Family can be the wurst

East Berlin has a history of families separated by insurmountable boundaries. But, now that the wall is gone, it’s up to families to split up for their own economic, if not political, choices.

The Ziervogels have operated Konnopke’s Imbiss, the first East Berlin restaurant to serve currywust — fried pork sausage sliced up and smothered in ketchup and curry powder — since 1960. And they will continue to do so … except for Mario Ziervogel, who opened his own rival currywurst restaurant, Ziervogel’s Cult Curry, only blocks away.

Not only is Mario out of his mother, Waltraud’s will, but she lawyered up because he originally had “since 1960” at the end of his currywurst stand’s name. She contends that Mario, “48, was not even born in 1960, let alone serving sausages.” We don’t know if this strife is new, or if Mario was always such a little brat.

As the old saying goes, “You can pick your friends, you can pick your meat, but don’t try to pick your family’s meat and sell it at your own place in direct competition.” But, we don’t have to tell you that.