Ades Zabel was watching TV – and suddenly, their East-German cousin appeared at the door.
On the evening of November 9th, I had nothing to do and was watching TV with my cat Brigitte in my two-room apartment with stove heating on Urbanstraße.
Suddenly, the television programme was interrupted. Spellbound, I followed the live broadcast on SFB. I sat there, cried, laughed and was happy. Even though it wasn’t far from my place to the border, I didn’t even think to go there.
From watching TV to a state of emergency
Suddenly, around one o’clock, my doorbell rang. I had no idea who it could’ve been. It was my cousin from East Berlin! We fell into each other’s arms. We didn’t go to the border though, instead we went to Oranienbar and celebrated properly. The next day, my cousin moved in. And then my friend Adriano and his girlfriend Jana came and moved in, too. The three of them were afraid that the border would be closed again.
For about six months, my place was the “reception centre Urbanstraße” and Berlin was in a state of emergency for the next two years. The most exciting time of my life!
Ades Zabel is an actor, comedian, and DJ.
Translated by Aida Baghernejad
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