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November 9, 1989: Remembering the Berlin Wall
The Berlin Wall @ Flickr.com
Uniting east and west
Berlin is the capital of Germany. The East and West part of the city was once divided due to the effects of post cold war era in the 60s. It was a simple barbed wire then, but became a huge and thick wall structure. Many Eastern Berlin people died due to their insistence to go to the West were democracy was being embraced. The post-Nazi era was being strictly imposed by East Berlin officials that made ordinary city dwellers more eager to evacuate their city.
It is the main gate between East and West Berlin. It was the silent witness of the many attempts of East Berliners to vacate the city. There was chaos everywhere when city officials suppressed the freedom of the city dwellers to seek job in the West. Those who plan to escape passed to either the boundaries of Czechoslovakia or Poland just to get out of the city and never come back.
Tear Down the Wall
The diplomatic voice of the cold war era was US President Ronald Reagan. People in East Berlin still couldn’t believe that the plea of President Reagan through his speech in the European Union Convention would pave the way to the tearing down of the Berlin wall. After that memorable speech, many militant groups marched to the wall with placards denouncing the structure. Many graffiti were drawn on the wall denouncing socialism and totalitarianism being implemented by the government in East Germany. Series of diplomatic talks followed discussing the situation in Germany.
The Unforgettable Day
It was November 9, 1989 when the East Germany government conceded and decided to give it a try unifying the nation. The waiting westerners and easterners, foreign and local press, foreign artists and all over the world witnessed the tearing down of Berlin Wall. Many leaders around the world, especially British Prime Minister Margaret Tatcher commented that it’s for the good of German people.
Twenty years later, November 9, 2009, German citizens commemorated the fall of Berlin Wall. It is still etched in their memories … the pain ,the sufferings and the triumph they’ve gained by removing the remnants of separateness that plagued the nation.