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Events in Washington and New York Mark 18th Anniversary of Fall of the Wall
Local Event Roundup: 18th Anniversary of the Fall of the Berlin Wall
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Fall of the Wall: East Germans are greeted by West Germans as
they drive across the border in their 'Trabis'.
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For 28 years the Berlin Wall served as the icon of the Cold War and divided
not only a city and a country, but a people. On November 9, 1989, after
thousands of East Germans fled to the Federal Republic via West Germany’s
embassies in Budapest, Warsaw, and Prague in the preceding months and
after weeks of mass demonstrations in cities throughout East Germany,
the East German government, in a now legendary announcement, stated that
travel visas into the Federal Republic would be approved without advance
applications and that the new regulation would go into effect immediately.
The citizens of East Germany gathered that same evening at the checkpoints
along the Berlin Wall. The border guards eventually yielded to the crowd
and opened the gates. The border was suddenly open, and the citizens of
East Germany had achieved a peaceful revolution.
The fall of the Berlin Wall and the opening of the nearly 870-mile-long,
heavily guarded fence separating West and East Germany were the first
steps toward the reunification that took place on October 3, 1990, which
is now commemorated as the Day of German Unity. Since 2001, November 9
has been observed in the United States as World Freedom Day in commemoration
of the fall of the Berlin Wall and in celebration of freedom and democracy.
Links:
 The Berlin Wall on
the Homepage of the City of Berlin
 Voices
from the Wall
Berlin
Wall Timeline
WASHINGTON – Documentary Film: Between the Lines
Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars
Friday, Nov. 9, 4:00 – 7:00 p.m.
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East German border guards patrol the Berlin Wall in 1964 as
West German guards look on from below. Photo: dpa
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Based on the true story of Egon Bunge, an East German border guard who
shot and killed his partner at the gate, Corporal Ulrich Steinhauser,
in order to escape to West Berlin, the film follows Bunge through his
escape, subsequent trial, and prison sentence in West Germany as well
as his experiences upon being released from prison. It examines the lives
of the two men through interviews with family and acquaintances and shows
how each man’s actions were interpreted by the two states.
A panel discussion following the screening will feature writer, director,
and co-producer Dirk Simon, who lived in East Germany before fleeing at
age 21; Dr. Andreas Prothmann, political counselor of the German Embassy;
Christian Ostermann, director of the Wilson Center’s History and
Public Policy Program; and scholars Hope Harrison, Stefan Meining, and
Bernd Schaefer.
The event is free of charge. Reservations for the film and discussion
are required; please see the Wilson Center website for details. The Center
is located in the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center,
One Woodrow Wilson Plaza, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Washington, DC (Metro:
Federal Triangle Station).
Links:
Woodrow
Wilson Center
WASHINGTON – Parade of Trabants
International Spy Museum
Friday, Nov. 9, 10 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
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All lined up and looking for someplace to go: Toy Trabis.
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The Trabant, sometimes affectionately shortened to Trabi, became a symbol
for the fall of the Berlin Wall and the reunification of Germany because
of the sheer multitude of Trabis that conveyed East Germans across the
border following that momentous event on November 9, 1989. On the occasion
of the fall of the Berlin Wall’s 18th anniversary, the International
Spy Museum is hosting a “Parade of Trabants,” featuring Trabis
owned by US collectors, a chance to win a ride in a Trabant, and live
music by the local German band, Alte Kameraden. The event is free of charge.
The Trabant was the most common automobile in East Germany despite the
limitations of its small, two-stroke engine which reached a top speed
of about 60 miles an hour. This year, the Trabi celebrates its 50th birthday,
and its popularity in recent years has soared as part of the trend called
“Ostalgie,” or nostalgia for East Germany. The German company
Herpa is currently pursuing the production of a “New Trabi.”
Can’t make it to the parade? The International Spy Museum also has
an authentic Trabant in their permanent collection. The museum is located
at 800 F Street, NW, Washington, DC (Metro: Gallery Place / Chinatown).
Links:
The International Spy Museum
Deutsche
Welle article on Trabi’s 50th birthday
Herpa’s
initiative for the production of a New Trabi and an opportunity to give
your opinions on the new design.
NEW YORK - Kino! Berlin: Berlin—Pictures of a City
Museum of Modern Art
Friday, November 9, 8:30 p.m.
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Potsdamer Platz after its post-Wall-era modern makeover. Photo:
dpa
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MoMA’s 28th annual survey of contemporary German cinema is held
this year in conjunction with the 17-day-long, citywide “Berlin in
Lights” festival organized by the Carnegie Hall that features a variety
of cultural events highlighting Germany’s vibrant capital. The 1998
documentary film "Berlin—Pictures of a City" (Im Lichtbild
der Großstadt) by Manfred Wilhelms, which is making its US debut,
examines the new architecture of Potsdamer Platz, comparing it with the
city’s existing architecture and placing it within the context of
Berlin’s architectural history.
In the 1920s, Potsdamer Platz was known as the busiest traffic center
in Europe and also as the bustling heart of Berlin’s nightlife, thanks
to its numerous theaters, dance halls, cafes, restaurants, and bars. The
area was heavily damaged, however, in WWII, and after the war, it became
a junction of the American, British, and Soviet sectors. When Cold War
tensions rose and the Berlin Wall was built, Potsdamer Platz was divided.
More buildings were cleared from the already desolate area to facilitate
the border guards’ surveillance and to construct the Berlin Wall.
After the fall of the Berlin Wall, this area became the largest construction
in Europe. The new buildings, constructed by teams of international architects
under the leadership of renowned Italian architect Renzo Piano, have transformed
it once again into a hub for commercial and cultural activities.
The film will also screen on November 12. The Museum of Modern Art is
located at 11 West 53 Street, New York, NY (Subway: 5 Ave/53 St or 47-50
Sts/Rockefeller Center).
Links:
Kino!
2007, Featuring Kino! Berlin
Berlin
in Lights Festival
Potsdamer Platz website
Berlin
in Lights: Berlin-themed Festival to Illuminate New York’s Carnegie
Hall (TWIG, Oct. 26, 2007)
MoMA
Kino!2007 German Filmfest Celebrates Berlin in New York, Features Hamptons
Darling "Valerie" (TWIG, Oct. 26, 2007)
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