| The Hunger Claw |
| The Hunger Claw? This is the name the people of Berlin have given to the monument that commemorates the allied air bridge in 1948-49. The official name is Luftbrückendenkmal (Airlift Monument), however. A currency reform was introduced in West Germany in 1948, and the Soviet Union was not too pleased with it. They decided to block allied traffic to West Berlin, so not one single vehicle could get through. This could easily have meant WWIII, but instead the Allies came up with the idea of an air bridge! West Berlin was supplied by air. The Soviets admitted defeat 11 months later and the people of West Berlin were grateful towards the allies and built a monument close to Tempelhof, where a plane landed every 45 seconds during the siege. |
©2024 André Odeblom