Germany Commemorates 35 Years Since Fall of Berlin Wall
Thousands celebrated in Berlin Saturday on the 35th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, and the subsequent disintegration of former Communist East Germany, and eventually the Soviet Union, which led to German reunification.
Many placed flowers in a rare remaining chunk of the structure at the site the Berlin Wall memorial, including President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. Economy Minister Robert Habeck also visited the commemorations.
And in a display that took rather longer to set up, an art installation of more than 5,000 placards spanning around 4 kilometers (roughly 2.5 miles) — made by children and adults alike under a motto that roughly translates to "we hold freedom aloft" — marked the path of the structure that once divided Germany's capital.
These signs included messages like "a wall should protect, not divide," "freedom of opinion without hate," and "freedom's not a gift."
An series of concerts were also planned, to offer what organizers touted as the "Soundtrack of Freedom," involving everything from East German rock to David Bowie, who famously spent time in divided Berlin, and culminating on Sunday with a performance from the Russian protest band Pussy Riot.
Scholz calls reunification 'a win for all of Europe'
Chancellor Olaf Scholz, likely more preoccupied with his coalition's sudden collapse at present, published a video message on Saturday commemorating the anniversary.
Alluding to the pro-democracy movements and protests in much of Eastern Europe that preceded the bringing down of the wall, Scholz said "the victory of freedom in the fall of 1989 was a win for all of Europe."
"The fall of the Berlin Wall 35 years ago was the happy climax of a movement spanning all of Europe," he said, calling November 9 "a day of joy, for which we Germans are grateful to this day."
He also said the "revolution of freedom" in 1989 had a core message that remained as current as ever, namely: "Courage, confidence and solidarity pay off. Against each other we achieve nothing, we're only strong together."
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