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Rocking The Wall: Bruce Springsteen: The Untold Story of a Concert in East Berlin That Changed the World
Rocking the Wall explores the epic Bruce Springsteen concert in East Berlin on July 19, 1988, and how it changed the world. Erik Kirschbaum spoke to scores of fans and concert organizers on both sides of the Berlin Wall, including Jon Landau, Springsteen's long-time friend and manager, to unearth this fascinating story. With lively behind-the-scenes details from eyewitness accounts, magazine and newspaper clippings, TV recordings, and even Stasi files, as well as photos and memorabilia, this gripping book transports you back in the middle of those heady times shortly before the Berlin Wall fell and gives you a front-row spot at one of the biggest and most exciting rock concerts ever, anywhere. It takes you to an unforgettable journey with Springsteen through the divided city, to his hotel, and his dressing room at the open air concert grounds in Weissensee, where The Boss, live on stage, delivered a courageous speech against the Wall to a record-breaking crowd of more than 300,000 delirious young East Germans full of joy and hope. Their thunderous reaction to his speech was so intense that it even briefly brought tears to Springsteen's eyes. And their tremendous, powerful cry for freedom became the "final nail in the coffin" of the Communist regime and subsequently helped fuel the uprising that brought down the Wall. "Inside this book is as clear a statement of the power of this music as anyone, ever, has come up with." - Dave Marsh "An illuminating and impressively detailed examination of a frequently overlooked moment in the nexus of rock music and political liberation. I learned a great deal and enjoyed doing so." -Eric Alterman Erik Kirschbaum, a native of New York City and long-time Springsteen fan, has lived in Germany for more than twenty-five years and in Berlin since 1993. He is a correspondent for the Reuters international news agency and has written about entertainment, politics, sports, economics, as well as disasters and climate change in nearly thirty countries. He is a devoted father of four, an enthusiastic cyclist, a solar power entrepreneur and an unabashed crusader for renewable energy. Rocking the Wall is his third book. Berlinica offers English-language books from Berlin, German; fiction, non-fiction, travel guides, history, Jewish life, art and photography, as well as books about nightlife, cookbooks, and maps. It also offers documentaries and feature films on DVD, as well as music CDs. Berlinica caters to history buffs, Americans of German heritage, travelers, and artists and young people who love the cutting-edge city in the heart of Europe. Berlinica's current titles are "A Tramp in Berlin. New Mark Twain Stories," by Mark Twain and Andreas Austilat, "Berlin! Berlin! Dispatches From the Weimar Republic," by Kurt Tucholsky, "Jews in Berlin," by Andreas Nachama, Julius H. Schoeps, and Hermann Simon, "Wings of Desire-Angels of Berlin," by Lothar Heinke, "The Berlin Wall Today," by Michael Cramer, "Wallflower, a Novel," by Holly-Jane Rahlens, "Berlin For Free," by Monica Maertens; "Berlin in the Cold War," by Thomas Flemming, "The Berlin Cookbook," by Rose Marie Donhauser, the music CD "Berlin-mon amour," by chanteuse Adrienne Haan, and two documentaries, "The Red Orchestra," by Stefan Roloff and "The Path to Nuclear Fission," by New York filmmaker Rosemarie Reed.
- GenresMusicNonfiction
168 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
February 2, 2017
This book is fantastic! If you want to learn about the historical significance of the biggest rock concert in East German history you must read it. I laughed, I cried, I remembered. Because I was there. The Bruce Springsteen concert in East Berlin on July, 19, 1988, was an epic historical moment.
I will never forget that day in summer 1988. Thousands and Thousands of young people were there. When Springsteen played "Born in the USA" I sang my heart out, well, it was actually more of screaming. It was surreal. When Bruce Springsteen started his little speech we went absolutely nuts. For us, this concert was the biggest, craziest, most epic thing that had ever happened to us in our young lives in East Germany. Even though I screamed on the top of my lungs during his speech I could hear him say (in German of course): "It’s nice to be in East Berlin. I want to tell you that I’m not here for or against any government, I have come to play rock'n'roll for the East-Berliners, in the hope that one day all barriers will be torn down." The last sentence pushed me over the edge! We all knew what he really meant. There was this American rock star, a living legend, telling us that we should be and can be free. It encouraged us, it emboldened us, it lit a fire. And that fire helped to burn down the "barriers" only 16 months later.
People take freedom for granted - rightfully so. But those who lived without freedom, in East Germany, cherish their freedom every day. I know I do!
Thank you, Erik Kirschbaum, for this wonderful book! Thank you, Bruce Springsteen, for your courage and for your music! Thank you for that summer day in 1988!
