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Celebrating 20 years of the fall of the Berlin wall
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On November, 9th, 1989 Germany had a revolution. After several weeks of protests and demonstrations, they succeeded in breaking down the borders that once held them captive, creating what we now call the "fall of the (Berlin) wall".
In my mind I can still recall viewing those vivid moments, watching both East and West Germany joining their cause from opposite sides of a long cement barrier, physically crossing those lines that had been so deeply drawn and highly built, celebrating with shouting, screaming, dancing, singing, crying, the tearing at the wall with hammers, picks and even their bare hands. And for the east- I watched as they finally found a freedom in which most of them had never known.
The border separating the Eastern Bloc from Western Europe in Germany for more than a quarter of a century was removed. The famous Berlin Wall was constructed in 1961 and was a physical barrier, guarded by heavily armed guards, and was more than 87 miles long. The border that separated families, and changed the livelihood for all Germans defined the fact that East Germany would remain a soviet controlled communistic area, until the fall of the wall.
During the years after the borders were put into place Western Germans were initially not allowed to enter East Germany at all. In 1963 negotiations between the East and the West resulted in the limited possibility of Western Germans crossing borders for the Christmas season of that year. East Germans were only allowed to cross into the West with the following rules, Old age pensioners could travel to the West starting in 1964 Visits of relatives for important family matters People who had to travel to the West for professional reasons (i.e., truck drivers). However, each visit had to be approved and approval was rarely granted. In 1971 it was agreed that Western Germans could apply for visa and visitations into East Germany, however, East German authorities could still refuse entry permits, for any or no reason at all.
In September 1989 after weeks of civil unrest, protests and peaceful demonstrations, the GDR (German Democratic Republic) began to take notice. Initially it was the Eastern Germans who gathered chanting “Wir wollen raus!” or we want out, and “wir bleiben hier!” and we are remaining here, and by November, 4th, 1998 more than one million people had gathered in Alexanderplatz in East Berlin. On November, 9th, 1989 more than 10% of the entire country's population from the West was present as well. Soon the GDR decided to act. It would be forced to open the borders, but their intention was to do it in "small amounts at a time." It would require waiting periods, visas and passports, and approvals.
On the evening of November, 9th, 1989, a press conference was held announcing the intention to allow Eastern Germans to cross the border, however a gross error was made. When asked when these new tolerances would go into effect, Günter Schabowski who had been on vacation and was not clear on when it was to begin said the words that permanently changed the world: “...effective immediately”. This caused a mad rush of people to flood the border checkpoints, or “Checkpoint Charlies” and the overwhelmed, confused guards had no choice but to let them go. The west was there, waiting, ready to greet loved ones that they hadn’t seen in many years.
The fall of the Wall was the first step towards freedom and lead to the German reunification, which was formally concluded on October, 3rd, 1990.
November, 9th, 2009 they will celebrate their 20 years of freedom, the fall of the wall and the breaking down of barriers with a “Festival of Freedom” during which over 1,000 foam domino tiles over 8 feet tall will be stacked along the former route of the wall in the city center, and then toppled.
While the Berlin wall has been torn down, pieces of it can be found all over the world. See the list of associated museums and institutions below. Or for the genuine experience, you can always use a low cost airline to witness the celebration in person.
You might also enjoy these articles by Jennifer:
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1 Chicago, Illinois, USA Western Ave, CTA Station
2 EU Parliament, Belgium
3 European Court of Human Rights, France
4 Riga, Latvia
5 Harmonie German Club, Canberra, Australia
6 Madrid, Spain
7 Imperial War Museum, London, United Kingdom
8 National Army Museum, London, United Kingdom
9 Berwick Barracks, Berwick-upon-tweed, England, UK
10 World Peace Pavilion, Nova Scotia, Canada
11 Truro, Nova Scotia, Canada
12 Centre de Commerce mondial de Montréal, Québec, Canada
13 Newseum, Washington, DC, USA
14 Johns Hopkins University, School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), Washington, D.C., USA
15 Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum, Hyde Park, New York, USA
16 John F. Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum, Massachusetts, USA
17 Richard Nixon Presidential Library & Birthplace, Yorba Linda, California, USA
18 Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library & Museum, Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA
19 Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, Simi Valley, California, USA
20 Ronald Reagan Peace Garden at Eureka College, Eureka, Illinois, USA
21 Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washington, D.C., USA
22 George H. W. Bush Presidential Library & Museum, College Station, Texas, USA
23 Westminster College, Missouri, USA
24 Sandpoint, Idaho, USA
25 Main Street Station casino/hotel, Nevada, USA
26 James Baker Institute, Texas, USA
27 Hilton Anatole Hotel, Texas, USA
28 Microsoft, Washington, USA
29 JHQ, Rheindahlen,Germany
30 Mountain View, California, USA
31 Seoul, South Korea
32 Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, California, USA
33 Patton Museum of Cavalry and Armor, Fort Knox, Kentucky, USA
34 Long Wharf, Portland, Maine, USA
35 Downtown, Rapid City, South Dakota, USA
36 New York City, New York, USA
37 Marbles Kids Museum, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
38 The Wende Museum, Culver City, California, USA
39 Vatican City
40 Fatima Sanctuary, Portugal
41 Accorsi Family, Spilamberto, Modena
42 Seattle, Washington, USA
43 Cape Town, South Africa
44 Chapman University, Orange, California, USA
45 Kennesaw State University, Georgia, USA
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