Memories from Austria
1. "I was 13 and had recently got a TV in my room. When I saw the news I thought,
'What an idiot flying into such a huge building. You have to see it, maybe he was unconscious.'
In this exact moment the second plane hit and I knew immediately something big was happening. Nothing would be the same.
I ran in the living room where my father sat mouth open. He said,
'This is war, the idiot had to know something. Why didn't he stop them...'
Our family was always interested in US politics and we often discussed how Bush was an idiot. It was the first time I realized what terror means. I saw the people covered in dust and cried because they where so desperate and couldn't do anything about it. I followed the story of the Dust Lady (Marcy Borders) and was very said when I heard of her death from cancer after crippling debt. I'm thankful my country has universal healthcare."
- Michaela L.
[Read more about Marcy Borders here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcy_Borders]
'What an idiot flying into such a huge building. You have to see it, maybe he was unconscious.'
In this exact moment the second plane hit and I knew immediately something big was happening. Nothing would be the same.
I ran in the living room where my father sat mouth open. He said,
'This is war, the idiot had to know something. Why didn't he stop them...'
Our family was always interested in US politics and we often discussed how Bush was an idiot. It was the first time I realized what terror means. I saw the people covered in dust and cried because they where so desperate and couldn't do anything about it. I followed the story of the Dust Lady (Marcy Borders) and was very said when I heard of her death from cancer after crippling debt. I'm thankful my country has universal healthcare."
- Michaela L.
[Read more about Marcy Borders here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcy_Borders]
Dragon Ball Z, German language intro.
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2. "I was in my early teens and remember two distinct things:
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"Only Time" by Enya performed in 2001.
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3. "I was about 8 years old when 9/11 happened. I remember walking into the living room seeing my parents in front of the TV. I turned around and saw the towers falling. 'Only Time' by Enya was played non stop. I sat beside my parents and couldn't process what was going on. It was horrifying. I believe it was the first time I realized such horrific events are something that could happen anywhere. Before 9/11 it felt like something that wouldn't/couldn't happen in western countries."
- M. G. |
4. "I was playing Counter-Strike while somebody shouted New York is on Fire, which I didn't believe at that time. Later I switched on the TV and saw the news stream, shortly after that the second plane crashed into the other tower."
- O. M.
- O. M.
5. "We were on a school-trip in the mountains. The idea was, a week without electronics. We had our cell phones with us, but we were supposed to leave them in our rooms and only use them to call our parents to let them know we're ok.
So, we've been away for almost a week, when one afternoon the first rumors spread about planes crashing in the WTC. Some kids had heard it from their parents, but we had no way of verifying it and of course, we initially thought someone was telling a bad joke to fool with us.
But, within the next 30 minutes we got enough verification through others, that we realized it wasn't a joke. We got to watch the news that night, as an exception from the 'no electronics'-rule and when we got back home a few days later, all of us binge-watched the news we missed the last couple days.
I don't think any of us was able to fully comprehend what had happened, until we saw the pictures with our own eyes. But I'll probably never forget those first minutes of realization, that it really had happened. A moment, where billions of people got punched in the gut, within a few moments."
- L. A.
So, we've been away for almost a week, when one afternoon the first rumors spread about planes crashing in the WTC. Some kids had heard it from their parents, but we had no way of verifying it and of course, we initially thought someone was telling a bad joke to fool with us.
But, within the next 30 minutes we got enough verification through others, that we realized it wasn't a joke. We got to watch the news that night, as an exception from the 'no electronics'-rule and when we got back home a few days later, all of us binge-watched the news we missed the last couple days.
I don't think any of us was able to fully comprehend what had happened, until we saw the pictures with our own eyes. But I'll probably never forget those first minutes of realization, that it really had happened. A moment, where billions of people got punched in the gut, within a few moments."
- L. A.
6. "I was 8 years and I was in the car with my dad, we were on our way home. We stopped at some neighbors and while my dad quickly went to them to hand them something I was sitting in the car hearing the news. As soon as dad dropped me off, I went to the living room and switched on the TV. Usually they aired The Simpsons and I was waiting for the show, but suddenly they only showed images of the burning towers. They also played 'Only Time' nonstop.
It was also the day I started to follow the world news regularly, which was a bit tricky back then."
- P. T.
