NEWS: The Berlin Wall (1961-1989)

November 9, 2009
It is hard to believe but this year, it is already the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall!

Colorful Berlin Wall: Picture courtesy of Amandine Jal-Demay

When it happened in November 1989, I had just arrived in Munich to spend a year as a student. It was an exciting moment. Friends of mine even drove to Berlin to collect pieces of the Wall.

Following are some important facts about the history of the Wall:

• Twenty years ago on November 9th at 10:30 p.m. one crossing border of the wall was finally opened.
• The complete dismantling of the wall happened from June 13th 1990 to November 1991. Germany chose October 3rd (1990), as its official reunification day.
• The wall separated West and East Berlin for 28 years.

Picture I took at the Brandenburg Gate during filming of the movie “The Tunnel”

• In between, it was called the No Man’s Land.
• It divided a country to keep Eastern Germans from immigrating to the West.
• It divided families and visas were granted only on special occasions.
• People tried everything to cross the border even via hot air ballon, tunneling or by swimming accross.
• About 200 lives were lost.
• The main border was crossing at Checkpoint Charlie, where today you will find a good museum about the Wall.
• The Berlin wall was 11.8 feet tall and changed over the years. There were 4 phases, starting with wire fences, then with a wall and later with a border wall.

Another picture I took during filming of the movie “The Tunnel”

• The length was 96 miles around West Berlin.
• It all started on August 13th 1961 with the German leader of the socialist Party, Walter Ulbricht.
• The Russian President, Nikita Khrushchev, was for building of the Wall and accepted the request of the German leaders.
• One key leader who helped in the collapse of the Wall was the Russian President, Mikhail Gorbachev.
• Remember the famous words of President Ronald Reagan “Tear Down this Wall!”  in a speech in Berlin two years before the fall of the wall.

 

This year many celebrations are planned for the anniversary, including a concert to be held at the Brandenburg Gate.

• 20th anniversary
• Berlin Wall
• Brandenburg Gate
• Fall
• German history
• Germany