(Bitte lesen Sie den Text auf Deutsh hier)
 
 
What is Ostend? (Dutch: Oostende, French: Ostende, German: Oostende)
 
 
During the cold war in the divided Berlin, only in Friedrichstrasse underground station was possible for East Berlin passengers to transfer from one platform to the other. All other stations in East Berlin train lines that were passing from West Berlin were sealed-off (ghost stations/ Geisterbahnhof). So this east end station was the only access to the Westside provided the passenger holding the necessary documents.
 
 
Almost 25 years later, on the other side of Europe, the first "station" where refugees from Middle-East land after a long and perilous trip across the mediterranean sea on their way to central Europe is Lesvos. It is an island situated at the eastern end of the greek territory also forming the eastern border of Europe.
 
In the very "heart" of this Europe, almost 1 hour by train from Europe's capital, Bruxelles, lies Ostend a Belgian coastal town located in the province of West Flanders. It once served as a transit harbor to England from where the first ferry sailed to Dover. Later, it was occupied by German forces and used as an access point to the sea for submarines and other light naval forces for much of the duration of World War I. Today the town is mostly famous for its seaside esplanade and the fine-sand beaches.