Reminiscing Berlin Wall Moments: Wegner Recalls Young Cetin Mert - Berlin Wall Reminds Us of Cetin Mert's tiny role in its demise: Wegner
In the heart of Berlin, on a fateful day in May 1975, a five-year-old boy named Çetin Mert tragically lost his life near the Berlin Wall. This heart-wrenching incident occurred in Kreuzberg, when Çetin's ball fell into the Spree River, and he ventured into the current in search of it.
As the current swept him towards the border with East Berlin, both the West Berlin fire brigade and police were unable to intervene due to border restrictions. The East Berlin border guards, too, did not act to rescue him, citing a policy against crossing the border line. As a result, Çetin Mert drowned, becoming the youngest victim of the Berlin Wall.
This tragic incident was not an isolated event. Three years earlier, another child, Cengaver Katrancı, had drowned in the Spree River under similar circumstances due to the strict and inhumane border policies.
The story of Çetin Mert serves as a stark reminder of the human cost and cruelty of the Berlin Wall's division. The Wall, which was constructed in 1961 by the DDR, remained a symbol of injustice for many years, dividing Berlin and stealing freedom from its people.
Recently, the Governing Mayor of Berlin, Kai Wegner, paid tribute to the victims of the DDR border regime, describing the Wall as a symbol of DDR injustice. He vowed that the victims of the Wall will be mourned and never forgotten.
On Wednesday, commemorations for the construction of the Berlin Wall will take place in Berlin. These events serve as a reminder of the Wall's costly legacy and the need to remember and learn from the past.
The construction of the Berlin Wall 64 years ago was a dark chapter in Berlin's history, but its victims will never be forgotten. Their stories, like that of Çetin Mert, serve as a poignant reminder of the cost of division and the importance of freedom.
- The tragic deaths of young children like Çetin Mert and Cengaver Katrancı were consequences of the strict and heartless employment policies, where border guards refused to cross the border line, leading to the loss of innocent lives.
- The community policy governing the Berlin Wall during the DDR era was marked by injustice, as witnessed by the incident involving Çetin Mert, who became the youngest victim of the Wall, and the lack of remorse shown in its aftermath.