It was also the day I started to follow the world news regularly, which was a bit tricky back then."
- P. T.
7. "I am not one to stay up through the night but the night before it had gotten in my head to clean up my flat. Once I was finished around 5, I thought I might as well stay up.
So my TV was off when I got a phone call from my brother that a plane had flown into the WTC. I thought he meant a small two-seater. I had just turned on the TV when they started talking about the second plane crash. After that I was pretty much pinned to the TV, but not yet thinking that it would be that bad. I didn't think the buildings would be able to be repaired and watching the first tower go down I literally felt my knees go weak.
Not having slept the night before gave an additional surreal feeling to it all.
The rest of the day I spend online reading and kind of news I could find and the TV running with almost minute update as well."
- M. I.
So my TV was off when I got a phone call from my brother that a plane had flown into the WTC. I thought he meant a small two-seater. I had just turned on the TV when they started talking about the second plane crash. After that I was pretty much pinned to the TV, but not yet thinking that it would be that bad. I didn't think the buildings would be able to be repaired and watching the first tower go down I literally felt my knees go weak.
Not having slept the night before gave an additional surreal feeling to it all.
The rest of the day I spend online reading and kind of news I could find and the TV running with almost minute update as well."
- M. I.
8. "Weird day...
I was just parking my car in front of my house, when I heard the news that a plane crashed into WTC. I went up the stairs quickly to the apartment and switched on the TV then followed hours of broadcasting.
The same day I celebrated my girlfriend's as well as my best friend's birthdays. Well, the topic of the two parties on this day was definitely NOT their celebrations..."
- Z. B.
I was just parking my car in front of my house, when I heard the news that a plane crashed into WTC. I went up the stairs quickly to the apartment and switched on the TV then followed hours of broadcasting.
The same day I celebrated my girlfriend's as well as my best friend's birthdays. Well, the topic of the two parties on this day was definitely NOT their celebrations..."
- Z. B.
9. "I had life-changing eye surgery that morning and upon waking up from anesthesia I saw staff and family were gathered around the small TV mounted in the distant corner of a three patient hospital room.
The towers falling was the only clear cut scene in the irritation of seeing without major aide for the first time. I was eleven years old and would spend seven days and nights as an inpatient trying to distinguish the events in New York as external, rather than part of my personal transformation.
Much later I ended up in New York for work on occasions, strangely it wasn't the holes in the ground that brought back the feeling of alienation and deep sense of something unjust, but the disarming kindness of its least fortunate inhabitants."
- K. H.
The towers falling was the only clear cut scene in the irritation of seeing without major aide for the first time. I was eleven years old and would spend seven days and nights as an inpatient trying to distinguish the events in New York as external, rather than part of my personal transformation.
Much later I ended up in New York for work on occasions, strangely it wasn't the holes in the ground that brought back the feeling of alienation and deep sense of something unjust, but the disarming kindness of its least fortunate inhabitants."
- K. H.
Depeche Mode performance from Sept. 11 2001 in Vienna, Austria.
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10. "My girlfriend and I drove to Vienna that day to see our favorite band Depeche Mode play live. We decided to do some shopping and I went to an electronics store (Saturn) when I realized that all the TVs on sale seemed to display a trailer to a very trashy action movie. The moment when some employee switched over to local TV (ORF) I realized that this was not fiction.
We went out the store very disturbed to the concert venue. There were rumors everywhere that the band would not play tonight. Thankfully they did, although their lead singer Dave Gahan lives in New York with his family. On our drive back home after a great concert I kept listening to the news on the radio. All of a sudden the station turned quiet. It took me a couple of days to find out that by coincidence the car radio broke that night. I still have the ticket to this show hanging on my desk." - D. L. M. |
11. "I was 14 years-old, coming home from school. I made myself some lunch and turned on the TV to watch cartoons. There where no cartoons, every station had a special newscast on about an accident... then the second plane hit.
All these years later and I still remember. Didn't touch my lunch felt sick to my stomach. I called my parents and when they came back from work we talked about it. Also had to explain it to my little brother. Was a sad day.
- Nicolás Pérez
All these years later and I still remember. Didn't touch my lunch felt sick to my stomach. I called my parents and when they came back from work we talked about it. Also had to explain it to my little brother. Was a sad day.
- Nicolás Pérez