"THE HOUSE / 1984" "ELECTION SUNDAY" "THE POLLING STATIONS ARE CLOSED." "THE CANDIDATES HAVE BEEN CHOSEN." "THE RESULTS ARE BEING TALLIED." "PENTECOST MONDAY" "SWEET FANTASY." "FREEDOM AND FRIENDSHIP." "WORKDAY TUESDAY" "3000 people in that field are looking for apartments, out of the 6000 we have for the whole district." "What can you do?" "I can only make around 100-120 referrals a year that are then granted." "You can imagine how many of the 3000 get left behind." "HOUSING POLICY DEPT." "Hello." " Hello." "I had to make another appearance." " Yes." "But it's still..." "hello." "still the same?" " Yes." "still no senior-friendIy apartments available." "Yes." "Nothing can be done." " Nothing can be done." "I keep coming and saying..." "I thought now that vacation was over..." "But that's why no more apartments are available." "Yes, I believe that." " We only ever have a few." "Okay..." " But we're keeping an eye on your case." "That's the important thing." " Yes." "... KEEPING AN EYE ON IT." "What changes do we have to make to your apartment application?" "None." "None?" "Everything's the same?" "You're an auto painter at Auto-Trans berlin?" "Starting in 1980 you did three years in the NVA." "If it's over then I can erase it." "well, now it's '84." "The three years are over." "That's right." "So, is this telephone number right:" "37 64 230?" "No." "We've never had a telephone." "Your work number." " Oh, okay." "Yes." "It could be your work number." " Oh, okay." "Yes." "So..." "And you work in two shifts?" "You're not eligible for plan 85 yet," "You live in a 4-room apartment with four people." "THEN I CAN ERASE IT." "Oh, here." "Handwriting was hard to read." "So..." " Yes." "You're still a student." "Any changes to your application?" "There haven't been any changes." "Are you still studying at the medical school?" " No, I'm done." "See, that's a change." " Yes." "This year, in '84?" " In '84, that's right." "And what do you do now?" " I'm a physical therapist." "Where?" " In berlin Buch." "Is it called "Buch clinic"?" "What's it called?" "It's called..." "The address is:" "berlin Buch..." "I don't want the address, I want the name of the company." "It must be called "Buch clinic" or something." "Write "Buch clinic."" "So, I have your telephone number." "Do you have a work number?" "No." "So..." "Do you work in shifts?" "No." "Not in shifts." " No." "Not in two shifts, either?" " No." "Then we don't have an opportunity to enroll you in plan 85 yet." "WE GET RID OF EVERYTHING." "Even old people get turned away." "That doesn't happen here." "We get rid of everything." "So." " I wanted to check in again, see if it was possible in the meantime, and see what kind of chances I have for the coming year." "As a nurse?" "Are you a nurse?" "No." "I'm studying." "But I work too." " Weren't you a nurse?" "No, I wasn't." "I worked for a year at the rescue center." "Here it says "facility: hospital."" " Yes." "And now I work..." " I'm sweating buckets!" "It's hot enough as it is with all these lights." "And I'm working there again." "And how many shifts do you have?" " It's a three- shift system." "Do we have anything in writing for you?" " Yes." "That's it, right there." "Where?" "Oh, this." " Both sides." "I don't know why it isn't marked." "well, as a student you're out of the running, right?" "How much longer will you study?" " Five more years." "Five more years?" " It's a six-year study program." "What will you be then?" " A doctor." "Then you won't work in shifts." " Oh yes I will!" "But not in three shifts." " As I doctor, I will." "Patients have to be cared for at night too." "Then you have on-caII duty." " Yes, on top of that." "So, today it's '84." "Then it'II be '89." "You want to study that long?" "I'm going to try, but like I said..." "I can't promise you'II get through with that." "SO, TODAY IT'S '84." "For exampIe, because of Leipzig I'm home every six months for three weeks with the expo." "We have to rearrange everything, and I need an office for my books and..." "There's no way we can give you an office as a student." "No, but..." "We wish all students could have one, but we can't do that yet." " Yeah, I know." "You can take it, it's yours." " I know." "But there's no space." "Our living room..." "Like I said, if your brother applies when he's 18 and he works in three shifts, it's quite possible that he'II get placed before you do." "That's how it is." "Okay?" "Your parents can count on having you around for a while." "So, there's no way you'II..." "Get married in Leipzig." "Then we're rid of you." "Find a professor with high standing." "You never know." "You have to keep a positive attitude." "That was just a joke, just so you know." " Yeah, I know." "My colleague is a bit of a joker." "THAT WAS JUST A JOKE." "We all make our own choices." "SOCIAL SERVICES DEPT." "So, I spoke with my colleague." "Back then he said you could drop by at any time if you're having problems or if you're in trouble." "I've explained to you our legal requirements concerning the issue." "I also told you that because of those requirements, we can no Ionger offer any one-time financial support." "He agrees completely." "If you would Iike to speak with my colleague again, you're welcome to do so." "Based on the social welfare ordinance, we are no Ionger able to help you." "And to be completely honest, you didn't find out about enrollment today." "You've known for about a year." "And you could've prepared for that a little bit." "And if you were a member of the trade union you would've been eligible for cultural and social funds." "That argument just doesn't cut it:" ""I've known for about a year."" "I had all sorts of other things to deal with." "I've got debts..." "I started because" "I spent that time pretty much under the poverty line, until I got this job by petitioning and things." "I started with such a huge deficit!" "AII I want to know right now:" "I just have to accept this, right?" "Is this final?" "You can't help me no matter how dire my situation is?" "You know, my problems and emergencies..." "I don't get to choose them, they just come." "And I tried to get by on my own!" "But now..." "I came here as a last resort!" "But now I'm stuck, so I thought I'd come back and see if you could help." "If I'd come six months ago it wouldn't have been any different." "But the fact remains that we already helped with 740 marks." "That was one-time financial support in the sense that we helped you very generously because of the trouble and problems you were having." "That was all handled and processed in a normal manner." "And as I said, our financial assets are exhausted at this point." "We can't do any more." " So the case is closed?" "There's no reason for me to come back?" " You could say that because you have a gross salary of 420 marks, and the social welfare limit is 230 marks." "If we're being generous, we can accept up to 260 marks including rent." "And because of our legal requirements for "one-time financial support,"" "you would be eligible if you had an income of 230 marks." "That means, in the case of school enrollment or a youth ceremony, we could've given you one-time financial support." "Yes, but those people also receive child support or get support from their parents, and I don't have any of that." "Or the father actually helps out." " Yes, I know that." "Even if you did receive child support you'd still be over the limit, but we don't count child support." "You have the right to file an appeal against it." "I'II tell you how." " That won't help me." "I don't want to get into that again." "If I'd known that it's no Ionger possible..." "Then they tell me..." "You knew what my salary was, you knew that." "I'm getting the furniture, because I've been living on the floor." "You knew all that and you still said:" ""We can't provide you with child support." "There's no way to do it legally, but nevertheless, if you have a real problem, we can do this or that."" "That's why I came here, and now I know it's not possible." "This is the only advice I can give you:" "due to your current work situation, you should become a member of the FDGB." "Then the next time you have a financial emergency you can apply for one-time financial support through the FDGB." "Is there anything else we can do?" "Because I need to handle this situation." "It's really..." "I'm behind in every way, but I don't want it to affect my child." "I want her to start school the same way other kids do." "In the end, all I care about is the 100 marks." "Can I get it as a Ioan or something?" "We'II have to go back down to my colleague." "I can't just decide that on my own." "You'II have to come with me." " Sure, if it's okay." "Fine." "HANDLED AND PROCESSED IN A NORMAL MANNER." "Is this your first time here?" " Yes, it is." "Did you bring your documents?" "Pension statement, insurance proof?" " Not the insurance proof." "No?" "Then show me what you've..." "Thanks." "You moved apartments?" " Yes." "In the same house?" " In the same house." "How large is the apartment?" "How large is your new apartment?" "Two rooms that are the same, and a kitchen..." "With an indoor toilet?" " I now have an indoor toilet and bath, which I didn't have before." "Who is your doctor?" " Dr. ..." "And you're still in the front building?" " Yes." "We don't have a rear