Wall revives memories of Berlin in German village

HEILIGENDAMM, Germany (Reuters) - Wolfgang Heene, who helped communist East Germany build the Berlin Wall as a young soldier in 1961, has retired to a sleepy village on the Baltic shore -- which in turn is having a barrier built around it.

The 2.5-meter high steel and cement security "fence" being built to protect leaders at a Group of Eight summit is not a concern for Heene. He does not understand why so many Germans are making a fuss about it.

"I'm glad they're investing so much money in the place," said Heene, 64, pointing down his street with its broken paving stones and houses needing fresh paint.

"That all wouldn't be happening without the summit. They're fixing up the streets, the lighting and just about everything that needs fixing. It'll be great advertising for Heiligendamm and the village is going to be known around the world."

The hamlet of 280 people about 250 km (150 miles) northwest of Berlin has already been thrust in the headlines after workers put up the first sections on January 15.

Officials call it a "fence," opponents, a "wall." It is a 12-km (7.5-mile) barrier topped by barbed wire, video monitors and sensors to detect movement.

Part of the 13 million euro ($17 million) security arrangements for the summit, the barrier is designed to protect world leaders when the resort hosts the summit in June.

Leaders of the group, comprising Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia and the United States, are increasingly accustomed to protests at their annual summits.

The German office for the protection of the constitution has warned of possible attacks from far-left groups opposed to the policies of the G8, as well as a threat from terrorist groups.

The barrier's opponents say revives totalitarian memories of the Berlin Wall, the symbol of Cold War Europe which came down in 1989.

"LACK OF TASTE"

"They're trying to create a democracy-free zone in there and showing a lack of taste by building a barrier like this in a country that had a bad experience with walls," said Monty Schaedel, a protester from the German Society for Peace.