25 Years German Reunification in Frankfurt - Underwhelming

 

I'm not quite sure what I expected, really.

 

I was psyched by the prospect of being in the city hosting this year's festivities for German reunification, especially such a significant anniversary as 25 Jahre Einheit. Considering the current dialogue in Germany and Europe involving asylum seekers, overcoming differences, tearing down walls and becoming one people is as relevant a message as ever.

 

Despite the weight of the historical background, I wasn't anticipating a festival asking its visitors to reflect. The occasion called for celebration of great grandeur. Euphoria all around! However, as I set out on the street, I was completely underwhelmed.

 

Making your way along the river was impossible in the crowd, let alone the prospect of getting a bratwurst - the minimum requirement at a German festival.  To the concerts at Opernplatz from Germany's current Top50 pop stars, Sarah Connor and Cro, I would have preferred the HR Symphony Orchestra. From Museumsuferfest to CSD, the festival booths were the typical ones making appearances at every Frankfurt festival.  I was missing that special-something, perhaps even something border lining the gimmicky and comical. My question: Where were the reenactments of the wall coming down? What about a competition to see who can bust down the Styrofoam wall in the least amount of time? (OK, so there were 1,000 Ampelmaennchen)

 

(c) Frankfurt Blog

 

Like most people, bright flashing lights fascinate me. After seeing pictures online of the practice rounds for the light show, I had high hopes for what was to come that evening. Now, before I go on, I have to say that Frankfurt did outdo itself. The technology needed for the show was impressive and the high-tech video screen shaped like Frankfurt's skyline like no other. However, the show itself seemed like an afterthought: "Well Jörg, now that we have this giant video screen, what should we do with it". The first 20 minutes of the show was a timeline of Germany's history since the resurrection and tearing down of the Berlin wall. These moments were the most emotionally wrenching of the show and allowed the crowd to collectively experience the ups and downs of its history, producing a sense of togetherness, even brief moments of rare German patriotism. However, all tender feelings were shattered by an immediate appearance of interpretive dancers, bright flashing lights, rave music and jet skiers on the main. I'm a fan of chaos, however even this was too much for me to handle. The next 40 minutes was a conglomerate of different music and entertainment styles with absolutely no, from what I could tell, transition from one stage to the next stage or crescendo to the show. As soon the spectator could even comprehend having an emotion the next phase of the show would start, leaving incomplete feelings, dangling and struggling to transition.

 

The show ended with a bang: once the smoke from the short firework show dissipated, the audience left impressed, a little dazed, stunned and maybe confused about what had just happened.