building." "Yes, front building." "So..." "With indoor toilet and bath?" " Yes." "I'II give that back to you." " I had to move on Friday." "You've requested support in order to buy yourself some things." "You have to understand, because of your pension, we won't be able to grant you everything you've applied for." "We can do the following:" "We can grant you one-time financial support in the form of 150 marks." "Then you can buy the things that you applied for." "My pension is only 350 marks, and with the move..." " Yes, yes." "Others get 270 or 280 marks and have to make do with that." "And you just received coal money from us." "Yes, I did receive that." "OTHERS GET 270 OR 280 AND HAVE TO MAKE DO WITH THAT." "hello." "Just one more citizen then we're all done." "A half hour, forty-five minutes, okay?" "Bye." "What do we have here?" "I'm here again about our daughter's apartment situation." "We have a tiny three-room apartment." "Five of us live there including the infant, and the son-in-Iaw on the weekends." "And we're supposed to work shifts!" "I know all of that." "That's nothing new." "My daughter is studying in September and she needs work space." "I don't know how to go on!" "well, we've got nothing." "We can't offer you anything right now." "I got two apartments last week." "It's been this way since February." " But we have so few apartments coming in." "It would be a Iot easier to achieve our plan 84 if we had more apartments." "Your daughter isn't in the plan and I can't tell someone in the plan" ""You can't get anything because it's her turn to get something."" "We said "outside the plan," but I have to follow the plan first." "My plan is the Iaw, and I have to execute it." "Then we deal with the rest." "But how do our chances look?" " well, it looks bad." "But that's not going to help us." "No, it won't, but it doesn't help me either." "I spent the whole day talking with people who are in the plan and they're surprised, really surprised, and they have to accept the fact that it's August and they still haven't received an offer." "But, I mean, it's no way to live!" "No three-month-oId baby should have to live in a living room." "It sleeps and things in the middle of everything else." "In the kitchen..." "We can't eat or anything!" "MY PLAN IS THE LAW." "THEN WE DEAL WITH THE REST." "It can't go on like this!" "I can't help you." "PRESENTATION WEDNESDAY" "Yesterday was okay." "Not every day is like that." "I mean, you're here..." "We had 62 citizens come in," "I did in any case." "That's okay." "Sometimes we have even more." ",And it all went relatively businessIike." "The two or three who I thought would flip out a bit, didn't end up flipping out." "So it was okay." "I tend to do well on Tuesdays anyway." "I'm still spunky." "INTERNAL AFFAIRS DEPT." "internal Dept., berlin Mitte council." "Good morning." "Yes, internal Affairs, berlin Mitte council." "hello." "I called yesterday." "Was it you I spoke with about this person being discharged?" "Was he discharged?" "Did you give him an appointment between 10 and 11:30 here at the council?" "That's great, because he isn't here yet." "I thought maybe he wasn't able to get away at this time." "7:30." "Okay, thank you." "Then he'II be..." "I see." "Thank you." "Then he'II be in later." "Yes." "Yes, that happens." "Okay, thanks." "Good bye." "He was discharged at 7:30 and he signed saying he'd come to internal before 11:30." "Now we have to wait and see if he comes or not." "please give me the documents." "Come here, please." "please take a seat." "So, you live here in Mitte?" " Yes, with my mother." "Is your mother Ms. ...?" " Yes." "That's your only residence?" " Yes." "Then why are you still registered in prenzlauer Berg?" "I lived with my brother for a while." "I registered there to keep everything orderly." "I was there for two months." "But my sister-in-Iaw is the kind of woman that's hard to get along with." "We pretty much can't stand each other." "She's got her kids there." "What she's doing isn't right." "When did you move back in with your mother?" "In april." "Of '84?" " This year, yes." "But..." " I tried to sign the house register as a visitor at first, and I went to the station and wanted to register myself." "My mother made a statement saying I had a right to enter the apartment." "I also had a new lock put in because she lost her key." "At your mother's?" " Yes." "She was robbed once on the street at night." "They took her ID, her key and everything." "She got her ID back, but not the key to the apartment, or for the courtyard because it's border area." "It's border area?" " It's border area." "I can get into the apartment, but not