Berlin remembers the fall of the wall – and it is not just about celebrations.
video installation 30. Anniversary of the fall of the Berlin wall on the Alex photo: Reuters
Entirely undetected runs Michael Müller by the crowd at the Alexanderplatz. It’s Monday evening, the 4. November. 30 years ago perhaps the greatest demonstration of German history took place here: Around half a Million people demanding freedom of expression and reforms for the politically and economically ailing GDR. Five days later, the wall falls, and a few months later, the entire state is history.
In this 4. November 2019, it’s not about Miller, but about the recent past and how it influences the present. This is the mayor aware of the around a thousand spectators bonus veren bahis siteleri on the Alex at the opening of the weeklong celebration of the 30. Anniversary of the fall of the Berlin wall not only a lot of fun, but also many new insights wishes. And a Parallel draws: Then, as now, it was important to stand up for freedom. “We have to fight against every Form of exclusion,” explains Müller, and it is obvious that he alludes to on the AfD, and whose recent successes in state elections in the East.
Short film will be projected excerpts of 1989 on the façades of place: images of Mikhail Gorbachev and demonstrators, Egon Krenz and the celebrations on the wall. “That was madness at the time here,” says a woman in the audience, visibly touched. And who wanders through the audience and hear stories like Betonbet the one of a former theatre-makers, the Stasi prevented at the time to come to the Demo on the Alex, because they blocked the trains.
in a total Of seven historic places, is reminiscent of Berlin in this era, with a total of 200 events. There is the big bash at the Brandenburg gate on the evening of 9. November, the actual anniversary, with Daniel Barenboim and Westbam. But there are a lot of smaller deals, seven for the fall of the wall historically significant places, such as in the Gethsemane Church in Prenzlauer Berg in the former Stasi headquarters in Lichtenberg.
The politicians do not dare these days to whitewash the failings and errors with unctuous phrases; the stupid question of whether the “wall in the heads” still, no longer plays a role
In the case of many events, it is dialogue: between those who were and those who lived, perhaps, in the West of the city, or even were not born. It should go to the questions, what was achieved and why the hopes of many GDR citizens, but ultimately were disappointed. There is an App, Workshops, projections, film screenings with discussion.
30 years since the fall of the Berlin wall now, and the 30 years it took, to Berlin, has finally found an appropriate use for the town’s most important event since 1961. A Lot Of Time. But maybe it takes a Generation, a new Generation to consider the drunkenness of the time to turn soberly and analytically. And to celebrate somehow. The politicians no longer trust these days, to mask failures, and errors with unctuous phrases; the stupid question of whether the “wall in the heads” still, no longer plays a role. Because many has now become clear: It’s all been a bit more complicated and grown up with the East and the West German and their common society.
