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Berlin by the wall,Nov.9,1989 |
Mr.Zellermeier at Brandenburg Gate June 16.1999 |
How HEINZ ZELLERMAYER abolished the closing time in Berlin !
Ravers, punks and police (they also like to have a drink now and then), all you dancing freaks and night owls ; you should at least once mutter into your glass the following:"Thank you very much Heinz Zellermayer".
Without him night-life in Berlin would be as dull as in Bonn and as expensive as in London. 50 years ago Mr. Zellermayer did something which will be always associated with him as the post robbery with Ronald Biggs. Thanks to his personal initiative we in Berlin can get drunk as often and unrestricted as no-one else in any other city in Europe.
In 1945 Berlin was an only pile of rubble and in the pubs there was little to laugh about as there was nothing to drink except for an alcohol substitute (Alkolat) and the pubs had to close already at 9 p.m. The communists in the eastern sector craftily prolonged closing time unilaterally to 10 p.m., to attract west-Berliner punters, to make them drunk and than infiltate them with their communist ideology ;-). This wasn't liked by the west commanders and they followed suite. The Russians promtly added an additional hour.
With this in mind Heinz Zellermayer, at that time the young deputy director of the guild of Berlin hoteliers - and restauranteurs, saw the chance to put the neglected pub scene in the western sector of the city back on its feet.
He went to the french city commander and suggested the complete abolition of liscencing hours in the western part of the city. "Mon dieux", you‰d better talk first to the Americans and the British because nothing works without their agrrement here in the west.
The British did not even offer brave little Zellermayer a seat. "No chance, mister! Maybe you forgot who lost the war?"
Finally he called on the American city commander General Frank Howley. He also remained sceptical.
"No more liscencing hours, no more security. Alright ?"
Had he ever been in a Pub, Zellermayer asked the general. The general had to laugh.
Zellermayer: "Problems just start when the publican has to show the boozers the door. They start to riot because they can`t get anything more to drink".
These words seemed to remind Howley about something.
"The ball is in your court, deputy director". At the next meeting of the Allierten Kontrollrat (allied control council) the discontinuance of closing hours was on the agenda and the British were out-voted by the French and the Americans.
Howley called Zellermayer at once and he immediatedly informed his publicans that from now on celebrations round the hour could begin.
The exact date of this action has got lost in the mists of post-war events.
Mr. Zellermayer still recalls that it was the end of June and on that day it was raining. A newspaper article names the 20th of June* 1949. This would be a good date for an annual celebration.
All the best, Mr. Zellermayer.
june 20 1944, general stauffenberg tried to blow up hitler, an abstainer.
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