FORTY YEARS OF ICE CREAM IN BERLIN

When visiting Berlin in 2011 I took a photograph of an ice cream van parked in Bernauer Straße by the Berlin Wall. 14 years later the van is still there. I spoke to the owner Wilfried Alex who told me that he has been selling ice cream for the last 40 years from his ex post office van.

He drives to and from home in it every day. On his way home after 4pm for the last 40 years he has had a route in residential roads. He rings a hand bell to attract buyers. Some of the children he served over the years are now grown up and bring their own children to buy his ice creams. Wilfried seems very content with his lot. Here is a message he sent me after I sent him some photos from the past and present:

“Hi Amedeo thanks for the nice Photos. I like to look at them very often. I send the Photos to a friend in the Bahamas, he looked into the Internet and he found you Online. It is very interesting to hear about this. I hope you had a very nice time in my home-town Berlin. Also I hope we see each other again. Love and Greetings to you, from Wilfried.”