Vector of History Photo

Photographer’s Note

A tribute today to this funny little car who played a major role in european history. The Trabant (offen referred to as "Trabi") was one of the few cars produced in the German Democratic Republic, the other significant one being the Wartburg, people had to wait for years to get one, available in grey or blue.

In summer 1989, Hungary began to remove its border installations with Austria, thus opening a hole in the hermetically closed iron curtain. Many Germans then made their way to Hungary for summer holidays from which they never came back. The border crossing at Hegyeshalom-Nickelsdorf became a major escape point with thousands of Trabbies making their way through Austria to the other Germany, the Federal Republic.

A consequence of this is that many Germans also sold their Trabbies in Hungary, and it's still quite common to see them in the rural areas.

Guenther, isabela_sor, subhendu_bagchi, JanD, snunney, Clementi, bona, Budapestman, Sistercosmo, JCG, ChrisJ, Didi, jafadabret, leo61, Bluejeans, mortijo ha puntuado esta nota como útil.

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isabela_sor (42191) 2009-11-04 0:02 [Comment]

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Guenther (6853) 2009-11-04 0:02

Bonjour Jean Yves,

appropriate picture to recall historical events. It really looks as coming from another era but it was not that long ago...

Have a nice day
Günther

Bergenphotos (583) 2009-11-04 0:21

Bonjour Jean Yves.
Very nice colours and a special subject, which is nice. The POV gives a good impression of the car. I like your note as well, as it describes very much interesting. TFS.

Bonne journée,
Fredrik

JanD (14953) 2009-11-04 0:24

Howdy PixelTerror!
Trabant was very wonderful car. It was very popular in Poland too. Amazing low POV, good capture, nice light and colors.
Regards

serp2000 (9603) 2009-11-04 0:37

Privet, Jean Yves ,
Excellent shot of legendary car! I remember this simple and primitive symbol of "der DDR". Fine low POV, nice colours . Well done! Thank you!
Serghei

Dashab (1001) 2009-11-04 0:45

Hi Jean Yves,
A perfect shot of this car in near-to-perfect condition! A great light and very natural colours.
You know these cars are experiencing a revival here in the Czech Republic (and in Germany, too, I think), are quite hard to get and people will pay unbelievable sums of money for them...
My Dad has a red 1974 Wartburg veteran which he keeps in mint condition and takes out on special occasions only. It is a true beauty with the chrome bumpers and all. They were great cars, although the smell of the exhaust fumes is unmistakable ;-)
Have a nice day and thanks for the nostalgia shot! Dasha

snunney (35018) 2009-11-04 0:54

Hello Jean-Yves,
A very topical subject given the anniversary of the coming down of the wall. A well composed documentary image with good colours and sharpness. Thanks for the reminder.

Clementi (44491) 2009-11-04 1:22

Ciao Jean Yves,
a myth!!! remember me the scenes that they were seen by the east where in the German cities there were alone their on the road, a beautiful thought considering that it draws near the twenty-year of demolition of the wall
Giorgio

cihandoger (280) 2009-11-04 3:40

old cars, they are always sentimental objects for photograping.
good light, good pov good object good photo
well done

bona (2387) 2009-11-04 5:24

Nice pacture. I like cars and old cars with good conservation always call my atention.
The blue/green background was nice considering the car color.
Regards
Andre

Budapestman (42236) 2009-11-04 6:06

Szia Jean-Yves,
A real classic from the socialist times, there was not an other car on the roads: only Ladas, Trabants, Watburgs, Dacias. Europe's western part may provide gratitude to the god, they managed to keep clear of it the socialism experiment. Today already hardly credible, the people living on the eastern part of the iron curtain had how many disadvantages: we may not have traveled freely, we may not have learned the English language, we were not in free general elections.
Trabant means more to us at a car. A symbol.
Have a nice day!
George

gilou530 (35374) 2009-11-04 12:48

salut JY
tu l'as acheté cette trabant en bon état car dans encore une dizaine d'année elle va valoir cher, une piéce de musée, superbe netteté
amitiés
gilou

JT50 (881) 2009-11-04 12:50

Hi Jean,
Good documentation of this old
icon which meant a lot to a lot of
hard working people. Probably a
collecter´s item today. Good POV.
Regards.
Janak

vasilpro (8948) 2009-11-04 14:28

Hello Jean Yves,
This car was before 35 years the cheapest car in Greece and very noisy with his two-cycle engine, a "Vector of History" as you choose for title. TFS!
Have a nice evening, Vasilis.

cbrman (18931) 2009-11-04 22:17

Hello Jean-Yves,

Une bonne vieille Trabant. Une petite voiture très coriace ! Près de chez moi, il y a en a une à vendre... si cela te tente...
Bon, effectivement, le look est discutable mais je dois dire que malgré sa couleur qui ne l'avantage pas tellement, elle a tout de même une allure sympa.
A+

Dominique

delpeoples (6263) 2009-11-05 1:03

Salut JY, a wonderful blast from the past - although not so past in Hungary evidently. I like the positioning of the car within the frame, the clarity and the depth to the image. Nice work, thanks for the Note - very interesting! Bonne journee, Lisa.

Nicou (45117) 2009-11-05 4:27

Hello jean-Yves,

Sueprbe image de circonstance, elle évoque ce grand moment de l'histoire, très bien vu, tu es génial.

