Germany Marks 35th Anniversary of Berlin Wall's Fall, Built on Soviet Orders
35 years ago, on 9 November 1989, the Berlin Wall, which separated East and West Germany, came down, uniting Germans who had been divided between East and West for almost three decades.
This complex of buildings between the two parts of Berlin was erected by order of the USSR state leadership on 13 August 1961. It was built at the height of the Cold War between the military and political blocs of NATO and the Warsaw Pact. After the Second World War, Germany was divided into spheres of influence. East Germany (GDR) was part of the Soviet Union's sphere of influence and was one of the Warsaw Pact countries, while West Germany (FRG) became a democratic state and a NATO member.
The construction of the Berlin Wall on the orders of the Soviet Union was one of the worst tragedies of the German people.
The wall divided not only the country of Germany and the city of Berlin, but also families. An attempt to illegally cross the wall could result in up to 10 years in prison. Despite this, East Germans still tried to escape from the GDR: they dug tunnels under the wall, flew over it by hang glider and hot air balloon, climbed over ropes thrown between the windows of houses on both sides of the wall, and even tried to ram it with a bulldozer. East German border guards themselves often deserted and fled to West Berlin.
By the mid-1980s, however, the Cold War had waned, and a wave of anti-Communist protests had risen in the socialist countries.
In 1989, when Berliners tore down the wall and poured through holes in the concrete to reach the other side, the Iron Curtain separating the Soviet Union from the West was destroyed.
It was a moment in history that changed the city both geopolitically and culturally.
This weekend, the whole of Germany, the whole of Berlin, will celebrate the 35th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall with numerous events.
The Berlin Wall Memorial is presenting a video installation featuring interviews with 17 witnesses from the time. On behalf of many other people, they talk about how they experienced the fall of the Wall and what the Peaceful Revolution meant for their lives.
The fall of the Berlin Wall not only meant the end of restrictions on freedom of movement for many people in the GDR. It was also the beginning of the end of Stasi spying and surveillance. Today, at the Hohenschönhause memorial, you can travel back in time and experience the oppressive atmosphere of the former Stasi prison. Through real-life individual stories, you can learn how the Stasi dealt with surveillance, abductions and arrests.
On a 4-kilometre stretch along the former course of the Wall, there is a unique open-air exhibition with thousands of posters. They reflect the voices of German society on the great anniversary motto ‘Hold on to Freedom!’
The highlight of Saturday evening will be the giant Fest for Freedom concert on the Event Mile. From 20:00 to 21:00, you can enjoy the Fest for Freedom to join the celebration with hundreds of musicians and singers and become part of the celebration for an hour.