"Freedom Without Walls Day" Proclamation by Governor Sonny Perdue
FREEDOM WITHOUT WALLS DAY
WHEREAS: Twenty years ago today, the people of East Germany tore down the Iron Curtain and the Berlin Wall, which had long stood as a grim symbol of the separation between free people and those living under dictatorships; and
WHEREAS: On that day, freedom triumphed over tyranny, and peaceful change triumphed over authoritarianism. The dismantling of the Berlin Wall reunited Germany and helped spread freedom across Central and Eastern Europe. These democracies today contribute to a strong and united European Union, and the state of Georgia values their friendship and their partnership on the challenges and opportunities that we now face together; and
WHEREAS: On this historic anniversary, we recognize all of those who fought for liberty and helped end the oppression of Central and Eastern Europe. We especially honor the service and sacrifice of our Georgia men and women who served in the Armed Forces of the United States during the Cold War period, along with their families. Freedom would not have prevailed without their steadfast and unfaltering support; and
WHEREAS: The peaceful German revolution of 1989 brought full success to long-term United States, NATO and European Commission policy “to achieve a state of peace in Europe, in which the German people regains unity through free self-determination”; and
WHEREAS: Since re-unification in 1990, Germany has emerged as a strong, cohesive democracy that advances progressive politics and economic development at home and abroad; now
THEREFORE: I, SONNY PERDUE, Governor of the state of Georgia, do hereby proclaim November 9, 2009 as FREEDOM WITHOUT WALLS DAY in Georgia and urge our citizens to observe this day with appropriate ceremonies and activities and to reaffirm their dedication to freedom and democracy. I send my greetings to all citizens who celebrate today with the Goethe-Zentrum Atlanta and the German Consulate General in Colony Square, Midtown Atlanta.
In witness thereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Seal of the Executive Department to be affixed this 9th day of November in the year of our Lord two thousand nine.
20th Anniversary of the Fall of the Berlin Wall
FACT SHEET
The Berlin Wall was erected on August 13, 1961. By the time it crumbled on November 9, 1989, the 96-mile-long (154.5 km) Berlin Wall called “Anti-Fascist Protection Rampart (“Antifaschistischer Schutzwall”)” by the communist GDR regime – had claimed the lives of at least 100 people. The Berlin Wall included 302 watchtowers, 20 bunkers, and 106 km of concrete segments which were about 4 meters high, with the remainder being wire fencing completely surrounding West Berlin and preventing any access from East Germany.
Protest demonstrations broke out all over East Germany in September 1989. These demonstrations started in Leipzig and were organized with the help of Protestant church groups. They were the start of what East Germans generally call the "Peaceful Revolution." The protestors wanted to create "socialism with a human face”. By November 4th, the protests had swelled significantly and a million people gathered at Alexanderplatz in East Berlin.
On November 9, 1989 the Berlin Wall came down. Most parts of the wall were dismantled right away but a few traces still exist today as a reminder for the new generation.
The Treaty on the Final Settlement with Respect to the status of Germany, (or the Two Plus Four Agreement) was negotiated in 1990 between the Federal Republic of Germany, the German Democratic Republic, and the Allied Forces which occupied Germany since the end of World War II: France, the United Kingdom, the United States and the Soviet Union.
German reunification took place on October 3rd, 1990, when the former German Democratic Republic was incorporated into the Federal Republic of Germany. This day has since been celebrated as the Day of German Unity and is an official holiday in Germany.
Today Germany is in the heart of Europe and has nine neighbours: Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland and Switzerland. Germany has the highest population in Europe and serves as a bridge between the West and the new democracies that were formerly part of the Soviet bloc.
As Europe’s largest economy (and the third largest in the world), Germany is a leading force in advancing and shaping European integration in ways that will ensure Europe’s position as a strong partner in the Atlantic alliance.
The sacrifice and hard work of the German people have paid off. Since reunification around EUR 80 billion or around three percent of the GDP of the entire country have been transferred annually to rebuild the East German economy. The transportation and telecom infrastructure in East Germany is among the most modern in the world. Cities like Dresden, Leipzig or Weimar are shining symbols of the success of German unification.
Based on its experience of peaceful change though coalition-building and engagement, Germany plays an active role in international organizations and supports multilateral solutions to global problems such as terrorism, environmental threats, poverty, regional instability and barriers to free trade. It is a key member of European and international organizations (EU, OSCE, NATO, WTO, OECD etc.) and has diplomatic relations with 191 countries.