I will never forget that day in summer 1988. Thousands and Thousands of young people were there. When Springsteen played "Born in the USA" I sang my heart out, well, it was actually more of screaming. It was surreal. When Bruce Springsteen started his little speech we went absolutely nuts. For us, this concert was the biggest, craziest, most epic thing that had ever happened to us in our young lives in East Germany. Even though I screamed on the top of my lungs during his speech I could hear him say (in German of course): "It’s nice to be in East Berlin. I want to tell you that I’m not here for or against any government, I have come to play rock'n'roll for the East-Berliners, in the hope that one day all barriers will be torn down." The last sentence pushed me over the edge! We all knew what he really meant. There was this American rock star, a living legend, telling us that we should be and can be free. It encouraged us, it emboldened us, it lit a fire. And that fire helped to burn down the "barriers" only 16 months later.
People take freedom for granted - rightfully so. But those who lived without freedom, in East Germany, cherish their freedom every day. I know I do!
Thank you, Erik Kirschbaum, for this wonderful book! Thank you, Bruce Springsteen, for your courage and for your music! Thank you for that summer day in 1988!
December 16, 2014
Do you like Springsteen? Read the book - it is remarkable what happened on that night in 1988 in East Berlin. The book reads a little like a term paper written by a very enthusiastic high school student - great energy but could have used some proof reading. Plus the copy at times looks like it was cut and paste in a time before computers. You will not walk away from this work thinking you have read a prize winner, but you will appreciate the unique circumstances that came together to make this concert a legend and possible catalyst that changes the world.
October 8, 2020
Rocking the Wall: Bruce Springsteen: The Berlin Concert that Changed the World by Eric Kirschbaum is a look back a at 1988 and the improbable concert that took place in East Germany. For those of us who are old enough to remember a place called East Germany, it will take you back. Kirschbaum got the idea for the book in a taxi cab coming back from the 2002 Springsteen concert in Berlin. The cabby told him about the most incredible concert in Berlin that shook up the entire country.
Growing up in Cleveland, Bruce Springsteen was the patron saint of the city, so said WMMS. Every Friday at 5:00pm Born to Run would play as part of the weekend kick off. Long before Born in the USA, Springsteen sang of the blue collar life and trying to get ahead that really struck home. Well into adulthood and back at a blue collar job, Springsteen never left my music library. I remember him ranting against Reagan who wanted to use Born in the USA as a campaign song because it sounded patriotic, rather than a story of a veteran abandoned by his country.
In 1987, West German concerts at the Reichstag caused concern in East Germany as the building stood near the wall. Crowds of East Germans gathered at the wall to listen to the concerts which lead to confrontations with the East German Police. After attempts to negotiate with West Berlin to prevent the overflow of concert music from the isolated city of West Berlin failed, East Germany decided to hold their own concerts to appease the young and prevent violence.x
The Free German Youth came up with a plan to get Springsteen to play East Berlin. Springsteen, not a Reagan supporter, seemed like a good choice. A liberal singer who wrote about the failure of the American dream would be the perfect person to appease the youth without harming the government's authority. It was said that he also donated a printing press to Nicaragua. That printing press was used to sell the concert to the East German hierarchy and the Nicaragua connection almost ruined the concert the day before it started.
American music had a political voice and in my generation it was Bruce Springsteen and to some extent Patti Smith. takes you behind the scenes to the largest concert ever in East Germany. It is intriguing look back into the final days of the Cold War and the down fall of an entire political system. The system was cracking by the late 1980s, Glasnost, perestroika, and the general feeling of discontent by the youth of Eastern Europe became an unstoppable wave. Many people claim the have a role in bring down The Wall from Al Gore to David Hasselhoff, but only one was in East Germany in front of 300,000 people with a message of Rock and Roll and a message to take down the barriers separating people. A worthwhile read and look at a time that seems so far away.
Growing up in Cleveland, Bruce Springsteen was the patron saint of the city, so said WMMS. Every Friday at 5:00pm Born to Run would play as part of the weekend kick off. Long before Born in the USA, Springsteen sang of the blue collar life and trying to get ahead that really struck home. Well into adulthood and back at a blue collar job, Springsteen never left my music library. I remember him ranting against Reagan who wanted to use Born in the USA as a campaign song because it sounded patriotic, rather than a story of a veteran abandoned by his country.