into the courtyard." "But you don't have..." "You need authorization." "I spoke with this colleague." "He's the..." "What does he do?" "He's household management." "And he's a photographer too." "He's got a photo studio in the back." "A few people took off recently." "It was on the news yesterday." "I wanted to come yesterday, but I was with my brother-in-Iaw." "It was his birthday." "I thought it was only 2 pm." "I thought I'd go congratulate him, and then come here." "I wanted to come to keep everything orderly." "Yes, so..." " But it was already 5:30 pm and then it was too late." "If it's border area you are only allowed to be there with police authorization." "well, last night, around 10 or so, after 10, I met the other colleague." "And he made an appointment for me at 10 AM today at Station 14." "I was there on time but he had something to do." "He wasn't there yet." "Then I waited and we came here together." "I would've come alone too." "well, you were summoned a few times." "Once." " Yes, and why didn't you come?" "It was for yesterday." "Yesterday?" " Yes." "You have it in there somewhere." "It was for June 16th." " No." "Yes, you were summoned for June 16th." "You know, our mailbox doesn't close." "well, you have to make sure it closes." "That's your responsibility as a tenant, or your mother's responsibility to make sure no one takes your mail." "Yes." "That actually happened a few times." "That's your responsibility, you're in charge of that." "well, I'II have to buy a new one." "You have to register at your mother's apartment again." "I'II check if it's really border area, Brunnenstrasse 143." "It's three houses from the border." "well..." "It's not Iike I'm going to jump over the wall or something." "regardless, you need authorization from the people's police Force to be there, and authorization from this council." "And you'd give me authorization?" " No, I can't give it to you." "Another colleague would give it to you." "You have to apply." "Where?" " With the colleague in room 415." "He lives in my house, right?" " No." "But a person with this name lives there." " He doesn't live there." "He lives in our house." "But not this Person." "I'm sure of it." "You would know." "So, and how is it going with work?" "I've always tried to find work, and I worked in Operncafé for a lump sum." "I'm going to go back there and see if they'II insure me, if they'II give me salary work." "And then I'II come here on Tuesday and say, "Look, I've got work."" "Your last job was from January 1st..." "No, from..." "Yes..." "From when?" "From October 1st, 1982 to the 30th..." "I can't make it out." " September." "September 30th, 1983." " Yes." "You've had no work since September." "What are you living on?" "I always worked for a lump sum." " Where?" "That's a good question." "House berlin." "Then..." " For how long?" "Fourteen days." "House berlin, then Operncafé at some point." "First I was at Operncafé, but then I worked at what-do-you-caII-it  THE COSMETIC COMBINE." " Yes." "Why were you absent from work without an excuse?" "The man that I was living with cheated on me with his ex-wife." "And I hate it when he does that." " I see." "So you just didn't come in to work?" "I wanted to take a vacation." "I called, we had a phone, and talked with the person in charge." "I asked her if I couId take a vacation because I had some problems." "She said, "You're shop steward and filling in for the foreman." "You can't."" "That's what they said." " So you just stayed home?" "No, I went here and..." "My son came with me." "And we both talked with her about the problem." "Then I went back to work and..." "When was that?" "It was in july." "Yes, then from july 4th to the 11th, and then from july 18th to the 20th." "AND THEN THREE MORE DAYS..." "Are you single?" "Divorced?" " Yes." " single?" "With one son?" " Yes." "Where is he now?" " At a juvenile detention center." "Do you have any physical limitations?" "health problems?" "Not that I know of." "You can do all types of work, right?" "As long as it's not too tough, I can handle it." "But I can't really do precision work." "Do you wear glasses?" " Yes." "Do you have them with you?" " No, not yet." "Are they lost?" " I don't have any." "You never had any?" " No." "But, what kind of work would you Iike to do?" "My first choice would be in a kitchen." "Or as a porter." "I've worked as a porter before." "I worked late and night shifts and lots of overtime." "I made good money." "Then I met a man, but I went kept working anyway." "Are you a drinker?" " No!" "None?" " I drank a little yesterday because I was at a party." "But I usually don't drink." "absolutely nothing?" " Nope." "And