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Post by LHR02 on Jul 23, 2003 14:32:01 GMT -5
From today's 'The Scotsman' comes this very strange and slightly scary story:
AN AIRPORT used by hundreds of thousands of tourists and business travellers each year could be sitting on top of thousands of live bombs.
Papers among thousands of files captured from the Stasi, the secret police of East Germany, claim tons of live Second World War munitions were buried in concrete bunkers beneath the runways of Schoenefeld airport in East Berlin. It is now the main destination for discount airlines, such as Ryanair, and numerous charter companies.
Not only did the commissars intern munitions beneath the runways, but also entire Nazi fighter planes, all fuelled and fully bombed-up, according to the Stasi.
The captured files of Interflug, the former East German government airline and the airport authority of the DDR, are now being examined to see if the Stasi claim is true.
Experts believe it entirely feasible that, in the aftermath of the Second World War, with Berlin littered with millions of tons of unexploded ordnance, the Soviets could well have pressured local officials to move to clear the airfield as swiftly as possible.
"They would have stuffed them anywhere they could - there was simply too much stuff to blow up all at once," said Karl-Heinz Eckhardt, a Berlin historian. "There was a warren of massive Nazi bunkers beneath the site of the present airport that would have suited their purposes."
City authorities claim the airport is perfectly safe, but a thorough check on the claims in the Stasi files - 140 km of them that will still take a number of years to decipher - is being undertaken.
Nearly two million passengers a year pass through Schoenefeld. According to the Stasi files, the ammunition was buried in bunkers between eight and nine metres deep.
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Post by Kim on Jul 23, 2003 17:26:27 GMT -5
Wow.. isn't that crazy!! Imagine finding fighter planes buried down there..  Kim |
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Post by jennifer on Jul 24, 2003 11:34:47 GMT -5
Oh!OH!
Scary!
I'll be flying back home from this airport...
!
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Post by LHR02 on Jul 24, 2003 11:51:22 GMT -5
Well, I'd say don't go stomping around on the runways! ;D
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Post by jennifer on Jul 24, 2003 13:17:45 GMT -5
Eary joke there!
hihi!
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Post by me on Jul 24, 2003 15:23:32 GMT -5
Seems you live near Montreal's airport yourself; No? what's with the "Dallas" in your e-mail? just wondering. Dallas is my home town. - d |
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Post by jennifer on Jul 24, 2003 16:27:22 GMT -5
Hi!
How do you know about this? I live near, but say 15 min by car!
Dallas is my last name, not really any relation with your town, although when people don't know how to spell my last name, I mention the city!
I'd like to visit it one day though, guess I have no choice considering I have it as a last name!
xoxo
JEn
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Post by me on Jul 24, 2003 17:11:17 GMT -5
Hey, Jen! your info page lists your hometown as Laval, which i remembered from riding a train to the airport in Montreal. this info page also lists your e-mail address. That's cool that Dallas is your family name!  never before met anyone with that name! (it's sometimes used as a psudonym, stage name, by entertainers, and such)  - d Hi! How do you know about this? I live near, but say 15 min by car! Dallas is my last name, not really any relation with your town, although when people don't know how to spell my last name, I mention the city! I'd like to visit it one day though, guess I have no choice considering I have it as a last name! xoxo JEn |
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Post by jennifer on Jul 24, 2003 17:18:40 GMT -5
Hi!
I must admit I get funny replies with this name!
People think I'm a cowgirl of some sort going for a stage name or people think I changed my name ... Jennifer Dallas sound too "entertainment" to people!
Imagine my dad, Ricky Dallas, it's the name of a famous porno star (i didn't know about until he received this comment). He does get very funny looks when people mention his name!
Dallas! always full of excitement, as a name or a city I guess!
xoxo
jen
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Post by LHR02 on Jul 24, 2003 17:56:39 GMT -5
>>>> your info page lists your hometown as Laval, which i remembered from riding a train to the airport in Montreal.<<< David....do you ever ever forget anything you have seen or read? Makes me nervous about what I may have posted somewhere in the past. ;D |
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Post by jennifer on Jul 24, 2003 18:03:04 GMT -5
I'm with you on this one Dustoffmom!
Wow, riding a train in Laval, this is like a miracle, never even done it myself...actually the train system is only intercanadian, but intercity...it sucks, well, doesn't suck, but it isn't as often and cheap as in Europe!
What exactly did you do by train, David?
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Post by me on Jul 24, 2003 18:04:43 GMT -5
well, Jen, i wasn't going to say what *kind* of entertainers use the name "Dallas!"  ;D Actually, Montreal seemed to be a much more exciting place than Dallas. Once in a while we'll have an especially exciting weekend, but not often. [the problem is that what i find exciting isn't what most others find exciting, and vice versa. Professional sports is a big deal in Dallas. Yawn!] Sometimes, there will be a big show at the theater center, or at the symphony hall, on Thursday. Some big names will play at a festival on Friday. A very good local folk band will play on Saturday afternoon. Another local rock band will play on Saturday evening. And a local choral group will sing on Sunday afternoon. *That's* excitment to me, others would be bored by it. Hi! I must admit I get funny replies with this name! People think I'm a cowgirl of some sort going for a stage name or people think I changed my name ... Jennifer Dallas sound too "entertainment" to people! Imagine my dad, Ricky Dallas, it's the name of a famous porno star (i didn't know about until he received this comment). He does get very funny looks when people mention his name! Dallas! always full of excitement, as a name or a city I guess! xoxo jen |
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Post by me on Jul 24, 2003 18:11:05 GMT -5
;D ;D David....do you ever ever forget anything you have seen or read? Makes me nervous about what I may have posted somewhere in the past. ;D |
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Post by me on Jul 24, 2003 18:31:16 GMT -5
on my last trip to Canada, i had a Candian Railpass. flew to Buffalo, took a city bus to Niagra Falls, NY; Rode the train from Niagra Falls, ON, to Toronto, Kingston, Ottowa, Quebec City & Montreal. i found the Canadian rail system to be great! just too expensive. (there were no other backpackers on the trains with me. they were all more clever and rode Greyhound) however, the train staion for Kingston was a long way from the waterfront and no bus into town! i needed a taxi to get to the place i was staying. i was in Kingston to ride a boat on the river there. (thousand islands tour) it was beautiful! When i took a local train from dowtown Montreal (stayed at the Alternative Hostel, mostly) out to the airport to fly home, that's when i saw your town listed as being on the same route. Wow, riding a train in Laval, this is like a miracle, never even done it myself...actually the train system is only intercanadian, but intercity...it sucks, well, doesn't suck, but it isn't as often and cheap as in Europe! What exactly did you do by train, David? |
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Post by jennifer on Jul 24, 2003 18:58:28 GMT -5
Sounds great!
I must admit the expensive thing is true! There is no such thing as a backpacking fee! So a hole is made in tour budget when travelling by train cause canadians don't use trains as much as europeans so the fee is higher! Still a good service too though!
xoxo
jen
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never before met anyone with that name! (it's sometimes used as a psudonym, stage name, by entertainers, and such) 
;D