In 1987, West German concerts at the Reichstag caused concern in East Germany as the building stood near the wall. Crowds of East Germans gathered at the wall to listen to the concerts which lead to confrontations with the East German Police. After attempts to negotiate with West Berlin to prevent the overflow of concert music from the isolated city of West Berlin failed, East Germany decided to hold their own concerts to appease the young and prevent violence.x
The Free German Youth came up with a plan to get Springsteen to play East Berlin. Springsteen, not a Reagan supporter, seemed like a good choice. A liberal singer who wrote about the failure of the American dream would be the perfect person to appease the youth without harming the government's authority. It was said that he also donated a printing press to Nicaragua. That printing press was used to sell the concert to the East German hierarchy and the Nicaragua connection almost ruined the concert the day before it started.
American music had a political voice and in my generation it was Bruce Springsteen and to some extent Patti Smith. takes you behind the scenes to the largest concert ever in East Germany. It is intriguing look back into the final days of the Cold War and the down fall of an entire political system. The system was cracking by the late 1980s, Glasnost, perestroika, and the general feeling of discontent by the youth of Eastern Europe became an unstoppable wave. Many people claim the have a role in bring down The Wall from Al Gore to David Hasselhoff, but only one was in East Germany in front of 300,000 people with a message of Rock and Roll and a message to take down the barriers separating people. A worthwhile read and look at a time that seems so far away.
April 6, 2021
Too much repetition, a lot of the book seemed like filler.
February 25, 2023
Repetitive and needed editing and proofreading. But the author's passion comes through and it made me want to read more about Berlin during the Cold War.
April 9, 2017
Bruce Springsteen played an epic concert behind the Iron Curtain, in East Berlin, in 1988. A short 16-months later the wall came crumbling down. Did Springsteen’s concert contribute to the fall of East Berlin? That is the question Kirschbaum investigates in his new novel, “Rocking the Wall.” Whether Springsteen’s concert, and powerful mid-concert speech, did empower the German people to fight back and regain their freedom, or not, is debatable but the facts provided in Kirschbaum’s book are interesting to consider.
During a cab ride in Germany after a 2002 concert Kirschbaum engages the cab driver in a conversation which quickly turns into a trip down memory lane as the driver reminisces about a day, in November of 1988, when Bruce Springsteen inspired the people of East Berlin to protest communism and reunite Germany. His description of the electric concert inspired Kirschbaum to begin the research which ultimately leads to this novel, Rocking the Wall. It is fascinating insight into one of the most politically charged events in recent history – the division of Germany and the Berlin Wall. While Kirschbaum was not able to interview Springsteen or any member of the E Street Band for the novel but with over 300,000 people in attendance that day he was able to speak with others who either worked, or attended, this epic event. The memories are all the same – Springsteen’s music, lyrics, energy and pro-freedom speech fueled the fire of freedom that was burning in the belly of East Berlin residents. This is not to say that Springsteen’s concert caused the fall of the Berlin Wall but merely that his concert and message contributed to the changing culture of the people living behind the wall.
Rocking the Wall isn’t so much a book determined to credit Springsteen for reuniting Germany as much as it is insight into the power of music to influence people. Springsteen’s music has always been known for being gritty and for telling the story of hard work, determination and overcoming obstacles. His message was always about not letting others hold you down or hold you back. His music spoke to the dying passion of the East Berlin people and reminded them that they had to fight for their freedom, fight against communism and fight to reunite Germany. Would the Berlin Wall have fallen without Springsteen’s concert? Probably. Would it have happened as quickly as it did or would the people have been as inspired? Maybe. Should Springsteen’s concert be included as one of the many events that contributed to this event in Germany’s history? Yes and Kirschbaum’s novel presents a rather compelling case for it.
Review by Ashley LaMar
Closed the Cover
During a cab ride in Germany after a 2002 concert Kirschbaum engages the cab driver in a conversation which quickly turns into a trip down memory lane as the driver reminisces about a day, in November of 1988, when Bruce Springsteen inspired the people of East Berlin to protest communism and reunite Germany. His description of the electric concert inspired Kirschbaum to begin the research which ultimately leads to this novel, Rocking the Wall. It is fascinating insight into one of the most politically charged events in recent history – the division of Germany and the Berlin Wall. While Kirschbaum was not able to interview Springsteen or any member of the E Street Band for the novel but with over 300,000 people in attendance that day he was able to speak with others who either worked, or attended, this epic event. The memories are all the same – Springsteen’s music, lyrics, energy and pro-freedom speech fueled the fire of freedom that was burning in the belly of East Berlin residents. This is not to say that Springsteen’s concert caused the fall of the Berlin Wall but merely that his concert and message contributed to the changing culture of the people living behind the wall.
