Last year I was running around as a medieval prisoner with a ball and chain trying to steal peoples’ wrist watches as they attempted to uncuff me. This year, I was soaked in water and paint-covered, armed with a camera and a glass of beer. To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, the Mercatorstrasse of 2009 did no less than erect the wall! The floor representatives of 2009 not only built the wall, but also constructed it complete with our very own Checkpoint Mercator, Mercator Airways (our hand-made plane/whale-looking piñata) plenty of barbeque and not to forget Eastern and Western beer.

On our very own terrace East-West divide of the Cold War years transcended into our day, cold war attitudes included in our complete package. Graffiti blossomed in no time on the Western side of the wall, while the East remained wire strewn and hosting a group of war mongers who were the first to catapult water balloons over into the West hitting innocent civilians and the waffle making brigade. Needless to say, casualties were few but wet feet were plentiful.  The beer kegs escaped fire, albeit narrowly. The West however retaliated with just as much gusto and by the end of the afternoon; the East side where the barbeque had been stationed had suffered much more people loss as students were soaked while waiting in line for food. Luckily the East had endless man-reserves and the lines got no shorter in spite of the bombing. A monetary system was strictly enforced. At Checkpoint Mercator, Eastern and Western money was distributed, the Eastern money sadly not being accepted on the Western side (with some exceptions of course…).  The afternoon ended off with the traditional piñata bashing.  The Mercator Airlines held out strong and sturdy under the numerous beatings until finally it gave way and showered the crowd with candy, announcing the grand finale to yet again another spectacular Mercatorstrasse.

A big well done to all the floor representatives who helped materialize this event, and especially Elizabeth Zeller who was at the forefront of the battle, along with Vratko, Mihai, Alexandra and Misa . Until next year we wait and watch….

For more cool photos of this event click here.

(Text by Eva Bentcheva)