An Interview of Anna by Madison Pfeiffer

When I was interviewing Anna, she actually did not want to talk about most of her experiences of life behind the Iron Curtain, especially after the death of her brother Peter. So, I wrote down all of the questions she did answer.  Fifty-five years later, Anna still thinks that if she says the wrong thing she will get in trouble.

Q.  What emotions were going through your head when Gerda told you she was sorry about your brother (Peter)?

A. The emotions that were going through my head at the time were probably that my best friend knew that my brother was going to West Berlin.

Q. Were you scared about what might happen to you if you went to the West?

A. Yes. I was scared, but I knew that if Gerta was going to do it, then I was going to do it, too.  She also talked me into it.

Q. Was there a point when you regretted what you said to Gerda about the tunnel?

A. Yes. I regretted always almost all of the words I said to Gerta, from the time I found out about my brother, to the time I climbed into the tunnel.

Q. Did you ever think about what might be going on in Gerta’s head or how she might have been feeling?

A. No, I was worried about myself and about my family.  I was really scared, and I did not care about Gerta or about what she was going through.