By Ben Graham
20 years ago, East and West Germany were united in jubilant celebration as the Berlin wall was demolished. Thousands that had not seen their family and friends since the wall was first erected in August of 1961, were allowed their first glimpse of life on the other side of the wall.
This week marked the 20th anniversary of the momentous occasion, with firework displays and parties throughout the city to celebrate. There is even a 1500 piece domino toppling set to mark the chain of events that led to the collapse of the communist instated iron curtain. The irony is clear in the use of dominoes; once used to represent the way one country after another would topple the world into communism, now seen as a metaphor for the means by which each communist country seemed to follow suit and abandon its basic societal structure.
It was on this day 20 years ago that the press conference in which travel restrictions for those in East Germany were lifted by the SED government, leading to the destruction of the wall and the signaling of the end of communism in Germany.
However, this day is not to be seen as the day capitalism triumphed over communism, or the day the West broke down barriers set up by Eastern European communists. instead this day should be remembered for its biggest impact upon modern society, namely the re-uniting of families and communities that should not have been separated nearly half a century ago.
For many, the fall of the Wall represented the fall of the threat of communism, the end of The Cold War and the beginning of better understanding between countries. Yet the years following East and West Berlin’s reunion has seen a number of conflicts and tensions arise, suggesting perhaps that even without the threat of communism the West simply can’t feel safe.
One thing for certain is that those celebrating in Berlin tonight have the best reason to be jubilant. While many in the West celebrate this day as a landmark in the fight against communism, the citizens of Berlin are simply celebrating the bringing together of a country that has been ravaged by both war and occupation, and the hope of moving on to a better, undivided future.
