The fall of the Berlin Wall. Year of the Fall of the Berlin Wall

The fall of the Berlin Wall has united not only one people together, but also families, divided by borders. This event marked the unification of the nation. The slogans on the demonstrations were: "We are one people". The year of the fall of the Berlin Wall is considered to be the year of the beginning of a new life in Germany.

Berlin Wall

The fall of the Berlin Wall, the date of construction of which was 1961, symbolized the end of the Cold War. During the erection, wire fences were first stretched, which later grew into a 5-meter concrete reinforcement, supplemented with watch towers and barbed wire. The main purpose of the wall is the reduction of refugees from the GDR to West Berlin (before that 2 million people had already moved). The wall stretched for several hundred kilometers. The indignation of the FRG and the GDR was transferred to Western countries, but no protests and rallies could influence the decision to install the fence.

28 years behind the fence

The Berlin Wall stood a little more than a quarter of a century - 28 years. During this time, three generations were born. Of course, many were unhappy with this state of affairs. People aspired to a new life, from which they were separated by a wall. One can only imagine what they felt for her - hatred, contempt. The inhabitants were imprisoned, as if in a cage, and they tried to escape to the west of the country. However, according to official data, about 700 people were shot at the same time. And these are only documented cases. To date, you can also visit the Museum of the Berlin Wall, which stores stories about what tricks people had to resort to to overcome it. For example, one child was literally catapulted by his parents across the fence. One family was ferried off with a 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 led to the reaction of people. And joyful Berliners began to destroy the wall. Very soon, most of the pieces became souvenirs. November 9 is also called the "Holiday of All Germans". The fall of the Berlin Wall was one of the most high-profile events of the 20th century and was perceived as a sign. In the same 1989, no one 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 will stand for at least half a century, and even the whole century. The opinion that it is indestructible dominated both among the ruling circles and among ordinary inhabitants. However, May of the same year showed the opposite.

The fall of the Berlin Wall - as it was

Hungary removed its "wall" from Austria, and therefore there was no meaning in the Berlin Wall. According to eyewitnesses, even a few hours before the fall many still had no idea what would happen. A huge mass of people, when news came to her about simplifying the access regime, moved to the wall. The border guards on duty, who did not have an order for exact actions in this situation, made an attempt to oust people. But the pressure of the residents was so great that they had no choice but to open the border. On that day, thousands of Western Berliners came out to meet the East to meet them and congratulate them on "liberation." November 9 was really a national holiday.

15th anniversary of the destruction

In 2004, marking the 15th anniversary of the destruction of the symbol of the "cold war", a large-scale ceremony was held in the German capital dedicated to the opening of the monument to the Berlin Wall. It is a restored part of the former fence, but now its length is only a few hundred meters. The monument is located there, where previously there was a checkpoint called "Charlie", which served as the main junction between the two parts of the city. Here you can see 1065 crosses established as a memory of those who were killed from 1961 to 1989 for attempting to escape from the Eastern part of Germany. However, there is no exact information on the number of dead, because different resources report completely different data.

25th anniversary

On November 9, in 2014, residents of Germany celebrated the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. The festive event was visited by the President of the Federal Republic of Germany Joachim Gauk and Chancellor Angela Merkel. Foreign guests visited it, including Mikhail Gorbachev (former USSR president). 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 about the events, saying that Berlin is saying goodbye to the wall, because there is a new life and history ahead. On the occasion of the holiday an installation of 6880 balls was installed, which are shining. In the evening they, filled with gel, flew into the night darkness, being a symbol of the destruction of the barrier and separation.

The reaction of Europe

The fall of the Berlin Wall, the unification of Germany, became an event that the whole world was talking about. A large number of historians argue that the country would have come to unity, if in the late 80's, as it happened, it means a little later. But this process was inevitable. Prior to that, lengthy negotiations took place. By the way, Mikhail Gorbachev played his role, advocating the unity of Germany (for which he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize). Although some have evaluated these events from another point of view - as a loss of geopolitical influence. Despite this, Moscow has demonstrated that it can be entrusted with negotiations on complex and fairly fundamental issues. It is worth noting that some European leaders opposed 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 a military adversary. They were concerned about the reunification of the German people, and Margaret Thatcher even tried to persuade Mikhail Gorbachev to retreat from his position, but he was adamant. Some European leaders saw the future enemy in Germany and frankly feared 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 "piece" was left intact in memory of the past. The international community took the day of the fall of the Berlin Wall as a union not only of Germany. And the whole of Europe.

The fall of the Berlin Wall Putin, while still a member of the KGB representative office in the GDR, supported, like the unification of Germany. He also starred in a documentary on 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 participants of the demonstration not to smash the building of the KGB representative office. To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the collapse of the wall, Putin was not invited (for the 20th anniversary of the celebration Dmitry Medvedev was present) - after the "Ukrainian events" many world leaders, like Angela Merkel, who acted as hostess of the meeting, Considered his presence inappropriate.

The fall of the Berlin Wall was a good sign for the whole world. However, unfortunately, history shows that fraternal peoples can be protected from each other and without tangible walls. "Cold wars" exist between the states and in the 21st century.