Bravo et amitié

Nicou

johannes68 (2868) 2009-11-05 9:43

Hi JY,
a friend of mine, who once had a Trabant (he´s 1,93 tall...) once said: "A Trabant is like your fat wife: It´s embarassing to be seen with her, but inside it´s so nice and cosy..."
Have a nice evening,
Johannes

patdeph (18032) 2009-11-05 10:17

salut Jean-Yves
moi,les voitures,je m'en fiche complètement,et tu rirais si tu voyais l'état de la mienne,lol!Je ne savais même pas que ça existait,une Trabant!!;.))
Bizzz
Pascale

stego (22374) 2009-11-05 11:08

Salut JY,
Très approprié pour les 20 ans de la chute du mur. J'aime la subtilité, il n'est pas Allemagne et on voit personne, mais cette face mécanique qui semble de vouloir déguiser sa laideur avec un sourire nous apporte immédiatement pour les "paradis socialiste".
Amicalement,
José

Sistercosmo (2591) 2009-11-05 12:58

Hey Jean Yves,

a Trabi!! LOL - did you say that it's a CAR?? ;-)) And those poor people waited up to 15 years to get one of these things!

Fun shot - thanks for taking me back in time!

Take good care and have a good weekend!
Linda

lightsensor (721) 2009-11-05 13:06

hi, Jean Yves,
for somebody, this was a dream car back to years ago. now, years later, this car has become a history! good closeup shot and light control under a bright day! also, thanks for your information on my photo, but i don't know if i can change its country back.

J-P,

JCG (25489) 2009-11-06 0:44

Bonjour Jean-Yves,

Effectivement en pleine période des célébrations du 20ième anniversaire de la chûte du mur de Berlin, voilà un bonne idée de faire pendre l'air à ta tuture, d'autant qu'ici sous ses allures plutôt spartiates tu l'as joliment mise en valeur sous cet agréable soleil.

Avec toutes mes amitiés et une très bonne journée,

Jean-Charles

ChrisJ (70335) 2009-11-06 4:04

Hi Jean Yves

It's the 20th anniversary this month, of the fall of the Berlin Wall, so an apt upload. Good sharpness & an informative note. Merci, et bon weekend!

Didi (36208) 2009-11-06 9:04

Salut la Terreur des routes
A propos la marque Wartborg des années 59, le nom était inspiré de la marque Borgward de l'Allemagne de l'Ouest, cette dernière a disparu en 1961 à cause de Mercedes qui était un terrible concurrent.
Bonne prise de vue de ce trois temps qui semble bien entretenu.
Amitiés

jafadabret (39861) 2009-11-07 6:17

Bonjour Jean-Yves.
C'est bien normal de rendre un hommage à cette Trabant qui a été le véhicule emblématique de la chute du Mur de Berlin. Il y a vingt ans le monde a été surpris par la nouvelle. Les Trabant ont juste un peu anticipé la date du 9 novembre en faisant un détour par la Hongrie.
Bon week end !
Jacques

jackart (5564) 2009-11-08 11:54

Hello Jean Yves!

Good shot for anniversary of DDR and BRD annviversary of unite. This car was a symbol of DDR and all communist system . Very well done!

Regards
Jacek

ktanska (16639) 2009-11-09 3:43

Hi Jean-Yves,
Good closeup portrait of this East German symbol. I read about these Trabis on the stories of Berlin Wall published these days. I just wonder what made these people to abandon these cars in Hungary. Hungarians didn't have western currency to pay for them?
Kari

kschanna (6) 2009-11-11 4:25

Hello Jean,

The little beauty. Your detailed note is very informative. especially when I have just seen a documentary on the rise and fall of the Berlin wall and this photo seems perfectly in perspective.

Thanks for sharing
Kamran

leo61 (43438) 2009-11-11 21:40

HI Jean Yves!
Eine sehr passende Aufnahme zum 20. Jubiläum.
Mit der Hilfe Ungarns ging ja alles recht schnell.
Perfekter POV für dieses Stück Geschichte und Nostalgie.
Gruß,leo

guitianmiranda (3664) 2009-11-12 2:01

Really great POV to introduce this little piece of history.

Best regards Jean Yves.

Bluejeans (32575) 2009-11-21 3:26

Ola Jean ,
Que bela foto com este Trabant , um carro histórico da Hungria , bom ponto de visão baixo , bom trabalho!!
Um abraço Gonçalo

Bom fim de semana

mortijo (12302) 2009-11-23 8:53

Bonsoir Jean-Yves
Une image pleine de nostalgie pour certains d'entre nous. Elle ne peut pas manquer dans cette période de rétrospective...chute du mur...chute du Rideau de Fer...chute d'une façon de vivre et de percevoir les choses. Je suis passé par Hegyeshalom en 1972, c'est un souvenir et je n'ai aucune envie de le revivre.
Amicalement
John

mkamionka (4650) 2009-11-27 6:31

Hi JY,
very interesting and well done documentary shot.
Everytime I am in my native Poland I regret that I have not enough time to document symbols of the recent times which are sometimes still possible to catch but so quickly disappearing from the world. I guess people living there either do not notice that being used to it or they don't see it as an interesting subject for photography. What a pity.
Very nice presentation,
M