The fall of the Berlin Wall united not only one people together, but also families separated by borders. This event marked the unification of the nation. The slogans at the demonstrations held were: "We are one people." The year of the fall of the Berlin Wall is considered the year of the beginning of a new life in Germany.
Berlin Wall
The fall of the Berlin Wall, whose construction began in 1961, symbolized the end of the Cold War. During the construction, wire fences were first stretched, which subsequently grew into a 5-meter concrete reinforcement, supplemented by watchtowers and barbed wire. The main purpose of the wall is to reduce refugees from the GDR to West Berlin (before that, 2 million people had already managed to move). The wall stretched for several hundred kilometers. The outrage of Germany and the GDR was transmitted to Western countries, but no protests and rallies could affect the decision to establish a fence.
28 years behind the fence
The Berlin Wall stood a little more than a quarter century - 28 years. During this time, three generations were born. Of course, many were unhappy with this state of affairs. People strove for a new life, from which the wall separated them. One can only imagine what they felt for her - hatred, contempt. Residents were imprisoned, as if in a cage, and they tried to escape to the west of the country. However, according to official figures, about 700 people were shot dead. And these are only documented cases. Today you can also visit the Berlin Wall Museum, which stores stories about what tricks people had to resort to in order to overcome it. For example, one child was literally catapulted by his parents through a fence. One family was transported by balloon.
The fall of the Berlin Wall - 1989
The communist regime of the GDR fell. It was followed by the fall of the Berlin Wall, the date of this high-profile incident - 1989, November 9. These events immediately triggered a reaction from people. And the joyful Berliners began to destroy the wall. In a very short time, most of the pieces became souvenirs. November 9 is also called the "Festival of All Germans." The fall of the Berlin Wall became one of the high-profile events of the twentieth century and was perceived as a sign. In the same 1989, no one yet knew what course of events was destined for fate. Erich Honecker (leader of the GDR) at the beginning of the year argued that the wall would stand for at least half a century, if not a whole century. The opinion that it is indestructible dominated both among the ruling circles and between ordinary residents. However, May of that year showed the opposite.
The fall of the Berlin Wall - how it was
Hungary removed its “wall” with Austria, and therefore there was no sense in the Berlin wall. According to eyewitnesses, even a few hours before the fall, many did not yet suspect what would happen. A huge mass of people, when they heard about the simplification of access control, moved to the wall. The border guards on duty, who did not have an order about the exact actions in this situation, made an attempt to push people away. But the pressure of the inhabitants was so great that they had no choice but to open the border. On this day, thousands of West Berliners went out to meet the East to meet them and congratulate them on their "liberation." November 9th really was a national holiday.
15th anniversary of the destruction
In 2004, marking the 15th anniversary of the destruction of the Cold War symbol, a large-scale ceremony was held in the German capital to mark the unveiling of the Berlin Wall monument. It is a restored part of the former fence, but now its length is only a few hundred meters. The monument is located where previously there was a checkpoint called "Charlie", which served as the main connection between the two parts of the city. Here you can see 1,065 crosses erected as a memory of those who were killed from 1961 to 1989 for trying to escape from the eastern part of Germany. However, there is no exact information on the number of killed, because different resources report completely different data.
25th anniversary
On November 9, 2014, German residents celebrated the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. The festive event was attended by the President of Germany Joachim Gauck and Chancellor Angela Merkel. Foreign guests also visited it, including Mikhail Gorbachev (former president of the USSR). On the same day, a concert and a solemn meeting took place in the Concerthouse Hall, which was also attended by the President and the Federal Chancellor. Mikhail Gorbachev expressed his opinion on the events, saying that Berlin says goodbye to the wall, because new life and history are ahead. On the occasion of the holiday, an installation of 6880 balls was lit, which glow. In the evening, they, filled with gel, flew into the night darkness, being a symbol of the destruction of the barrier and separation.
Reaction of Europe
The fall of the Berlin Wall, the unification of Germany, became an event that the whole world spoke of. A large number of historians argue that the country would come to unity, if in the late 80s, as it happened, it means a little later. But this process was inevitable. Before this, lengthy negotiations took place. By the way, Mikhail Gorbachev, who advocated the unity of Germany, also played a role (for which he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize). Although some viewed these events from a different point of view - as a loss of geopolitical influence. Despite this, Moscow has demonstrated that it can be entrusted with negotiations regarding complex and fairly fundamental issues. It is worth noting that some European leaders were against the reunification of Germany, for example, Margaret Thatcher (British Prime Minister) and Francois Mitterrand (French President). Germany in their eyes was a political and economic competitor, as well as an aggressor and military adversary. They were worried about the reunification of the German people, and Margaret Thatcher even tried to convince Mikhail Gorbachev to back down, but he was adamant. Some European leaders saw in Germany a future adversary and were frankly afraid of him.
The end of the cold war?
After November, the wall was still standing (it was not completely destroyed). And in the mid-nineties it was decided to demolish it. Only a small “segment” was left intact in memory of the past. The world community perceived the fall of the Berlin Wall as a union not only of Germany. And all of Europe.
Putin, while still an employee of the KGB mission in the GDR, supported the fall of the Berlin Wall, as did German unification. He also starred in a documentary dedicated to this event, the premiere of which could be seen on the 20th anniversary of the reunification of the German people. By the way, it was he who persuaded the demonstrators not to smash the building of the KGB representative office. Putin was not invited to the celebration of the 25th anniversary of the collapse of the wall (D.A. Medvedev was present at the celebration) - after the “Ukrainian events” many world leaders, like Angela Merkel, who acted as the hostess of the meeting, deemed his presence inappropriate.
The fall of the Berlin Wall has become a good sign for the whole world. However, unfortunately, history shows that fraternal peoples can be fenced from each other without tangible walls. Cold wars exist between states in the 21st century.