Rocking the Wall isn’t so much a book determined to credit Springsteen for reuniting Germany as much as it is insight into the power of music to influence people. Springsteen’s music has always been known for being gritty and for telling the story of hard work, determination and overcoming obstacles. His message was always about not letting others hold you down or hold you back. His music spoke to the dying passion of the East Berlin people and reminded them that they had to fight for their freedom, fight against communism and fight to reunite Germany. Would the Berlin Wall have fallen without Springsteen’s concert? Probably. Would it have happened as quickly as it did or would the people have been as inspired? Maybe. Should Springsteen’s concert be included as one of the many events that contributed to this event in Germany’s history? Yes and Kirschbaum’s novel presents a rather compelling case for it.
Review by Ashley LaMar
Closed the Cover
November 7, 2013
"Rocking the Wall" is a nice enough little book, reviewing one of the interesting moments in the career of Bruce Springsteen - a concert in East Berlin in 1988. The date obviously jumps out to the historians out there, since East Germany fell a bit more than a year later and eventually merged with West Germany.
East Berlin was on the other side of the fabled Iron Curtain then, as representatives of the government thought it might be nice to throw the youth of East Germany something of a bread crumb in the form of a concert by a top Western artist. Springsteen was on tour at the time, and he worked it into the schedule.
Estimates on the size of the crowd vary, naturally, but it seems that about 300,000 people turned out. Some brought handmade American flags, and many knew the words to the songs - surprising and impressive, since East Germany didn't exactly encourage Western music within its borders.
Author Eric Kirschbaum talks to some of the people from the then-East Germany who made the concert happen in addition to a handful of the fans who were there. He also interviewed Springsteen's manager, Jon Landau.
Does the book work? Somewhat. Kirschbaum does a good job of tracking down the organizers. However, the interviews with fans tend to become redundant after a while, and it certainly would have been nice to hear from someone connected with the E Street Band other than Landau. Springsteen himself would have been nice, but failing that he did have plenty of other band members and crews as potential subjects for interviews.
Kirschbaum certainly gets the point across about the excitement that Springsteen brought to East Berlin that day. He also at least wonders if the concert helped push East Germany along on the road to freedom. That seems a bit of a stretch. It's easy to guess that the show was more important to the audience than to Springsteen's career. The "Tunnel of Love" tour of that summer was one where Springsteen had turned restless, perhaps because of his failed marriage, and the shows aren't remembered particularly fondly. Rolling Stone put out a magazine listing Springsteen's 20 essential concerts, and none of them - including this one - from this tour made the cut.
"Rocking the Wall" might have been better as a long magazine article, since it can be read in no time and probably could have been edited down even more. But it does review an event that is definitely an historical curiosity, one that even big fans (guilty) don't know about. On that level, it's nice to have the book available for reading.
East Berlin was on the other side of the fabled Iron Curtain then, as representatives of the government thought it might be nice to throw the youth of East Germany something of a bread crumb in the form of a concert by a top Western artist. Springsteen was on tour at the time, and he worked it into the schedule.
Estimates on the size of the crowd vary, naturally, but it seems that about 300,000 people turned out. Some brought handmade American flags, and many knew the words to the songs - surprising and impressive, since East Germany didn't exactly encourage Western music within its borders.
Author Eric Kirschbaum talks to some of the people from the then-East Germany who made the concert happen in addition to a handful of the fans who were there. He also interviewed Springsteen's manager, Jon Landau.
Does the book work? Somewhat. Kirschbaum does a good job of tracking down the organizers. However, the interviews with fans tend to become redundant after a while, and it certainly would have been nice to hear from someone connected with the E Street Band other than Landau. Springsteen himself would have been nice, but failing that he did have plenty of other band members and crews as potential subjects for interviews.
Kirschbaum certainly gets the point across about the excitement that Springsteen brought to East Berlin that day. He also at least wonders if the concert helped push East Germany along on the road to freedom. That seems a bit of a stretch. It's easy to guess that the show was more important to the audience than to Springsteen's career. The "Tunnel of Love" tour of that summer was one where Springsteen had turned restless, perhaps because of his failed marriage, and the shows aren't remembered particularly fondly. Rolling Stone put out a magazine listing Springsteen's 20 essential concerts, and none of them - including this one - from this tour made the cut.
"Rocking the Wall" might have been better as a long magazine article, since it can be read in no time and probably could have been edited down even more. But it does review an event that is definitely an historical curiosity, one that even big fans (guilty) don't know about. On that level, it's nice to have the book available for reading.
August 30, 2013
Rocking the Wall: Bruce Springsteen: The Berlin Concert that Changed the World by Eric Kirschbaum is a non-fiction book about a 1988 Springsteen concert in East Berlin, Germany. Mr. Kirschbaum got the idea for the book in a taxi coming back from a 2002 Springsteen concert in Berlin, when the cab driver told him about the incredible night which changed the country.