you don't go to bars?" " No." "Oh God, not alone!" "No." "I don't take men home either." "I only have one man and he's from Stuttgart." "But that's not illegal." "Okay." "And you want to cross over to be with him, right?" "I'd have to be married first." "Not before." "And get rid of my debts." " What kind of debts?" "I still owe the Youth welfare Office money." "I don't know." "I can't tell you for sure." "I'II have to check on that." "YOU WANT TO CROSS OVER TO BE WITH HIM." "WHAT KIND OF DEBTS?" "I bet it was hard to keep a straight face." "Yeah, when she said..." "What was it?" "That her boyfriend cheated on her with his ex-wife." "Can I have another cigarette?" "I'm  all out." "But if she doesn't drink alcohol," "ORDER THURSDAY then I'm a monkey's uncle." "Youth welfare Department." "Youth social Workers." "I'm sure you can imagine why we need to talk today." "This is about you." "Why were you asked to come here today?" "Because I did something stupid?" " What stupid thing did you do?" "I went into the cellar." " In which one?" "What?" " Into which cellar?" "In your house, the neighbor's house?" " In our house." "How many cellars were there?" "I was in one." "What about the others that were there?" "I was in another cellar too, but I didn't take anything from it." "What did you take out of the cellar?" " Two aquariums." "What did you want with them?" "Do you Iike animals?" "well, at first." "But I'm not interested in them anymore." "I gave them to my sister." "Did you get the aquariums for her?" "No, but I gave them to her anyway, because I didn't want them anymore." "Do you have other pets at home?" "My sister and I have two." " What kind of pets?" "A bird and a guinea pig." " Who takes care of them?" "My sister." " Why don't you take care of them?" "well, sometimes I feed them, but cleaning up after them..." "What are you interested in?" "I start a Iot of things, and then I give up on them." "You assess yourself very critically." "We've talked about that a Iot." "What kinds of things have you started?" " Swimming, crafts." "What else?" "YOU ASSESS YOURSELF CRITICALLY." "Moved to 7th grade." "Behavior:" "B, effort:" "C, tidiness..." "Why did you give yourself a D in tidiness?" "well, I'm sloppy." "I mean, I forget most things." "Is art your favorite subject?" "That's why you chose the art work group?" " Yes." "And what did we say we're going to do in September?" "Improve." "My mother and I want to sit down together." "What would you Iike to improve?" "Your behavior or grades?" "well get rid of all the Ds and the Cs too if it's possible." "If we get rid of the Ds then we'II be pretty well off." "Yeah, but I might have some Cs in my other subjects, where I used to have Bs and then I'd have the same average." "You know, when we talk you seen pretty responsible to me." "I'm sure you and your mother had a little talk before about all these problems." "Do you often do the types of things that the people's police Force told us about?" "Yes, once." "I mean, several times." "And what did you do?" "I stole money." " From home?" "And other places." " From who?" "Friends?" "My mother's best friend and a school friend." "Why did that happen?" "How much is your allowance?" "I don't have one." "But I do get something." "I ask Mommy if I want to go somewhere" "like to the rec. center, and she gives it to me." "What about collecting scrap?" "Lots of kids earn their allowance by collecting scrap, in a completely honest way." " That's too easy for the young man." "If you were in the 9th or 10th grade then I'd understand that." "Those boys are too vain to be seen with bags of bottles and newspapers." "But the 7th grade is actually an age where kids really like collecting scrap." "What's your routine like after you get home from school." "Not a holiday like today, but a school day." "What's your routine?" "When I get home..." "well, for the Iast six months," "I get home, bring down the garbage pails, dry them..." "Not always, but often." "Then I go downstairs, instead of doing my homework." "And is your sister as lazy as you are?" " No." "Is she more responsible than you?" " Yeah, I'd say so." "Is she older or younger?" " older." "How old is your sister." " Thirteen." "We're twins." "well, that should spur you on." "As a twin sister..." "Are you in the same grade?" "How are your sister's grades?" "Better." "Her average is about a B+, I think." "So, what do you plan to change, besides improving your grades?" "Your free time." "How do you want to change your free time?" "Can you do it alone?" "I can, if I want to." "So you didn't want to for 13 years, or for the Iast 6 school years, is that it?" "I have little