History and Freedom

Church of St. Peter and Paul on Nikolskoe has become, for me, a symbol of my life in Berlin before the fall of the Wall. On many Sundays, I would take long walks wiht my dog through Glienicke Park all the way to Pfaueninsel.

At that time, the church stood abandoned — not yet restored, yet full of dignity and quiet pride. Glienicke Park marked one of the outer edges of West Berlin.

Forty years later, my music is now being performed in this very church. The Wall has fallen, and today Berliners as well as visitors from all over the world come here. Perhaps one may say: the past was not necessarily better — some things only become possible with time.