In a parallel universe in which the Berlin Wall had never fallen, Angela Merkel might today be traveling around the US in a Trabant instead of in the twilight of her chancellorship, she told German magazine Der Spiegel on Tuesday.

When asked what would have become of her if Germany had remained divided, Merkel first told her interviewers: "We certainly would not have met, that's for sure."

Read more: Opinion: German unification — time for the next generation to step up

When pressed on what she would be doing today, the German Chancellor said she could have realized her dream: "I wanted my first long trip to be to America."

"Because of its size, the diversity of it, the culture. To see the Rocky Mountains, drive around and listen to Bruce Springsteen — that was my dream," she said, referring to the US singer known for hits such as "Born in the USA."

After reiterating that she would also have liked to have explored Germany, the 65-year-old German chancellor who grew up in East Germany said that she would have been retired by now and thus permitted to leave what was known as the German Democratic Republic (GDR).

"In the GDR, women retired at age 60, so I could have picked up my passport five years ago and traveled to America. Retirees had the freedom to travel in the GDR — anyone who was no longer needed as a socialist worker was allowed to leave," she told Der Spiegel.

When asked if she would have taken an American car, she demurred. "No — I'm a friend of smaller cars. But what could have been better than a Trabant?"

Her comments come as Germany reflects on the 30 years since the 1989 fall of the Berlin Wall ahead of the November 9 anniversary.

The Berlin Wall in film As the Berlin Wall was built: 'One, Two, Three' The Berlin Wall had not yet been built when Austrian-born Hollywood filmmaker Billy Wilder began shooting "One, Two, Three" in the city in June 1961. Construction began while the film was being shot, with Wilder and his team later integrating the event into the plot. It turned the comedy into a famous document of film history.

The Berlin Wall in film Secret agents and the Iron Curtain: 'The Spy Who Came In From the Cold' After the construction of the Wall, the Cold War theme became a stock topic in western cinema. John Le Carré's famous spy novel "The Spy Who Came in From the Cold," published in 1963, was turned into a film two years later by Hollywood director Martin Ritt. Starring Richard Burton, the British production was filmed in the UK, the Netherlands and at Checkpoint Charlie.

The Berlin Wall in film Checkpoint scenes: 'Funeral in Berlin' Another British production came out just one year later: the 1966 espionage movie "Funeral in Berlin" by James Bond director Guy Hamilton. Michael Caine was the lead star in the film, with a host of German actors completing the ensemble. It was shot at several locations in West Berlin, and at Checkpoint Charlie. The scenes at Glienicke Bridge had to be shot at Swinemünder Bridge in the West.

The Berlin Wall in film James Bond in Berlin: 'Octopussy' Some years passed before James Bond himself was to come to Checkpoint Charlie and other well-known Berlin locations. Britain's most famous secret agent finally got "his" Berlin Wall film, "Octopussy," in 1983. At that time, Bond actor Roger Moore couldn't have guessed that the Wall would fall before the end of the decade.

The Berlin Wall in film Filmed after 1989: 'The Innocent' Not surprisingly, Berlin became the setting of many films about the Cold War after the fall of the Wall. Based on Ian McEwan's novel, British director John Schlesinger shot in 1993 the drama "The Innocent," starring Anthony Hopkins, Isabella Rossellini and Campbell Scott. The story takes place in November 1989 and in the 1950s. Despite its famous cast, the film did not impress critics.

The Berlin Wall in film Humorous take: 'Sonnenallee' After the fall of the Wall, German cinema dealt with the subject in a surprising way: through comedy. In 1999, theater director Leander Haussmann brought his film "Sonnenallee" (Sun Avenue) to the cinemas. Together with author Thomas Brussig and actor Detlev Buck (pictured), he told the story of a few young people living in the eastern part of Berlin in 1973.

The Berlin Wall in film Another comedy: 'Heroes Like Us' Perhaps not as famous, but just as entertaining and humorously sensitive, the Berlin Wall comedy titled "Helden wie wir" (Heroes Like Us) is also based on a novel by Thomas Brussig. The film exposing the absurdities of everyday life in former East Germany was released on the 10th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall.

The Berlin Wall in film Escape attempts: 'The Tunnel' In the following years, numerous TV and cinema films also dealt with the adventurous escape attempts of East German citizens. One of the most spectacular was Roland Suso Richter's "The Tunnel" in 2001. Based on true events, it tells the story of an escape through a tunnel under the Berlin Wall. In 1962, 29 people fled this way.

The Berlin Wall in film The hit film: 'Good Bye, Lenin!' In 2003, another comedy about East German history and the fall of the Wall became one of the biggest international hits of German cinema. In "Good Bye, Lenin!" director Wolfgang Becker had his hero, young actor Daniel Brühl, elaborately try to maintain the illusion that communism didn't collapse, as he aimed to protect his mother, who was in a coma when the Berlin Wall came down, from the shock.

The Berlin Wall in film Replicas: 'Beloved Berlin Wall' As little remained of the original Berlin Wall, directors who later addressed the topic either filmed at the few locations where parts of the Wall still stood or built replicas in studios. Peter Timm, who was born in East Berlin in 1950, shot several films about the Wall and the East-West divide, including "Meier," "Go Trabi Go" and in 2009, "Liebe Mauer" (Beloved Berlin Wall, pictured here).

