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David Černý - Quo Vadis (Trabant) HFF!

For a few weeks in the late summer of 1989, Prague became the scene of a bizarre — and now largely forgotten — refugee crisis. It had begun in the spring, when Hungary announced its decision to take down the barbed wire on its border with Austria. A growing number of East Germans, desperate at the suffocating lack of reform in their country, took advantage of this new gap in the Iron Curtain to flee to the West. Smuggling themselves into Austria was an uncertain business, however, and before long they began seeking refuge at the West German embassy in Budapest — and then in Prague, much closer to home and easier to reach, as East German citizens did not need a visa.

On 23 August 1989, the West German embassy — housed in the exquisite Baroque Lobkowicz Palace just below Prague Castle — was forced to close for day-to-day business. Hundreds of East Germans were trying to get in, many climbing over the fence into the manicured embassy gardens. The surrounding streets were soon packed with their abandoned Trabants and Wartburgs.
www.davidcerny.cz/work/quo-vadis-trabant
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69 comments

Nicole Merdrignac said:

HFF. Bon week-end.
5 days ago ( translate )

Erhard Bernstein replied to Nicole Merdrignac:

Merci Nicole!
5 days ago ( translate )

Stephan Fey said:

Jetzt also doch das Verbrenneraus! Die Autoindustrie ist gerettet! :-))
5 days ago ( translate )

Erhard Bernstein replied to Stephan Fey:

;-) Danke Stephan!
5 days ago ( translate )

Franck Chabal said:

C'est très bizarre ! HFF Erhard.
5 days ago ( translate )

Erhard Bernstein replied to Franck Chabal:

Ja, aber eine durchaus passende Symbolik, finde ich.
4 days ago ( translate )

Don Sutherland said:

Great sculpture.
5 days ago ( translate )

Makrofan said:

HFF!
5 days ago

klaus 040 said:

Im Zusammenhang mit der damaligen Fluchtbewegung ist der Sinn dieser Skulptur sehr gut nachvollziehbar. Die Leute liessen ihren Trabbi stehen und machten sich zu Fuss auf den Weg in die Westdeutsche Botschaft...
Danke für die ausführliche Erklärung Horst.
5 days ago ( translate )

trester88 said:

Beeindruckende Skulptur.
HFF und einen guten Start ins Wochenende, Erhard!
5 days ago ( translate )

Christa1004 said:

Die Skulptur ist wirklich beeindruckend. HFF Erhard.
5 days ago ( translate )

William Sutherland said:

Marvelous shot!

Admired in: www.ipernity.com/group/tolerance
4 days ago

Kayleigh said:

Extra! :-)
HFF und ein schönes Wochenende :-)
4 days ago ( translate )

Pics-UM said:

Ausdrucksstarke Skulptur und informativ beschrieben. HFF und ein schönes Wochenende. Gruß Uwe
4 days ago ( translate )

Gavin Johnson said:

HFF - I didn't know that bit of history! An excellent sculpture, too.
4 days ago