September 18, 2009

After the fall of the wall: Middle Europe reemerges – sort of | csmonitor.com

After the fall of the wall: Middle Europe reemerges – sort of | csmonitor.com: "'These trees were planted before World War I and they've survived the collapse of an empire, two world wars, and the cold war,' says Mr. Fersch, a park ranger, as he drives across the unmanned border into Austria. 'Now we can drive between them again, all the way across the region, and that gives me a satisfied feeling that there are no limits on us.'

The 20th century imposed many limits on Sopron.

When the Austro-Hungarian Empire was dismantled after World War I, the new frontier severed Sopron from its hinterland. The Iron Curtain surrounded it on three sides during the cold war, cutting off roads, trade, and contacts among neighbors, friends, and family."

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