The Berlin Wall in film Steven Spielberg in Berlin: 'Bridge of Spies' In 2015, Hollywood once again took a look at the Cold War era. Star director Steven Spielberg (left) staged his movie "Bridge of Spies," starring Tom Hanks (right) in Berlin. The historical drama depicts a famous case of secret agents being exchanged on the Glienicke Bridge. The film was shot at original locations and in Babelsberg Studios. Author: Jochen Kürten (als)



Read more: Generation gap divides interest in fall of Berlin Wall

Discontent doesn't bring 'right to hatred'

Growing up in the impoverished and less developed East, Merkel entered politics only in her mid-30s as communism crumbled.

In the interview, the German Chancellor also cautioned that disillusionment and discontent with the German government did not give people any "right to hatred," a thinly-veiled reference to the electoral success of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party in recent months.

Read more: Former East Germany still lags behind west

"I know that for many East Germans, life became free but not simpler after the peaceful revolution," she said. "But you have to be clear: even if you're not happy with public transport, medical care, the state, or your own life, that doesn't give a right to hatred and contempt."

Rise of far-right at home and abroad

The AfD has polled over 20% and finished second in state elections in Saxony, Brandenburg and Thuringia in the past two months, where people continue to feel disadvantaged 30 years after German reunification.

Watch video 01:45 Share Thuringia regional election Send Facebook google+ Whatsapp Tumblr linkedin stumble Digg reddit Newsvine Permalink https://p.dw.com/p/3S2O0 Far-right AfD deals a blow to CDU in Thuringia election

Read more: What drives the far-right AfD's success in eastern Germany?

Disillusionment with the German Chancellor and her government in recent years, fueled particularly by the 2015 influx of migrants, has been felt strongest in the east.

She told Der Spiegel that as Chancellor, she has responsibility for all Germans, "so the assumption that I should take care primarily of the interests of eastern Germans is wrong but, if you follow it, it of course leads to disappointment."

Read more: Germans happier in a reunified country, 30 years on

She also emphasized there was a need for better "inner-German dialogue" between former East Germany and the west.

Merkel's desired destination, traditionally seen as synonymous with freedom and opportunity, has undergone a political shift to the right in recent years as well.

America America: How real is real? "In Alice’s Front Yard" by Tom Wesselmann Throughout the centuries, art has played a vital role in shining a light on culture. American contemporary artists are strongly aware of the importance of their work for provoking thought — and capturing the times for future generations. An exhibition that draws on the collection of the Frieder Burda Museum explores how such artists reflect on the American dream and way of life.

America America: How real is real? "Imaginary Flag for U.S.A.," William N. Copley The flag holds a highly symbolic place in the American imagination. In 1972, surrealist William N. Copley recreated the 13 stripes of the flag but replaced the 50 stars with the word THINK. "Imaginary Flag for U.S.A." is a subversive response to ideological patriotism in America toward the end of the Vietnam War and at the beginning of the Watergate scandal. It is the exhibition's leitmotif.

America America: How real is real? Pop art: Smoker #10 In the 1960s, Andy Warhol turned the narrative of the American way of life on its head by focusing on the consumerism shaping everyday life. Pop artists including James Rosenquist and Tom Wesselmann (whose oil painting Smoker #10 is seen above), exploited the commercial production methods of advertising while relaying a message about the dangers that these consumer myths posed.

America America: How real is real? The Haunting (Triptych) Media images continue to heavily influence the work of contemporary American artists. Perceptions of reality have increasingly been shaped as a media construct, prone to manipulation. Horrific events that hold a permanent place in the American imagination, such as an image of the planes flying into the World Trade Center on 9/11, is the subject of Robert Longo's work recast in black-and-white.

America America: How real is real? Scott and John The influence of the pop art movement on American artists can be found not only in the choice of the subject matter but also the techniques used by many artists. Alex Katz, born in New York in 1927, was at the edges of the movement when he produced "Scott and John" in 1966, a painting which uses reduction to capture the essence of two young American men.

America America: How real is real? Cindy Sherman as "Untitled Marilyn" Perhaps one of the most renowned American portrait photographers living today, Cindy Sherman is also something of a performance artist, posing as her subjects. Here, she portrays the long-dead celebrity Marilyn Monroe in a manner most are unaccostumed to seeing: fully clothed, not posing for the gaze. The piece is part of a larger series of work aimed at dissembling notions of female beauty.

America America: How real is real? Living Room Scene III, Eric Fischl The so-called American way of life is a mythology produced by the media and entertainment industries. The portrayals of this falsified reality cement existing power structures but they can also call them into question. "America! America! How real is real?" has chosen works that do the latter, making clear that it is the traumas of American society that inspire artists.

America America: How real is real? Jeff Koons' "Bear and Policeman" A life-size wooden sculpture of a bear hugging a British policeman by Jeff Koons is one of the 70 pieces of contemporary artworks on display. The exhibition looks to portray reality in a new way as it responds to the question "How real is real?" It runs from December 9, 2017 through May 21, 2018 at the Frieder Burda Museum in Baden-Baden. Author: Courtney Tenz



US President Donald Trump has repeatedly called for the construction of a wall of his own along the US-Mexico border since taking office in 2016, in addition to moving forward with policies which aim to curb both legal and illegal immigration.

On Saturday, a US judge blocked Trump's efforts to insist on immigrants having health insurance before they are granted a visa.

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