national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org] >> each week american history tv is railamerica brings archival films. let us live. it tells the story of german refugees fleeing the soviet occupied zones group berlin to west germany. and estimated 20,000 germans were crossing the border each month. this u.s. army film is about 20 minutes. ♪ narrator: berlin, the target area for the strangest invasion of all-time. an invasion by its own people, germans fleeing

oppression in the soviet zone. since 1945, the german republic has granted political asylum to more than 9 million refugees, expel these, and displaced persons. but since the soviet's instigated the policy which slammed shut borders between east and west, the only escape left is through berlin itself. weary, frightened, and always after dark, these hunted people are pouring into the city on an average of 20,000 per month. but desperately overburdened city finally broadcast an urgent appeal to people in the soviet zone with these words -- do not leave unless you are in direst need. the zone must not be deprived of honest freethinking germans. we beg you, stay on the soil of your homeland. and still

they come. a new nation is growing rapidly within berlin. the mission of the homeless. here by law all refugees .register and asked to be granted sanctuary. of the 2000 refugee camps in the german republic, over 70 are in berlin, and the new ones are continually being added. these are the acceptance camps, where each refugee must live in weight until his case is reviewed while his fate is being decided. this is a camp, a bombed out factory providing shelter such as it is during this period of waiting. the faces you see, the voices you hear, the interviews you will witness are the faces and voices and stories of these refugees themselves. every day familiar people. they are from every walk of life. people like

you and me. the things that happened to them could happen to us, here but for the grace of god. here a person loses his name and becomes a number. it is better to become nameless than risk the safety of someone left behind. a blanket,a tin plate and a cup. these become a person's total earthly belongings. because of a desperate lack of housing facilities, families have to be separated. >> you have to sleep in the men's ward. >> the men from the women. ♪ narrator: and in a strange place so far from home is frightening and very lonely. maria had a pretty little house in saxony of

her own. the men are able to carry their own beds to the sleeping quarters. it is not difficult. straw pallets to lay on the floor isn't heavy. there is loneliness here too. a man who has been married 40 years is writing a letter to his wife, denouncing her as a communist, telling her he hates her and not to think of him again. he hopes this will protect her and when the police questioned her about his escape. and he hopes she will understand how much he really loves her. they are homesick too. the dream of school and friends. if they are

allowed to stay in the west, they won't be beaten into a hopeless cripple as this man was. his crime? he was arrested as a saboteur because he had no coal to heat his restaurant celebrating lenin's birthday. there is one hot meal a day. berlin feeds in this one camp more than 4000 refugees in the two hours between 6:00 and 8:00 each night. it is not much of a meal. but there will be no frightening knock on the door to disrupt their supper, and perhaps there ir lvies. and for this they give thanks. values change in the big

trouble. unafraid to sing the hymns of their homeland. >> we have lost everything, your friends, your neighbors come all of the things you like. maybe you had a little kitten. you miss all of that. there is one thing you have not lost. your soul. never lose him if you really love him. he is always with you. he watches over you and you need

not worry. on what he is loved to read in the newspaper over fear of arrest. is a strip of rubble behind bar wire. the westmoreland police artist protector. instead a uniform dress to run away from. there is never a moment of privacy as they can comfort thatelves with the dream their baby will be born in a free land. they will be up against oppression this land. and in the bad moments of loneliness and despair a woman can seek and receive comfort.

