Lebanon resident recalls seeing the end of the Berlin Wall

Thirty-five years ago this month, Lebanon resident Anita Acreman was in Germany when the infamous Berlin Wall fell in one of those astounding events watched by the whole world. She was accompanied that day by her two grown daughters, Ida and Erika. She recently shared her story with Nancy Scott’s 9th and 10th graders at The Cross Christian School at Hillcrest Baptist Church. Her daughters, both of whom live out of state, also accompanied her to this week’s class presentations as they were in Lebanon for their mother’s 88th birthday. As World War II ended, the defeated empire of Germany was divided into four zones, one each to be controlled by the British, the French, the Americans and the Soviet Union. Anita was an eight year old child living in what had been East Prussia prior to the war. East Prussia fell under the portion given over to the Soviet Union, all of which would become known in short order as East Germany. Her father resisted Russia’s tight control and was quickly convicted and sent to a camp in Siberia. Anita, her mother and six siblings were suddenly on their own also living in a concentration camp. For more on this story, see Wedneasday's LCR.