A Reunification with a Happy Ending

Saturday was the Day of German Unity, which celebrates the Wiedervereinigung (reunification) of Germany in 1990. Not coincidentally, the live-action giant puppet show that Lauren wrote about previously reached its dramatic climax on Saturday as the little giant was reunited with her long-lost uncle.

Wanting to be a part of the action, Lauren and I spent the afternoon with several hundred thousand Germans on the grand promenade between the Brandenburg Gate and the Siegessäule (Victory Column). Per usual, the afternoon was spent eating sausage, drinking beer, and watching the giants walk toward each other at the Brandenburg Gate for their historically allegorical rendezvous.

Here is a video of the uncle, all decked out in his old fashioned scuba gear, walking toward the Brandenburg Gate. As Lauren also noted, the work of the puppet crew is perhaps the most fascinating aspect of this whole process. I also enjoyed that there's a live band being dragged along behind the giant.

The uncle sits and waits on the west side of the Brandenburg Gate as the little giant approaches from the east side. Wearing her raincoat, of course!

Once the two reunited, they hugged and then started dancing. No joke, the uncle here is doing the moonwalk to Thriller. Some impressive puppetry, I say.

Finally, the two giants are now sitting together, chatting and catching up on lost years (at least, in my imagination). They remained seated like this overnight, until they walked off happily toward the west together in the morning. Their reunification is now complete. Ah, but is Germany's? I will perhaps need to save that issue for another post.