Germany marks the 35th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. For 28 years, 2 months, and 28 days, Germans were divided between two ideologically opposing blocs – the East and the West. Then, with their bare hands, hammers, and pickaxes, they began tearing down the wall that separated them. The fall of the Berlin Wall, a symbol of the Cold War and the divide between the Western and Soviet blocs, paved the way for the collapse of communism in Eastern Europe and the reunification of Germany a year later.
Dubbed the “Wall of Shame,” the 155-kilometer barrier around West Berlin was erected by East German pro-Soviet authorities in August 1961 to prevent the mass exodus of workers and political dissenters from the German Democratic Republic (GDR). At least 140 people died attempting to cross the wall to continue their lives in a more prosperous West Germany, which, with the support of allied nations, was developing under democracy and a free-market economy.
In honor of all those not treated kindly by the East German system, particularly those who lost their lives attempting to reach West Germany, tribute was paid at the memorial center, as it is each year. President Frank-Walter Steinmeier emphasized that “freedom was never something to be taken for granted.”
“Berlin has not been divided for 35 years; our country is united, Europe is united. But there are still many people, and I want to welcome all of you here today, who do not live in freedom and democracy, and who continue to fight. Berlin is proud to be a city of freedom. I want it to be a place of hope for all who do not yet live in freedom but are fighting for it,” said Berlin’s mayor, Kai Wegner.
35 years ago, courageous citizens dismantled the Iron Curtain, said German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in a video message: “The victory of freedom in the autumn of 1989 was a collective victory for Europe. The fall of the Berlin Wall 35 years ago was the joyful culmination of pan-European developments at that time – a joyful day for which we Germans remain grateful to this day.”
Scholz specifically highlighted Hungary’s role in opening its border with Austria a few weeks before the wall fell, allowing East German citizens to cross into the West.
“Our shared history in the autumn of 1989 shows that we achieved our goals: we stood together for peace and freedom, security and prosperity, for the rule of law and democracy,” Scholz said.
Now, with a world filled with challenges, from Ukraine to the Middle East, climate change, and economic crises, the German chancellor called on Europeans to, as he put it, close ranks.