This is a short book and a fast read. It is especially poignant for those of us who actually remember a place called East Berlin.
I call New Jersey my home state, it’s understandable that Bruce Springsteen is a mega star there, heck, I knew people who went to school with him. What’s amazing is that this local boy became a huge mega star not only in the country, but for a while was the biggest rock star on the planet.
The first few chapters give an overall, and quick, history of East Berlin and the oppression the people felt. The chapters set up the significance of Springsteen being allowed to play behind the Iron Curtain. While several people seem to take credit for this spectacular event, it seemed that they were all working parallel and the stars of society and history were simply aligned for this to take place.
At the same time that Springsteen’s promoters requested permission to play in East Berlin, the Free German Youth group came up with the same idea. Springsteen, a liberal singer who did not support the current American President (Reagan), was seen as a way to appease German youths into believing that change is around the corner (in a socialist, communist, repressive way). The concert was sold to the communist authorities as a fund raiser to Nicaragua. That connection almost ruined the concert and gave Springsteen the opportunity to say a short, but powerful anti-wall speech during his performance.
This is a well researched, interesting book about a fascinating slice of history. The author tries to say that Springsteen had a part in the revolution that took place later on to take down the Berlin Wall, whether he did or did not we’ll never know – but we’d like to think he might have.
Disclaimer: I got this book for free
For more reviews and bookish posts please visit http://www.ManOfLaBook.com
This is a short book and a fast read. It is especially poignant for those of us who actually remember a place called East Berlin.
I call New Jersey my home state, it’s understandable that Bruce Springsteen is a mega star there, heck, I knew people who went to school with him. What’s amazing is that this local boy became a huge mega star not only in the country, but for a while was the biggest rock star on the planet.
The first few chapters give an overall, and quick, history of East Berlin and the oppression the people felt. The chapters set up the significance of Springsteen being allowed to play behind the Iron Curtain. While several people seem to take credit for this spectacular event, it seemed that they were all working parallel and the stars of society and history were simply aligned for this to take place.
At the same time that Springsteen’s promoters requested permission to play in East Berlin, the Free German Youth group came up with the same idea. Springsteen, a liberal singer who did not support the current American President (Reagan), was seen as a way to appease German youths into believing that change is around the corner (in a socialist, communist, repressive way). The concert was sold to the communist authorities as a fund raiser to Nicaragua. That connection almost ruined the concert and gave Springsteen the opportunity to say a short, but powerful anti-wall speech during his performance.
This is a well researched, interesting book about a fascinating slice of history. The author tries to say that Springsteen had a part in the revolution that took place later on to take down the Berlin Wall, whether he did or did not we’ll never know – but we’d like to think he might have.
Disclaimer: I got this book for free
For more reviews and bookish posts please visit http://www.ManOfLaBook.com
September 23, 2013
I have long known "The Boss" had real power that stretched beyond his music and lyrics. takes a look at the historic Bruce Springsteen concert in East Berlin in 1988. Mr. Kirschbaum makes the connection clear between Bruce and over 300,000 concert attendees and the universal cry for freedom. The book is extremely well researched with personal interviews, photos, and other intimate details of the times. It was an easy read, and the author is clear and concise in his words and the book's organization. Bruce's journey through the divided city of Berlin, his concert preparation and his historic speech about the Wall are documented in such a way that the reader feels a part of it all. The author has managed to capture the passion of the moment and the impact of the first real strikes against the wall divided city, as well as the passion of all involved. Take a seat, and buckle up for this fast-paced ride through world history. You won't be sorry, and you might learn something about the power of rock and roll.
*I received my copy from NetGalley.com in exchange for an honest review
*I received my copy from NetGalley.com in exchange for an honest review
July 29, 2014
Great argument that Bruce Springsteen contributed to the fall of the Berlin Wall. I was still left with wavering opinions about that but it was still an enjoyable read about some rock and roll history that I was not aware of.
December 9, 2014
I like the way the story is told and some very interesting details. The historical context is well explained. I find it a little bit repetitive though.
There are ideas that are overly repeated unecessarily. But it is still an interesting book!
There are ideas that are overly repeated unecessarily. But it is still an interesting book!
September 25, 2013
For Springsteen fans and history buffs, the title tells it all.
This review is based on an ARC provided to me by the publisher.
This review is based on an ARC provided to me by the publisher.
May 19, 2016
Fascinating quick read. Great Cold War history, German history, and rock history. Springsteen fans would love it, but interesting even for the non-boss fan.
December 30, 2013
a little known nugget in Cold War social history
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews