Escaping from Cold War Romania (231)

Zsolt Akos Pall was 17 when he decided to flee Cold War Romania for a better life in the West. It’s a heart-warming story of the generosity of strangers. Young Zsolt finds compassionate border guards, gets lost in Vienna and has incredible luck wherever he turns as he negotiates the iron curtain as well as many other international borders to reach his brother in Sweden However, his escape is bittersweet as we hear of his emotional farewell to his parents, not knowing if he’d ever see them again. Cold War history is disappearing; however a simple monthly donation will keep this podcast on the air. You’ll get a sought after CWC coaster as a thank you and you’ll bask in the warm glow of knowing you are helping to preserve Cold War history. Just go to https://coldwarconversations.com/donate/ If a financial contribution is not your cup of tea, then you can still help us by leaving written reviews wherever you listen to us as well as sharing us on social media. It really helps us get new guests on the show. There’s further information here. https://coldwarconversations.com/episode231/ If you can’t wait for next week’s episode do visit our Facebook discussion group where guests and listeners continue the Cold War Conversation. Just search Cold War Conversations in Facebook. 0:00 Introduction and Zolt Acos Powell's decision to flee Cold War Romania 7:52 Zolt's parents' reaction and his journey to the Hungarian border 16:00 Zolt's escape and experiences at the Hungarian border station 24:01 Zolt's journey to Vienna and his first day there 36:10 Zolt's journey from Vienna to Germany and his encounters along the way 48:06 Zolt's attempt to cross the border, arrival in Germany and journey to Stuttgart 53:02 Zolt's first impression of Hamburg 1:04:01 Zolt's arrival in Sweden and reuniting with his brother 1:07:38 The repercussions faced by Zolt's parents and their arrival in Sweden 1:10:44 Conclusion, mention of financial supporters and the Cold War Conversations store Table of contents powered by PodcastAI✨ Support the project! https://coldwarconversations.com/donate/ Follow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/ColdWarPod Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/coldwarpod/ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/coldwarconversations/ Youtube https://youtube.com/@ColdWarConversations Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices