- Title: WEST GERMANY: EAST GERMAN PENSIONERS VISIT RELATIVES IN WEST
- Date: 2nd November 1964
- Summary: 1. SV BERLIN'S SANDKRUGBRUECKE CHECKPOINT: PENSIONER PASSING THROUGH 0.07 2. SV PAN..WOMAN CARRYING SUITCASES CROSSES 0.19 3. SV OTHER WOMEN CROSS 0.24 4. SV WOMAN EMBRACES DAUGHTER AND FATHER 0.36 5. SV TWO WOMEN THROUGH CHECKPOINT 0.41 6. CU WOMAN EMBRACES DAUGHTER 0.50 7. GV WOMAN RUNS TO GREET MOTHER, THEY EMBRACE AND WALK OFF 1.13 8. GV PAN TRAIN CROSSING BORDER INTO WEST GERMANY 1.34 9. SV PAN..FROM TRAIN TO WATCHTOWER 1.36 10. GV TRAIN ARRIVES AT HELMSTEDT 1.42 11. CU SIGN HELMSTEDT 1.44 12. SV OLD AGE PENSIONERS LEAVE TRAIN 1.47 13. SV FAMILIES EMBRACE 1.54 14. SV PENSIONERS LEAVE STATION 2.01 EAST GERMANS CROSSING ON FOOT INTO WEST BERLIN THROUGH THE SANDKRUGBRUECKE CHECKPOINT, AND OTHERS ARRIVING BY TRAIN AT HELMSTEDT, THE WEST GERMAN BORDER TOWN. Initials JT/VS-V/AW/EEH Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 17th November 1964 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: BERLIN; HELMSTEDT, WEST GERMANY
- Country: Germany
- Reuters ID: LVA76XJ4XHJG36Y0YCAIOLP8KWKF
- Story Text: THE SCHEME ALLOWING ELDERLY EAST GERMANS TO VISIT RELATIVES IN WEST BERLIN AND WEST GERMANY GOT UNDER WAY TODAY (MONDAY). THOUSANDS OF OLD AGE PENSIONERS STREAMED THROUGH THE CHECKPOINTS IN BERLIN AND AT THE EAST-WEST GERMAN BORDER.
THERE WERE TEARFUL REUNIONS AS THEY EMBRACED RELATIVES THEY HAD NOT SEEN FOR MORE THAN THREE YEARS. THE PENSIONERS WILL BE ABLE TO STAY A MONTH, AND THE SCHEME IS INTENDED TO BECOME AN ANNUAL EVENT.
MEN OVER 65 AND WOMEN OVER 60 ARE ENTITLED TO MAKE THE TRIP. IT IS ESTIMATED THAT EAST GERMANY HAS THREE MILLION PEOPLE IN THESE AGE GROUPS - HALF OF THEM WITH RELATIVES IN WEST BERLIN AND WEST GERMANY.
IN BERLIN, ONE 83-YEAR-OLD PENSIONER DIED OF A HEART ATTACK AS SHE EMBRACED HER DAUGHTER AFTER YEARS OF SEPARATION.
TIGHT RESTRICTIONS HAVE BEEN PUT ON THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THE PENSIONERS CAN BRING IN. AS A RESULT, THE WEST GERMAN AND WEST BERLIN AUTHORITIES ARE GIVING EACH PENSIONER "POCKET MONEY". THE PENSIONERS ALSO WILL BE ALLOWED FREE PUBLIC TRANSPORT AND CHEAP THEATRE AND CINEMA TICKETS.
MANY PENSIONERS PRAISED THE SPEED AND EFFICIENCY OF THE EAST GERMAN BORDER OFFICIALS. THEY ALSO EXPRESSED THANKS FOR ASSISTANCE WITH THEIR LUGGAGE.
(MEANWHILE, WEST BERLINERS ARE CONTINUING REUNIONS IN REVERSE WITH KIN IN THE EASTERN SECTOR OF THE CITY. TODAY WAS THE FOURTH OF THE 14-DAY VISITING PERIOD, WHICH WILL BE RESUMED OVER CHRISTMAS AND THE NEW YEAR).
- Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None