streaks." "Sometimes I want to, sometimes I don't." "SO YOU DIDN'T WANT TO FOR THE LAST 13 YEARS?" "On September 4th, I want a seIf-assessment." "Even though you don't like writing." "include what you plan to do in the new year." "And then we'II check your progress regularly." "Got it?" "Next week on your own, without Mommy." "Wait outside a moment." "I want to talk to your mother for a moment." "You can take that along." "actually it's like this:" "we usually don't get involved with petty crimes." "But you probably told... the criminal police that these problems happen often." "Yes." " And that's why the comrades asked that we talk to you and see if you need some help, and see how we can help you." "I don't like that." "I went to our local policeman myself and asked for help, and he gossiped to everybody on the block about it." "He's sworn to secrecy too." "I was looking for help, but I'm not going back there again." "Of course not." "I'm disappointed in him." "I went there and the people said things like:" ""Aw, look!" "The robber family!" Or..." "I mean, I'm alone." "well, that could also have to do with the others." "He's gone downhill since he's been hanging around those two boys." "And... that takes its toll." "I'm pretty exhausted." "I mean, I've got a job with a Iot of responsibility." "What do you do?" " I'm a managing clerk at Möve." "Yeah, so..." "And I made a huge mistake." "My daughter..." "I didn't like boys." "I always put my daughter first." "I can't make that right in one year's time." "You know?" "I didn't like boys." "And..." "I always looked for faults, only saw faults in him." "But not with my daughter." "And he's..." "I'd say that my son is outrageously sensitive." "My daughter bears a grudge, but he doesn't." "That's a big difference." "If you've come to realize that you're also to blame..." "I'm trying to set it right, but I can't do that over night." "... then we can fix it a little at a time." " I think..." "I'm to blame for a Iot of it, yes." "I even admit that." " At this point let's say that your son will report in regularly." "If that doesn't work out, the other possibility is that he speak with a psychologist, or that a volunteer care worker visits him at home." "I'd have no problem with that." "Maybe it's better." "He probably thinks this is just another warning." "But I don't want him to be..." "But you can't be too hard on him." "I probably already did that." "I was too hard on him." "I'm pretty strict with him." "Try to praise him more, even for little things." "He's all thumbs." " Then find a way to look past that!" "My God, there are so many men that..." " Yeah, but for craft projects..." "He comes and says: "Show me how to knit." It drives me nuts!" "He's like a girl somehow." " Yeah..." "But you Iike girls." " Yeah, but not if he's a boy!" "You have to get over that." "Praise him more, even for little things." "Give him allowance." "He just buys candy with it and then it's gone." "The money's gone!" " So the one mark a week is gone." "SOLIDARITY FRIDAY." "He has to get a regular allowance." "1 10 going once!" "1 10 going twice!" "1 15, 120..." "Please, please!" "Everyone participating, raise your hands!" "120 going once!" "120 going twice!" "120 going three times!" "Congratulations!" "That's sure to be a unique contribution to the trophy collection." "120 marks for solidarity." "Thank you very much." "Now something completely different." "A vase for the new apartment." "35!" "And 21, 25!" "35!" "42!" "42 going once!" "42 going twice!" "45!" "45 going twice!" "45 going once!" "45 going twice!" "47!" "40 going twice!" "40 going three times!" "Thank you!" "Moving right along!" "FINANCIAL STATEMENTS DISTRICT BERLIN-MITTE." "YOUTH QUESTIONS." "FINANCES." "EULOGIES." "WORK SCHEDULE." "HEALTH CARE." "WEDDING SATURDAY" "Dear Ms. Radke, dear Mr. BaIser," "I've already introduced myself to you, but I'd Iike to warmly welcome you in behalf of the berlin Mitte District council." "dearly beloved, we have gathered here today to seal your friendship and love for one another in the bond of matrimony." "With this step you take on new and quite nice tasks:" "You promise to trust and help each other, to be there for each other unseIfishIy, to share both happiness and sorrow with each other, to abandon selfish wishes." "These are qualities that create an enduring bond between man and wife." "In our country marriage and the family are under special protection." "AII social conditions were created so that the family you wish to start with your marriage today can develop into a true life partnership." "Dear Ms. Radke, dear Mr. BaIser," "I would Iike to say that the happiness of your marriage will only endure if you both contribute to it." "For not only are you man and wife before the Iaw, more importantly you are life partners and friends." "Your wedding day, September 1, 1984, is also the international Day of Peace." "On a day like today it should be clear to you that your active participation is necessary to withhold this peace." "recently I read a few lines in the newspaper." "Maybe you have some thoughts about them too." "It was written:" ""The shining dream of great peace is buried within our desires." "When its quiet voice is heard we feel peace, and it is more than a feeling, a desire." "Peace is more than everything in the world." "Our hearts cannot beat without peace."" "So, dear Ms. Radke, dear Mr. BaIser, before marriage many exciting days and hours are spent." "Perhaps that was your experience?" "Why not use your wedding as an opportunity to reflect for a minute?" "Why not take a minute to remember how you met, or to think back on the happy hours you've already shared?" "You must know that marriage and family are more than just friendship and love." "And that the love between a man and a woman must be preserved in a wide variety of Iife situations." "Once I read something from Theodor Fontane who claimed that love can be sustained by small courtesies." "But you know, in this day and age we know full well that it takes a Iot more than that." "From my own experience I couId add that relationships do not always stay the same." "They change simply due to the fact that we change over the years." "And we often hear that passion fades over the years." "There is some truth to that." "But at the same time I'd Iike to assert that closeness should not." "By that I mean that we should respect our partner, understand him, and make sure he feels that his happiness and weII-being are of great importance to you." "Yes, this will create healthy homes which in turn give each partner strength and enthusiasm." "For this reason one should go to try, spurred on by the fundamentals of socialist morals and ethics, not to focus only on individual needs." "always be in balance with the tasks and interests of the society." "On this, your wedding day, you will be showered with many words of congratulations." "I hope and wish for you that you master your life together as open, joyful young people." "Yet it is very important that your personal dreams come true." "Dear Ms. Radke, dear Mr. BaIser," "I would Iike to end our very short meeting with a poem." "This is a poem written by helmut PreissIer." "He wrote:" ""I want to live with you, hope that luck wins out." "Though we surely will have cause for worry, after a hard day, make the evening good." "Torture me not with questions!" "Give not reproach but courage!" "Search not, when we argue, for the blame!" "Find tenderness, for love needs patience."" "Dear Ms. Radke, dear Mr. BaIser, you have come here today to say something as well." "To speak a clear, distinct "yes," when I ask each of you in turn if you are willing to enter into the bond of matrimony with each other." "And when I clearly and distinctly hear that from you both then I'd Iike to say that that is the proof that you both love each other very much." "Dear Ms. Radke, dear Mr. BaIser, may I now ask you to stand." "Do you, Gerd BaIser, take Petra Radke as you wife, and accept the surname you both selected:" "BaIser?" "Yes." " Thanks." "And now your statement." "Do you, Petra Radke, also take Gerd BaIser as your husband, and accept the surname you both selected:" "BaIser?" "Yes." "I many now call you Mr. and Mrs. BaIser." "You have both given your word of consent, and I confirmed that with my signature." "You are hereby, under the Iaw of our German Democratic republic, now a married-coupIe." "If you'd Iike to seal that with a kiss, we'd be happy to watch." "So, now we come to an end." "You must be given the proof of the marriage we just performed, the BaIser family Book with two marriage certificates." "I have added the other documents." "This is the proof." "You carry the flowers." "I now present you with the book, many wishes for a happy future and my experience:" "one must work hard for love." "I wish that for you." "congratulations, Ms. BaIser." "I wish you both a lovely day despite the rain." "So, if the photographer would be so kind?" "would you Iike to take more photos, or is that enough?" "I don't know." "Maybe we could do more outside..." "But it's raining outside." "I say we should make them..." "Or is your car outside?" " Then we'll do it outside." "Okay, good." "Then we'II say goodbye." "All the best to you again." "And have a nice stay here in Berlin." "Subtitles:" "Barabas"