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Heike Jahns and the GDR
Heike Jahns grew up in the GDR, and she had a brilliant childhood. Heike Jahns was a member of the Pioneer Movement. And, the Pioneer Movement was run by the state and only for children. And, the blue scarf and white shirt were every child's dream.
And, Heike Jahns remembers Wednesday afternoons as being the best time of the week. Wednesday afternoons were Pioneer afternoons. They were packed full of excitement and interesting things to do. Wednesday afternoons werefantastic. The Pioneers did a wonderful job.
But, the Pioneer camps in the summer were the best part of the year. Everyone loved them. The food was amazing, and the activities which lasted all day were not only fun, but challenging, too. But, of course, the Pioneer songs which were sang round the camp fire at night were the best way of ending each day. And, these songs were not only special, but full of wonderful feelings as well. And, these were the feelings that the children all loved. The feelings of magic.
A9nd, the Pioneer fun carried on until the last day of school. A day Heike Jahns will never forget. The Pioneers were over, and so was her childhood - the best time of her life.
But, there's a sad irony in this childhood story. It's a story that can never be repeated. Heike Jahns's children will never become Pioneers. The Pioneers no longer exist. And, nor does the country of Heike Jahns's childhood. The GDR, as everyone knows, is now part of the German Republic. And, whether that's good or bad is a question for history!
But, the past was the present at the time, and, Heike Jahns remembers it well!
Vocabulary
amazing – erstaunlich
challenging - herausfordernd
excitement Aufregung
GDR - DDR
grew up – grow up/grew up/grew up – aufwuchs
sad - traurig
sc9arf - Schall
sang - sing(s)/sang/sung - sang
whether – ob
Questions
Where did Heike Jahns grow up?
What was the Pioneer uniform?
Why did Heike Jahns enjoy Wednesday afternoons?
Why were the summer camps so special?
What happened round the camp fire at night?
Why were Pioneer songs so special?
Why can't Heike Jahns's children become Pioneers?
What happened to the GDR?
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