25 Years Later...The Mauerfall
As you definitely already know, 25 years ago this week the Berlin Wall fell. Well, ideologically anyway. It likely took longer to physically break down...It's been a very monumental and emotionally moving time to be here.
We went down to see the Lichtgrenze, or lightborder, which was a clever and successful city-wide event: to place (environmentally biodegradable) balloons along the former's wall extent, lit from below, and then release them into the air. Such a great metaphor for the lightness of escape and freedom.
Here's an example:
There's a great article about the installation here:
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/09/world/europe/where-berlin-wall-once-stood-lights-now-illuminate.html?_r=0
We were able to wade through the crowds on November 8th, but on the 9th there were thousands of people gathered and major events planned all evening long. We've watched some great archival TV footage and documentaries of November 1989, and it's all been very enlightening for me.
There was even an excellent movie made about the emotional turmoil of the guards who manned the border for 28 years, and then one night were told it was open. But the specific orders to actually open it weren't given, so they hotly debated what to do in the presence of gathering East Germans. Very tense, but delivered in a humorous way. The film is called: Bornholmer Strasse.
You can read more about that border situation and decision here:
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/3e62e2b2-638a-11e4-8216-00144feabdc0.html#slide0
Here is a view from a bridge connecting East and West:
This commemorative weekend also included Kristallnacht, a tragic event: The night of November 9-10, 1938 where German and Austrian Jewish businesses were looted and destroyed. It seemed to go largely undiscussed in light of the Wall celebration, but I saw news of dignitaries placing flowers on Jewish memorials, so there was that. As always, it's a richly layered experience here in Deutschland...
We went down to see the Lichtgrenze, or lightborder, which was a clever and successful city-wide event: to place (environmentally biodegradable) balloons along the former's wall extent, lit from below, and then release them into the air. Such a great metaphor for the lightness of escape and freedom.
Here's an example:
There's a great article about the installation here:
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/09/world/europe/where-berlin-wall-once-stood-lights-now-illuminate.html?_r=0
We were able to wade through the crowds on November 8th, but on the 9th there were thousands of people gathered and major events planned all evening long. We've watched some great archival TV footage and documentaries of November 1989, and it's all been very enlightening for me.
There was even an excellent movie made about the emotional turmoil of the guards who manned the border for 28 years, and then one night were told it was open. But the specific orders to actually open it weren't given, so they hotly debated what to do in the presence of gathering East Germans. Very tense, but delivered in a humorous way. The film is called: Bornholmer Strasse.
You can read more about that border situation and decision here:
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/3e62e2b2-638a-11e4-8216-00144feabdc0.html#slide0
Here is a view from a bridge connecting East and West:
This commemorative weekend also included Kristallnacht, a tragic event: The night of November 9-10, 1938 where German and Austrian Jewish businesses were looted and destroyed. It seemed to go largely undiscussed in light of the Wall celebration, but I saw news of dignitaries placing flowers on Jewish memorials, so there was that. As always, it's a richly layered experience here in Deutschland...
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