Here’s a quote from a song by Wolf Biermann about a guy called Flori Havemann who ran away from the former East Germany:
„Der kleine Flori Have / Zwei-Meter-Mann, das brave / das uralt kluge Kind“, heißt es in einem kurz danach entstandenen Lied von Wolf Biermann, „Ist abgehaun nach Westen / Mit seiner derzeit Festen / – wie die wohl rüber sind?“
Please, what is the meaning of 1. “Feste” and 2. wie die wohl rüber sind? (and what are they supposed to be "über"?)
All the best,
Simon
ANSWER: Hello
1- Feste = feste Freundin - steady relationship with a woman (derzeit) = temporary, for a certain duration
2 - Wie die wohl rüber sind?
über die Grenze zwischen Ost- und Westdeutschland = Zonengrenze
Greetins,
Kurt
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: many many thanks - so in Wie die wohl rüber sind?
is Biermann simply wondering, "Are they really (wohl) over (the border)"?
Answer QUESTION: many many thanks - so in Wie die wohl rüber sind?
is Biermann simply wondering, "Are they really (wohl) over (the border)"?
No, he is wondering how they were able (by what cunning means) to cross the border, because it was very difficult to cross the border.
There was a wall separating east and west Berlin and on the remaining part of the border was an electrical charged fence. Armred border troops or police were constantly patrolling the border with dogs, and there were as well watch towers. And the troops had the order to shoot anybody who tempted to cross the border, the so called "Schiessbefehl" "shooting order".
Best greetings
Kurt
Über 100 Menschen wurden bei dem Versuch, in den freien Westen Deutschlands über die DDR-Grenze und die Mauer in Berlin zu gelangen, von Angehörigen der DDR-Grenztruppen erschossen.
....
Erstmalig veröffentlichte die IGFM den Wortlaut des mündlich vorgetragenen Schiessbefehls für die Grenztruppen der NVA ("Befehl über die Gewährleistung der Sicherheit an der Westgrenze der DDR", Nr. 000464 vom 15. September 1961) in der Zeitschrift MENSCHENRECHTE, Nr. 2, März/April 1982. http://www.igfm.de/index.php?id=955
Schiessbefehl
The German term Schießbefehl (which may also be transliterated as Schiessbefehl and which means firing order) was the common term to refer to Befehl 101 (Order 101), a standing order that instructed border patrols of the former German Democratic Republic (GDR or East Germany) to "prevent border penetration by all means and kill the violators". http://www.123exp-history.com/t/03764325255/
