November 9 Marks the 20th Anniversary of the Fall of the Berlin Wall

WASHINGTON, Nov. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Germans celebrate in Berlin the 20th anniversary of the Fall of the Berlin Wall. November 9, 1989, marked the beginning of a new era in history. It signaled the beginning of the end of Germany's postwar division and national unity came less than a year later on October 3, 1990. It was also the end of the Cold War and the beginning of a fully united Europe. Germans celebrate this anniversary in a spirit of deep gratitude towards the American people: Without the support of the United States, freedom would not have prevailed and reunification would not have been achieved.

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As German Chancellor Angela Merkel put it in her recent speech at the Joint Session of the United States Congress: "Ladies and gentlemen, to sum it up in one sentence: I know, we Germans know, how much we owe to you, our American friends. We as a nation, and I personally, will never forget that."

Complete speech of Chancellor Angela Merkel before the US Congress on November 3, 2009:

Audio excerpts of the speech
(see Nov. 4 - Merkel 3 file)

November 9, 1989: East Germans cross the Berlin Wall from East to West Berlin

From the greeting remarks of German Ambassador to the US, Klaus Scharioth:
"Twenty years ago, on November 9, 1989, the world watched in amazement as jubilant crowds gathered on both sides of the Berlin Wall around midnight to celebrate the opening of the border crossings between the eastern and western parts of the city. A peaceful revolution in East Germany had finally cracked this grim symbol of Cold War and political oppression....Erected on August 13, 1961 by the communist regime in East Germany, the Wall divided Berlin for 28 years. It cut right through the heart of the city, amputating vital traffic links and separating families and friends. Minefields and border police with shoot-to-kill orders thwarted any further attempts by East Germans to look for a better future in the West. While the communists tightened their grip on people's lives in East Berlin, the western part of the city became a walled-in outpost of freedom and democracy."

Full text of the greeting remarks of German Ambassador to the US, Klaus Scharioth:

Berlin Wall timeline

Germany to Celebrate 20th Anniversary today with Berlin's "Festival of Freedom"

Berlin celebrates the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Wall with a large "Festival of Freedom". Heads of state and other foreign dignitaries are invited, as well as key players from the peaceful revolutions that swept Europe in 1989, and a spectacle involving over 1,000 huge foam dominoes will fall in a chain reaction along the wall's former path through the heart of Berlin. When the dominoes fall at the Brandenburg gate, they will trigger a massive fireworks display, and the international superstar DJ and native East Berliner Paul van Dyk will premiere his anthem "We Are One," which he composed for the anniversary. Bon Jovi will also perform "We Weren't Born to Follow."

Full schedule of the "Festival of Freedom"

Students Mark Anniversary at US Universities

At around 30 college campuses in the United States, students have erected replicas of the Berlin Wall and staged "Freedom Without Walls" campus weeks to mark the anniversary. The events are part of the German Embassy's "Freedom Without Walls" campaign, which aims to engage the generation that has grown up since the wall's fall in a discussion about its significance.

Freedom Without Walls campus weeks include lectures, workshops, concerts, film screenings as well as speech and wall art contests, where a trip to Berlin for two awaits as first prize in a nationwide competition.

More about the Freedom Without Walls Campus Weeks