>> imagine at that time was in one million people had been killed in 1945 in 1946 more than one third of our clergy. you liked it there? >> we had that much of a choice a jobhusband had gotten in a repair shop. neither denied. then a few weeks ago all of our plans and hopes of the future were destroyed. we were invited to a birthday party and they arrested some other people too. then the men started to talk politics. we cannot believe it.

they want us they were going to arrest us. who invited us to the birthday party denounced us. he said we did not have time to pack. daughter, we center away on vacation. we could not take her with us. we could not wait for her. qwest is she still there? >> yes, she is still there. you must not worry about her. remember how many terrible things have happened. out there and everywhere. having hundred of my parishioners as low. we could not buy food. we had to look for it in the houses that were abandoned.

we made it so did view. there is always a way out even if we do not see it. kitchen where food is essential it is dispensed or the soul. not much of a church perhaps what god is there --. a man is free to worship as you wishes for a man is free to preach. there are no toys to play with. they are taught how to build something out of nothing. it child who learns how to build a plaything will learn how to build a life. this little rabbit is the reason they had to flee. her kindergarten teacher in the toiet zone offered a prize the child who told the best story about what their parents talked about at home. the little rabbit was the prize.

jump little rabbit jump. poet, scholar and young priest just a boy who did not believe among other things that babies should not be betrayed against their parents. >> why did you leave the zone? >> i am against terror and oppression. this ideal for which i cannot share found some of my , all refugees must undergo different screening processes during the waiting >> my mother works in the russian zone. some days later if they wanted to release my mother did not

want a divorce so they left the russian zone. >> before each interview hours left standing to explain again and again why they came. >> wanted you to finish it? i refuse to join the organization. me go in. not let it andre very nice about they wanted me to become a member of the people. it is a sickly military organization. this young couple asked for sanctuary? >> i was employed in a factory. commission to be assembled. i was supposed to go to russia with hundreds of engineers.

i told them i would not sign. i was forced to work in the mines. they gave me three days. he told me to leave that night. the most important thing was to get out of the russian zone. >> at least people politicians or people who played with politics? >> because you believe to the party? you were forced to work in a big mining company. they teach that thought the workers had to shoot. that would put me under pressure

and it would force me to do it. with plain ordinary people like you or me. it was used to mine uranium ore. they open them up for trial. on the charge that it was absolutely a car. they wanted to get it legally. owner was sentenced to 50 years in prison or hard labor. for decided my books incorrect. i prefer not to take any chances. >> to the thanks of happened to them have happened to us? farmer.forced every

because i could not deliver enough. it was when i came back. i said no. with this coming up, is it much if they take us to siberia. he went away and two hours later he came back and gives me a letter from the police. >> is that i had to report by

friday night. i give itived there to him and he put it on his desk. yes i said. thosethen you are one of that still hope the americans will come. to do you and a half tons. >> that is what he said. what are we going to do is for 200 years i was born here. no we will not do that.

we believe for west berlin. >> lights out. dreaded by darkness everyone. it is at night when a woman prays. a man lies wakeful things. it is that when they wanted desperately will they believe make. give me a chance to learn and be free. will i be united with my husband. >> we cannot wait for her. i was born here. room, ain this packed judgment is pronounced. here are three men under commission elected by the people have a terrible responsibility

of deciding human destinies. those who fled because of personal danger or other reasons are granted the right to work and the right to live as individuals. existence objects of a major territory. knowing this they still come. out of the darkness into the light. in the system the end this unshakable belief and man. who hold to berlin.

i believe all men derive the freedom under god. i pledge to resist oppression and tyranny wherever they appear on earth. >> you are watching american history tv all weekend every weekend. to join the conversation like us on facebook at c-span history. >> this weekend on american history tv historians talk about the early life of william cody known as buffalo bill before he performed in a wild west show.

in 1857,is father died he does not read for the pony express. working. when the civil war comes he a informal group what is called the red legs. hise are what he admits in autobiography where they feel that historians picked on him. ith the national civil war is to cross into missouri and get their revenge. formal regiment. fighting and missouri. 1864 he joined the kansas seven which is a notorious hawking regiment.

if we were from back then you >>ld know what that meant to as they got some do from the missouri quarter, he had service in the south. what did buffalo bills childhood made toing his youth him? program one entire sunday greeted this is american history tv. only on c-span3. >> up next on american history tv, a author talks about her book divided we stand which chronicles competing liberal and conservative factions in the women's movement from the 1970's he