Germany celebrated the 20th anniversary of fall of the Berlin Wall Monday. Here is a look at this historic day in photos.
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I loved the dominos, it was a great presentation and celebration. Deutche Welle TV did a great video recreation of the wall and the booby traps in the structure, and the people that attempted to make it over the wall.
Its amazing to think that Angela Merkel from East Berlin is now Chancellor of a peaceful and united Germany.
Im thinking of you daily Miss Krugler!! Cant wait to see you again. You are my flower!!!
So did they knock over those domino's or not??
My family moved to Germany in 1993. So I could never feel how most Germans felt about that event. What I have in my memories has always been a united Germany, a united homeland.
However I have an emotional connection to the European Union. Even in my childhood, I realized that something has changed. Borders between countries just vanished. And in 2002, the euro coins and bills were introduced which changed my understanding of living in Europe.
But there is nothing that has shaped me as much as moving to the United States. We arrived to the US in fall 2008 and I was having an eye on Obama since 2005. This country is so diverse, so full of hope and enthusiam. And since the election of Obama, the first African American President, and this huge wave of motivation to change the country, I was sure that this is my new homeland. Not only my homeland, but the part of me that I have always been searching for.
Idealism, hard work, and a lot of luck, will suit you well.
I visited Check Point Charlie and toured East Berlin in the 1960s. It was unforgettable. The stark contrast that existed between West Berlin and East Berlin is difficult to believe. All those stories about the way things were in the East sound like an impossible joke, unless you saw it for yourself.
Hillary's Clinton Berlin Address feathering a surprise address from President Obama via Video
commemorating the fall of the Berlin Wall
Watch: Both Hillary and President Obama Here
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KwgxH3rHEVg
From Hillsdale College Professor Paul Rahe:
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In yesterday's post, I failed to anticipate Barack Obama's cleverness. He did appear in Berlin -- metaphysically, if not physically. He did not honor our allies with his presence. He kept his distance and descended briefly, like a god, from the ether.
In his speech he made no mention of Josef Stalin, Nikita Khrushchev, Mikhail Gorbachev, or the Soviet Union, and he was tellingly silent about Harry Truman and Ronald Reagan. The only American he quoted was John Kennedy, the President who acquiesced in and privately favored the building of the wall.
Even more to the point, Obama proved unable to refrain from injecting his own autobiography into the event. You see, walls fell down when he was elected President.
It was perfectly appropriate that someone sound this theme at the time of Obama's inauguration. It was, indeed, an important event when the first American of African decent was elected to the presidency.
But Barack Obama seems to think his presidency as important a milestone as the fall of the Berlin Wall. In the world of the narcissist, everything that happens is always about him.
http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2009/11/024926.php
On the plus side, the DDR spawned some awesome musicians after reunification. Loved the cute Engel in Weiß.
According to Conservatives Reagan just went there, snapped his fingers and the wall just came tumbling down... of course THEY LIE !
The myth of Reagan: wrong, distorted and just plain loony.
It is as wrong to overstate Reagan's role as it is to say that he had nothing to do with it. It is likely that without his policies it would have taken much longer for the wall to come down.
Was Reagan even mentioned in any of the speeches? Gorby was there and the Europeans give him more credit then Ronald. Gorby had greater power over East Berlin then Reagan.
East Germany freed itself from communism after Poland, Hungary and possibly the Czech Republic which would make it about 3rd or 4th in line. East Germany is incorrectly given credit for ending the Cold War. That's definitely not what happened.
The Cold War was over when the Polish people, with the help of Pope John Paul and the Solidarity Party fought for more rights and free elections and got them both. Once they got their elections on June 4th 1989 they voted out the Communists from power. That was the beggining of the end for Communism in Europe. If you want to know how to make huge changes in government then study what happened in Poland during this time.
Poland's victory inspired other Communist countries to fight for their own freedom and to use Poland's strategy as a template. It worked. Within a few months of Poland's victory most of Europe was free from Communism and the Soviet Union was soon gone.
If it weren't for Poland's success it's very possible that the Soviet Union might still exist today and Central and Eastern Europe still Communist nations. Scary.
So for the sake of historical accuracy let's tell the real story and give credit where credit is due.
Solidarnosc!
http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,4809509,00.html?maca=en-aa-pol-863-rdf
I was happy to see Walesa being the one that triggered the giant dominoes at celebration...brilliant!
Definitely. After the EU commemoration snub it's the least they can do. Check out this link to understand why this is so upsetting. It's almost like some want to rewrite history for their own political reasons.
http://thevieweast.wordpress.com/2009/05/18/ec-video-commemorating-1989-causes-controversy/
Sure East Germany was in the middle of the pack as nations freed themselves.
What is noteworthy about the fall of the wall that the wall was symbolic of the division.
I get it but by putting everyone's focus on the fall of the wall you distract people from the bigger and more important picture. How they got there in the first place.
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Huffington Post | Adam Taylor
First Posted: 11- 9-09 03:40 PM | Updated: 11- 9-09 05:48 PM