As I first heard U2's "Sunday Bloody Sunday" in the early 80s, I (of course) never dreamed that nearly 30 years later, I would have the opportunity to live and work in Derry for a few months and participate in the "Bloody Sunday march" a week after my arrival. I will go into more detail about this march further below. I should perhaps mention that I grew up in a small country called the GDR, where the fall of the Berlin Wall was still far off at that time, making Northern Ireland unreachable for me. Also, in the GDR, it was difficult to access information about the "capitalist foreign countries," or the states perceived ideologically as "class enemies." Thus, one had to rely solely on the reports of "Western television," which were not always particularly objective, as they tended to view things more from the British perspective, as I know today.

Sunday Bloody Sunday by U2 prompted me at that time to delve more into the events of January 30, 1972, in Derry, where 14 unarmed people were shot dead by soldiers of the British Parachute Regiment during a civil rights demonstration, and 13 others were injured. It's noteworthy that British Prime Minister David Cameron only addressed this on June 15, 2010, apologizing on behalf of the government for the actions of the British soldiers. He called the operation "unjustified and unjustifiable." Also, the grim depiction of the state of Belfast during the "Troubles" in "Belfast Child" by "Simple Minds" and "The Cranberries," who also dealt with the Northern Ireland conflict in "Zombie," had piqued my curiosity about this country at that time.

What really happened, or the background of the Northern Ireland conflict, I only understood during my first stay in Derry. This was also because I was fortunate enough to live with a host family in the Bogside. This allowed me to meet many interesting people whose stories and fates are deeply intertwined with the "Troubles" and "Bloody Sunday." Many have lost family members and friends and are marked by this time.

erry is a very hospitable city and now very safe, attractive for residents and tourists alike, and certainly worth a visit. Gone are the days when Derry was characterized by checkpoints and police stations and considered a "troubled province." I had and always have an incredibly beautiful time in Derry and Northern Ireland. The people in Derry are very warm and honest. And if you are interested in their history, as I am, you can learn a lot about these people.

Derry offers a unique combination of history and culture. The beautiful old town, for example, with many pubs and bars. In "Peadar O’Donnells," you meet many locals with whom you can easily strike up a conversation... great atmosphere, fantastic ambiance! Right next door in "Tracys Bar," you can listen to live traditional Irish music almost every day. However, it's best to enjoy this during the week, as the weekend, especially Saturdays, is exceptionally busy and you might not get much of the music 😉 During the week, though, the pubs are not so crowded, and you can even sit at the table with the musicians with your pint and enjoy the music up close.