The Berlin Wall was a barrier that existed from 1961 through 1989, constructed by the German Democratic Republic (GDR, East Germany) starting on 13 August 1961, that completely cut off (by land) West Berlin from surrounding East Germany and from East Berlin until it was opened in 1989.
Now, you can see the Berlin Wall surrounded with lights and while balloons as the people commerated with 25 years of existence.
According to human-rights activist from East Berlin, Frank Ebert the experience felt surreal. He said "In the beginning, it was a real fight to get people to understand how important it is, to remember how horrible it really was in the German Democratic Republic. What happened around the wall is not normal."
In her speech at the wall memorial on Bernauer Strasse on Saturday afternoon, Germany's chancellor, Angela Merkel, emphasize on the importance of the event that took place in the Berlin Wall, rather than on the experience of the individual person.
She said "We have the strength to shape things, to turn things from bad to good, that is the message of the fall of the wall. These days, that message is directed at Ukraine, Syria, Iraq and many, many other regions in the world."
Adding "If one thing was wonderful about those days, it was the imagination that was being set free after having been suppressed for so many years."
The Berlin Wall was officially referred to as the "Anti-Fascist Protection Rampart" by GDR authorities, implying that the NATO countries and West Germany in particular were "fascists." The West Berlin city government sometimes referred to it as the "Wall of Shame"-a term coined by mayor Willy Brandt-while condemning the Wall's restriction on freedom of movement.
the president of the European commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, release a statement in the wake of the wall's anniversary. He said "Europe must once again become a thing of the heart. It was with passion and courage that the people tore down that which divided them, in search of peace, freedom, unity, democracy and prosperity. Two decades later, we must not forget that peace is not a given in Europe. More than ever, Europe must live up to its responsibility to safeguard freedom and peace."
