Based on my experiences when I first moved abroad. My attempt aims to be atmospheric and another point of data in the conversation of where the modern Bildungsroman could exist.
Definitely a lot of that going on. In Germany during the early years of reunification, West Berliners didn't like to drive their (expensive) cars to the East because they might have to walk back.
That was also the time when the red army left and many, many things were just sold. Too heavy and cumbersome to move.
There was still a lot of communist era stuff about. Borders had really only just opened, and all the big European companies were very overpriced on the market. I can remember new clothing seeming extortionate but books were dirt cheap.
There was still the perception that all foreigners were rich and easy pickings too, which did attract some problems.
The streets were still full of 70s and 80s commiewagons, all the women were wearing fur and quilted wool coats but yet in that moment there were internet cafes on every corner and you could skype call internationally for pennies.
It was a wild time. An Eastern German friend of the family once came to us in 1992 because the local land registry office had contacted him because as per their records he was the owner of several hundred flats in the mid sized town he had been a magistrate in until a few years earlier. He tried to explain to them that as a good socialist he had never in his life owned any property.
After quite a few phone calls, we found out that socialist land registry was so spotty that they put down random local party (or union) people as "owners". Didn't matter to them as the whole concept was almost superfluous.
That was the time that fortunes were made (or not).
I saw some of that, the remains of communist era flat allocations where they'd been equally likely to put someone in the main square as 5km in a steelworks. And a horde of Irish property investors had come in, each looking to spend hundreds of thousands of Euros and hoping for to make a killing when (or if) the Euro was adopted.
I did meet a young couple living in a single room flat next door to the old Schindler factory. They were paying rent into a what was essentially an escrow account because nobody could find a legitimate owner of the building. The last legal and private owner was a Jewish landlord in 1939.
Yes, a few of these escrows setups still exist over here. Mostly Jewish people as the last private owners, most of the other stuff is sorted out by now.
There is one piece of prime plot right in the middle of Berlin. Flat, square, no buildings on it, about two acres. Unclear ownership, but somebody could buy it from the state to develop, but nobody does. Why? It used to be a lorry servicing yard for the East German state super market organisation. Which means the soil is contaminated with tons of used motor oil and nobody knows what else simply because that's how things were done back then. Any new owner would have to dig up, dispose of and replace that soil which is an almost incalculable cost.
I enjoyed this tale. Are you planning on writing any further memoir-like stories?
So as far as the Bildungsroman aspect goes, the experience with the men drinking vodka seems to be the crux of the story. Did you ever encounter them again?
I can add another section of this story, but in most ways as I got myself more sorted out things became a lot less exciting. It's also the very year when the first cheap flights arrived in summer, which did change the atmosphere and feel on the city quickly.
The men all moved on again, there were lots of little cliques and groups I met that year who turned out to be very transient. I guess I was transient too, I've been back since but as somewhere which is really a university city it just makes you feel old. I didn't realise that at 22, but really did on a trip back.
Very, very good read. The feel reminds me of (early) 90s Eastern Germany, especially Berlin and time Eastern border towns.
You have a knack for creating atmosphere in a concise way, using fairly few words. That is rare.
Plus, I agree that it feels like the story might deserve a second meeting with the three (presumed) smugglers.
It was the very last hurrah of the wild east, it had gone by the summer of that year.
I never really found exactly what their business was, everyone presumed it was moving second hand cars (possibly without the owner's knowledge)
Thanks!
Definitely a lot of that going on. In Germany during the early years of reunification, West Berliners didn't like to drive their (expensive) cars to the East because they might have to walk back.
That was also the time when the red army left and many, many things were just sold. Too heavy and cumbersome to move.
There was still a lot of communist era stuff about. Borders had really only just opened, and all the big European companies were very overpriced on the market. I can remember new clothing seeming extortionate but books were dirt cheap.
There was still the perception that all foreigners were rich and easy pickings too, which did attract some problems.
The streets were still full of 70s and 80s commiewagons, all the women were wearing fur and quilted wool coats but yet in that moment there were internet cafes on every corner and you could skype call internationally for pennies.
It was a wild time. An Eastern German friend of the family once came to us in 1992 because the local land registry office had contacted him because as per their records he was the owner of several hundred flats in the mid sized town he had been a magistrate in until a few years earlier. He tried to explain to them that as a good socialist he had never in his life owned any property.
After quite a few phone calls, we found out that socialist land registry was so spotty that they put down random local party (or union) people as "owners". Didn't matter to them as the whole concept was almost superfluous.
That was the time that fortunes were made (or not).
I saw some of that, the remains of communist era flat allocations where they'd been equally likely to put someone in the main square as 5km in a steelworks. And a horde of Irish property investors had come in, each looking to spend hundreds of thousands of Euros and hoping for to make a killing when (or if) the Euro was adopted.
I did meet a young couple living in a single room flat next door to the old Schindler factory. They were paying rent into a what was essentially an escrow account because nobody could find a legitimate owner of the building. The last legal and private owner was a Jewish landlord in 1939.
Yes, a few of these escrows setups still exist over here. Mostly Jewish people as the last private owners, most of the other stuff is sorted out by now.
There is one piece of prime plot right in the middle of Berlin. Flat, square, no buildings on it, about two acres. Unclear ownership, but somebody could buy it from the state to develop, but nobody does. Why? It used to be a lorry servicing yard for the East German state super market organisation. Which means the soil is contaminated with tons of used motor oil and nobody knows what else simply because that's how things were done back then. Any new owner would have to dig up, dispose of and replace that soil which is an almost incalculable cost.
So it must remains empty for now.
I was going to guess Warsaw. I was close.
I enjoyed this tale. Are you planning on writing any further memoir-like stories?
So as far as the Bildungsroman aspect goes, the experience with the men drinking vodka seems to be the crux of the story. Did you ever encounter them again?
I can add another section of this story, but in most ways as I got myself more sorted out things became a lot less exciting. It's also the very year when the first cheap flights arrived in summer, which did change the atmosphere and feel on the city quickly.
The men all moved on again, there were lots of little cliques and groups I met that year who turned out to be very transient. I guess I was transient too, I've been back since but as somewhere which is really a university city it just makes you feel old. I didn't realise that at 22, but really did on a trip back.
Loved reading this. Really felt like I was there with you.
As to the city, my guess would be somewhere in Southeastern Europe or maybe the Caucasus?
Going to take a punt on Tbilisi?
It was Kraków
I was way off!
Well told and *very* familiar