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Tourists join Germans to celebrate 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall
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The guests of honor walk through the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Germany, Monday, Nov. 9, 2009, during the commemorations of the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall on Nov.9, 1989. (AP Photo/Gero Breloer)
The Berlin Wall, once a stark and often deadly reminder of the Cold War struggle in Europe, is now a major tourist attraction in a united Germany.
The wall “fell” 20 years ago today, when the East German government bowed to popular pressure after massive demonstrations and announced that East German citizens would be allowed to visit West Berlin and West Germany. East Germans flocked to the wall and, not waiting for the official regulations covering transit to the West to be announced and taking advantage of confusion among government officials regarding the details of the new policy, pushed past bewildered border guards and clambered over the wall and through gates to enter West Berlin. A huge, spontaneous celebration ensued along the wall and, almost immediately, people began chipping away at it, trying to hasten its demolition and gathering souvenirs.
It was not until the following June that the East German military began officially dismantling the wall. In October 1990, East and West Germany became unified for the first time since the end of World War II.
Immense dominos placed along the former border in front of the Brandenburg Gate are seen in Berlin, Germany, Monday, Nov. 9, 2009. The dominoes were toppled in a symbolic act during the commemorations of the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall on Nov.9, 1989. (AP Photo/Gero Breloer)
Sections of the wall remain intact. A part of it near the Ostbahnhof train station continues to be routinely painted by graffiti artists as “the world’s largest outdoor art gallery,” part of the East Side Gallery.
Another part of the wall that remains intact on both sides, including the “no man’s land” in between, is preserved as the Berlin Wall Documentation Center, near the Nordbahnhof station of the S-Bahn.
The most famous crossing point in the wall was called Checkpoint Charlie by the American and NATO troops in West Berlin. It was located at the intersection of three streets, Friedrichstraße, Zimmerstraße, and Mauerstraße (which, ironically, means Wall Street in English). The iconic metal shed that was manned by U.S. troops was removed when reunification took place in October 1990 and is now on display in the Allied Museum in West Berlin, but signs in the area still explain the significance of the checkpoint. There’s also a Museum of the Wall at Checkpoint Charlie, which offers information on the many escape attempts (some successful, some not) East Germans made here.
The Brandenburg Gate is one of the most visited sites in Berlin. Its history predates the Berlin Wall, of course, but it played a prominent role in the Cold War politics associated with the wall, which stood just to its west. President Kennedy visited the gate in 1963 during a trip made famous by his “Ich bin ein Berliner” speech and President Reagan delivered his “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall,” speech with the gate as a backdrop in 1987.
The euphoria of that night 20 years ago can’t be duplicated, but Germans engaged in a big party today to mark the anniversary, complete with a massive domino toppling along the former route of the wall near the Brandenburg Gate.
A note to my readers: I will be reporting from Manzanillo, Mexico beginning Wednesday night. I invite you to check back here and join me as I explore this fascinating city.
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