On 9 November 1989 the Berlin Wall, constructed in 1961, a physical and ideological symbol of the division of Europe, began to fall. Over the years, the Wall had divided German families and had also claimed lives as the East German military fired on people trying to flee to the more prosperous Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany). There was a wide fear that Berlin could become a flash point for a larger conflict.
On 9 November 1989, the East German government announced that citizens would be allowed to travel to West Germany through the Berlin Wall. The news spread quickly, and thousands of people gathered at border crossings demanding to be let through.
On 9 November 1989, I was in Warsaw, Poland to give some talks at the University of Warsaw on African social-economic development policies. The conversation among the Polish professors quickly turned to what the fall of the Berlin Wall would mean for Polish politics and for the other countries under the influence of the Soviet Union. The fall of the Berlin Wall inspired many to pursue democratic reforms - the fall being a testimony to the fragility of authoritarian regimes. The reunification of Germany followed quickly and was celebrated on 3 October 1990.
In the years since the fall of the Berlin Wall, Europe has achieved remarkable progress in terms of economic integration and political cooperation. Yet the vision of a fully unified federal Europe remains elusive. Today Europe faces deep challenges from the war in Ukraine to the ongoing growth of popular nationalism. However, the fall of the Berlin Wall remains one of those historic moments when divisions are overcome, and people come together.
René Wadlow, Association of World Citizens
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