The old newspaper and the kindness that never fades.
In mid-April, the Vinh Xua group received a precious gift: two old newspapers, one from Nhan Dan newspaper and one from Nghe An newspaper. What was special was that both newspapers were published on April 7, 1975, more than 51 years ago – special issues celebrating the victory of the people and soldiers of the South during the historic months of March and April 1975, a time when the offensive and uprising to liberate the South and unify the country was at its peak, with "one day equaling twenty years."
Content:Pham Xuan Can
Design:Nam Phong
.png)
The Nghe An newspaper, in particular, is a special supplement, consisting of two pages. The first page reprints the editorial of the Nhan Dan newspaper and news of the victories of the liberated southern provinces in March and early April 1975. The second page of the supplement features a map of the southern victory. What is special and đáng trân trọng (worthy of respect) is that it returned from distant Germany. The return of these old newspaper pages not only helps us relive the heroic atmosphere of the entire nation during those years, but also reminds us of stories of gratitude that never grow old…
The donor of these old newspapers is Dr. Udo Purtak, an 85-year-old engineer living in the town of Zeuthen, south of Berlin, Federal Republic of Germany. He was formerly the head of the German Democratic Republic's expert team involved in the reconstruction of Vinh city after the war, from 1974 to 1980.
In its tragic history, Vinh has been almost completely destroyed twice. The first time was during the scorched-earth resistance in 1947. The second time was during the destructive air and naval bombing campaign by the US imperialists.
If in 1954, when the people of Vinh returned, the entire city was a pile of rubble, then in 1973, when Vinh emerged from the destructive war, the city was almost devoid of intact buildings. Everything was desolate and ruined.
With the selfless, sincere, and loyal assistance of the State and people of the German Democratic Republic, Vinh City was rebuilt. On October 22, 1973, the Agreement on the Reconstruction of Vinh City was signed by the governments of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam and the German Democratic Republic. Immediately, money, machinery, equipment, materials, technology, and especially 213 construction experts from our friendly country arrived in Vinh. On April 12, 1974, the first experts arrived in Vinh. Dr. Hans-Ulrich Mönnig wrote:“Vinh first appeared to us as a vast rural area, crisscrossed by dilapidated roads and devastated by bombs. Almost everything was leveled, with only a few scattered houses marking the way, and the ruins were the result of American bombing during the war. Back then, we couldn't imagine how a city could be built there, as all the necessary conditions were lacking—no technical or economic resources.”
They brought modern thinking and knowledge, along with a noble proletarian internationalist spirit, to Vinh. Therefore, Vinh was planned and built scientifically, surpassing other cities in North Vietnam at the time. For the German experts, the post-war reconstruction of Vinh was also their youth. Some even believe that their youthful years in Vinh, in Vietnam, shaped and guided their future. Therefore, German experts such as Dr. Udon Purtak, engineer; Dr. Hans-Ulrich Mönnig; and architect and painter Werner Georges all dedicate a corner of their homes to display mementos they brought back from Vinh.
In 2024, the Vinh Xua group, together with the Vietnam-Germany Friendship Association and the Nghe An Architects Association, organized a celebration of the 50th anniversary of the reconstruction of Vinh city. Three representatives of experts were invited. However, only architect and painter Werner Georges was able to attend. Udo Purtak and Hans-Ulrich Mönnig were unable to attend due to old age and poor health. Instead, Hans-Ulrich Mönnig wrote a long memoir for the organizing committee to be included in the book "The Old Multi-Story Houses of Yesteryear." Dr. Udo Purtak, an engineer, sent a USB drive containing a very special letter.
He wrote:"It's regrettable that our health prevented us from attending the celebration commemorating the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Agreement on the Reconstruction of the City and the National Reunification Day on April 30, 1975. We once experienced that vibrant and exhilarating event."The illustrations are photographs taken by a German expert, capturing the festive atmosphere of the 1975 National Reunification Day celebration in Vinh City, more than half a century ago.
The letter also recalled the process of rebuilding Vinh city.“When the Quang Trung urban area began construction (1973-1974), the South was still at war. The construction of the Quang Trung area was a symbol of your country's future. We worked closely with young architects, young construction engineers, and Vietnamese workers on every construction site. We designed, planned, and consulted on the actual conditions, technical standards, living space, and even cultural space as required by the Vietnamese Ministry of Construction.”He attached some stunning photos of the construction sites in Vinh City during those years; and revealed:“After returning home from our fulfilling business trips in Vietnam, we are filled with admiration for the Vietnamese people and hope that the younger generations of Vinh City will build a bigger and more beautiful city. Seeing Vinh City through these new photos today, we can see that you have achieved that.”
Both Udo Purtak and Hans-Ulrich Mönnig, as well as architect and painter Werner Georges, recognized that Vinh had undergone changes compared to the original plan, but they all agreed that these changes were necessary. However, the German experts also hoped for a suitable way to preserve some memories of the Quang Trung area, a symbol of Vinh's resurgence after the war and also a symbol of the pure and selfless friendship between the two nations.
Mr. Udo Purtak calmly suggested:“We would like to make this suggestion. Let's choose one or two suitable rows of houses in the Quang Trung area to preserve. Naturally, they must be in harmony with the overall landscape of the (new) Quang Trung area. We could restore these rows of houses into modern residential buildings and preserve the architecture to commemorate a groundbreaking period in the city's construction. If we succeed, it will become a shared monument commemorating the time we worked together, for your country and for ours as well.”
I believe those heartfelt words also reflect the shared sentiments of all residents of the old Quang Trung area, of the residents of Thanh Vinh, and of all those who cherish the meaning of "a little help in times of need is worth more than a lot in times of plenty."
Hơn tất cả, Udo Purtak, vị trưởng đoàn chuyên gia Đức gửi tới tất cả chúng ta: “Chúng tôi chúc các bạn nhiều điều tốt lành và nhiều niềm vui trong cuộc sống. Đặc biệt là không bao giờ có chiến tranh như từng đã xảy ra hơn 50 năm trước”. Trong bối cảnh thế giới nóng bỏng vì chiến tranh và xung đột hiện nay, lời chúc đó thật chí lý, chí tình.
.png)
