▁m ood s ▁and ▁s ights ▁of ▁the ▁rapidly ▁changing ▁city ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 5 0 s . ▁ ▁Pictures ▁from ▁the ▁book , ▁by ▁now ▁fully ▁written ▁and ▁prepared ▁for ▁launch , ▁were ▁on ▁display ▁on ▁the ▁publish er ' s ▁stand ▁at ▁the ▁Leipzig ▁Book ▁Fair ▁in ▁the ▁Aut umn ▁of ▁ 1 9 6 1 . ▁ ▁The ▁fair ▁was ▁held ▁very ▁shortly ▁after ▁the ▁government ▁had ▁suddenly ▁started ▁their ▁fe ver ish ▁construction ▁of ▁the ▁Berlin ▁Wall ▁which ▁for ▁the ▁next ▁( near ly ) ▁three ▁dec ades ▁would ▁cut ▁off ▁East ▁Berlin ▁from ▁the ▁west . ▁A ▁group ▁of ▁officials ▁stopped ▁off ▁at ▁the ▁publish er ' s ▁stand ▁to ▁look ▁at ▁some ▁of ▁the ▁pictures ▁on ▁display ▁under ▁the ▁" S itu ation ▁Berlin " ▁b anner . ▁One ▁said ▁to ▁the ▁others ▁the ▁ch illing ▁words , ▁" Ber lin ▁ist ▁kein ▁Situ ation ▁mehr " ▁(" Ber lin ▁is ▁no ▁longer ▁a ▁situation " ' '). ▁The ▁reference ▁was ▁to ▁the ▁way ▁that ▁the ▁ex od us ▁of ▁East ▁Germ ans ▁to ▁the ▁west ▁through ▁Berlin ▁had ▁been ▁blocked ▁by ▁the ▁new ▁wall , ▁but ▁the ▁meaning ▁for ▁Ar no ▁Fischer ▁and ▁his ▁publish ers ▁was ▁that ▁" S itu ation ▁Berlin " ▁was ▁not ▁going ▁to ▁be ▁published ▁within ▁for ese e able ▁time . ▁ ▁Middle ▁years ▁Ar no ▁Fischer ▁was ▁once ▁asked ▁whether ▁in ▁the ▁w ake ▁of ▁his ▁experience ▁with ▁" S itu ation ▁Berlin " ▁he ▁was ▁ever