Why Berlin is the place to be this November
Friday, 25th September 2009
On the 9th November 2009, Germany will celebrate the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall.
History of the Berlin Wall
The Berlin Wall was the physical division between West Berlin and East Germany. More than that though, it was the symbolic boundary between democracy and Communism during the Cold War.
The Berlin Wall was erected in the dead of night on 13th August 1961. The aim of its construction was to disconnect East and West Berlin, and prevent East Germans fleeing to the West in light of the growing economic gap between the two entities.
Its destruction in 1989 was a hugely momentous occasion for Germany and the wider world. In Germany, long-lost friends and families were reunited, and hopes for new beginnings and a bright future were restored. For people across the world, it symbolised the restoration of the balance between East and West.
Anniversary Celebrations
A huge array of events, exhibitions and spectacles have been planned to mark this important occasion.
Under the banner “Sites of the New Berlin: 20 years of Change”, developments within the German capital during the past 20 years will be observed and experienced at government buildings, foreign embassies, and new areas of the city. The buildings and spaces will feature works of art and exhibitions to highlight the dynamic developments that have transformed Berlin one of the most modern and cultured cities in the world.
Museums such as the Checkpoint Charlie Museum, the German Historical Museum, the Kennedys Museum, the Berlin Film Museum, the Stasi Museum, and the DDR Museum will all feature special exhibitions focusing on the era of the Berlin Wall too.
The celebrations will climax with a grand public party, the ‘Freedom Festival’ on the 9th November. The former German Foreign Minister, Hans-Dietrich Genscher, and the Nobel Peace Laureates Kofi Annan, Muhammad Yunus and Mikhail Gorbachev will be among the guests, along with a host of other international figures and celebrities.
The Festival of Freedom will begin with an open-air concert at Pariser Platz (by the Brandenberg Gate) by the Staatskapelle Berlin conducted by Daniel Barenboim. After the concert, a large-scale performance using a ‘domino effect’ will symbolise the fall of the wall. The dominos to feature in the spectacle, measuring 2.5 metres in height, have all been designed by young people in Berlin.
Language courses of varying length and format are available in Berlin all year long. If you’re looking for a German course, what better place and time to go than Berlin in November? Experiencing such a momentous event would certainly be something you’d never forget.
More about German courses in Berlin
Tags: berlin, history, language course, course, location, germany, german
Posted by Laura Harrison 2009-09 under Experience Cultures,
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