacy rights when they printed sensitive photographs or stories, the European Court of Human Rights ruled Tuesday. READ »
Motherhood in the Fatherland
Immunisations and anal pharmacists
Motherhood in the Fatherland follows mum Sabine Devins as she navigates the cultural quirks of having a baby in Germany. In the latest instalment, she tackles immunisations and baby pharmaceuticals. READ (7 COMMENTS) »
More National
- 08/02 Germany signs €3 bln in deals with Kazakhstan (1 comment) »
- 08/02 Drunken Munich U-Bahn train driver busted (1 comment) »
- 08/02 Arctic cold wreaks quirky havoc across Germany (2 comments) »
- 07/02 Syrian spy suspects arrested in Berlin »
- 07/02 Germans jailed in UK for owning terrorist material (18 comments) »
- 06/02 Car thieves discover dead baby (5 comments) »
- 06/02 Snow to follow record deep freeze (7 comments) »
- 05/02 Socks provided key clue in neo-Nazi case (1 comment) »
- 05/02 Westerwelle hammers China, Russia over veto (6 comments) »
- 05/02 MEP suggests rebranding Greece (17 comments) »
Highlights
See all ads | Join the Marketplace
-
Greenback Expat Tax Services
US expat tax preparation services, specializing in Americans living in Germany -
Get Grocery
Online shop for wide range of authentic Indian food in Germany/EU -
British Allsorts
Your Corner shop in Munich -
KFZ-Sachverstaendigenbuero Detlef Buchwald
I am an unaffiliated and impartial automotive appraiser -
tolingo professional translation service
fast and reliable translations in over 35 languages -
Greenback Expat Tax Services
US expat tax preparation services for American owned companies in Germany -
COMPEXX FINANZ AG
Financial services in English: insurance, pensions, investments, mortgages
Sponsored Links
- EXPATTAX - German tax advice in English language - nationwide
- Dolores - Berlin's best California-style burritos!
- Learn German in Germany at one of the largest German schools in Berlin: ESL IH Berlin – booking made easy with ESL – Sprachreisen
- Hundreds of job opportunities for foreign professionals in Germany
- Translation and English writing services
- Find the right relationship
- Your advertisement here
Jobs in Germany, in English
1192 jobs available
838 new jobs this week
171 new jobs today
- EEE Audit Case Study March 2012 GERMAN and ENGLISH
- Sourcing Recruiter (m/f)
- Associate Accountant
- Mediaplaner (m/w) Fashion & Lifestyle
- LEITER PHARMAZEUTISCHE ENTWICKLUNG **PROGRESSIVE EXKLUSIV**
- Marketing Projects Manager (m/f) BuyVIP
- Team Assistant (m/f) (D - 38988-13)
- Senior UX Engineer (.NET) - Limited Contract
- Regional Market Development Director Europe m/f
- Java Developer (f/m) for the Cloud Offering - SAP NetWeaver Neo
Blog
- Feb/07 Do you like home-made Rock’n Roll with your fries?
- Nov/25 Hop on hop off Berlin
- Nov/25 Shopping in Berlin
- Nov/25 Typical Berlin
- Nov/25 I lost my heart in Kastanienallee
Essentials
Dating
Looking for your own blonde bombshell? Or is the strong, silent type more your
style? Find a German sweetheart here.
Weather
"After clouds comes clear weather," say the Germans. But what about after that? Find out in The Local's weather
section.
Blog
German stuff that's distracting us today.
Noticeboard
Whether you want to buy, sell, hire, announce or promote something, here's the place to do it - completely free of
charge.
Discuss
Debate the news, ask for advice, make friends - or just let off steam.
Register
Register now for:
> Free use of noticeboard
> Special discounts
> Weekly news roundup
> Unlimited use of discuss
News from the Goethe-Institut
- Celebrating the Moment – Against Asceticism
Abstinence is ideologically in vogue. - Little Hollywood am Main: The LUCAS International Children’s Film Festival
LUCAS is Germany’s oldest children’s film festival. - How Globally Aware Are the Germans? – Foreign news on television
Which countries and regions are viewers interested in? A major international research project focussed on these question. - Communication with the Readers – Editorial Staff and Web 2.0
In recent years, interactive platforms including blogs, Facebook and Twitter have made once passive readers into active reviewers and critics. - Reading as a “never-ending journey into your own psyche” – The Chamisso Prize Winner Michael StavariĨ
In 2012 Michael StavariĨ was awarded the Adelbert von Chamisso Prize as an “outstanding figure in contemporary literary life”.
News from Young Germany
- Weimar has the best international university in Germany
The Bauhaus University in Weimar, Thuringia, describes itself as being eager to experiment, open... - New law clears way for recognition of degrees and training earned abroad
The Upper House of the German Parliament, the Bundesrat, has approved groundbreaking legislation... - Deutsche Literatur im Netz
Wer sich im Ausland für deutsche Literatur interessierte, hatte es früher nicht immer leicht, an... - German research vessel begins Antarctic expedition
The Polarstern—a German research vessel operated by the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and... - Science - a powerhouse of ideas
Scientific insights that can change our world are at the centre of a special scientific conference...
News from DeutschlandOnline
- Fewer animal experiments thanks to nanosensors
Countless mice, rats and rabbits die every year in the name of science – and the situation is... - German employers split over campaign to ban smoking breaks
Employers in Germany have launched a campaign to ban all smoking in the workplace, not just... - Marine Research in Kiel is heading towards new shores
Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel established On January 1, 2012 the former Leibniz... - Federal Foreign Minister Westerwelle: Laying down ambitious and binding rules for the euro
Federal Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle issued the following statement in Berlin today (11...
Noticeboard
- 07/02 Help needed
- 06/02 Channel 4 News request - moving to Germany
- 06/02 Native Italian Speaker
- 06/02 Sport-Promotion in Berlin
- 05/02 English Lessons via Skype
- 04/02 English Tutoring in Frankfurt
Toytown Germany
- 23:04 Probeunterricht for attending Realschule
- 23:01 Unfair zeugnis grade in English
- 22:55 New in Munich (or new to this forum)
- 22:53 Moving to Waldshut-Tiengen...
- 22:41 Motorcycle rideouts and roadtrips
- 22:37 Is John Terry a racist?
- 22:28 Thursday night drinks in Berlin
- 22:25 German Agency for Nature Conservation?
- 22:20 Customer experiences with Postbank
- 22:17 Bathroom water pipes are frozen
Hotel reservations in Berlin
Visiting Berlin anytime soon? Book your hotel in Berlin here.
Visiting Berlin anytime soon? Book your hotel in Berlin here.
Rental apartments in Berlin
For home-from-home holiday accommodation, search for a Berlin apartment to rent.
For home-from-home holiday accommodation, search for a Berlin apartment to rent.
Trade CFDs with InterTrader.com
Start trading shares, equities, forex, etc. No commission on equities; Low min. margins. Apply for a CFDs account now!
Start trading shares, equities, forex, etc. No commission on equities; Low min. margins. Apply for a CFDs account now!
Your comments about this article: