Thirty years have passed since that incredible evening of November 9, 1989, when the whole world participated in real time in the tearing down of the wall that divided West Berlin and East Germany, and flows of astonished and festive people crossed that absurd border that had separated history, but not the destiny of a people. That night was a feast in Berlin and throughout Germany: it was the victory of courage and of the fight for freedom, and it changed the course of European history. Over the next few days Germany will resume celebrations, especially in the German capital, to remember yet again, to give further prominence to the memories and emotions of that time, but also to reflect on its meaning today.
Intergenerational exchange. Berlin has prepared a veritable festival for the thirtieth anniversary of the “peaceful revolution”, with over 200 events in the course of a week (4-10 November), focusing on memory and “intergenerational exchange.” Seven outdoor exhibitions, in seven symbolic sites in the capital, will describe the events of those days with first-hand, personal accounts. The Berlin program includes concerts, workshops, films, lectures, debates and guided tours across the city and its history. Germans were invited to express in 140 characters their present-day wishes and hopes for the “sky above Berlin” project, just as “the peaceful revolution was driven by the wishes, demands, hopes and visions of countless people”, said artist Patrick Shearn, who has already collected 30thousand messages for a 150-mt long “skynet” that will float in the sky above the Brandenburg Gate.
The President’s speech. The highlight of the celebrations is the evening of 9 November with a great concert-show featuring national and international artists, whose performances will be linked to the events of that night in 1989. Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier will also be on stage to deliver a speech to the nation, after having welcomed in Berlin the presidents of the Visegrad countries (Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia and Poland), to commemorate together the contribution that the peoples of Central Europe gave to the fall of the Berlin Wall.
The role of the Churches. The Churches in Germany will also celebrate the anniversary, which, Chancellor Angela Merkel recalled in her recent speech marking the anniversary of German reunification, “have played a major role” in ensuring the peaceful outcome of the revolution. Ecumenical and other celebrations are scheduled in various Christian communities for the weekend of 9-10 November; the most solemn will take place in Berlin on Sunday 10 November, when Catholic Archbishop Heiner Koch and Evangelical Archbishop Markus Dröge will jointly celebrate in St Nicholas Evangelical Cathedral.
Nurturing historical memory. Over the past few weeks and months, great emphasis was given to personal stories to nurture the memory of the generation that is now emerging on the political, cultural, social and economic arena of Germany, but which has not witnessed the fall of the Wall, since it was born after 1989. It is necessary to share personal stories, especially to understand each other: “thirty years after the fall of the wall, we have not yet told our stories. It’s amazing to see just how little we know about each other’s biographies”, the President of the Evangelical Church, Bishop Heinrich Bedford-Strohm, said in a recent interview. In order to share biographies, last August Federal President Steinmaier inaugurated a cycle of talks entitled “Shared history”, ongoing until October 2020, as a platform for “mutual listening, in order to learn about the situation of people in East and West Germany today: what has changed, what motivates them, what disappointments them and what new hopes they have, what unites them, what is different.” “We can build the future only if we share our fears and concerns with respect; when we know how each of us can contribute” to our tomorrow; “when we constructively engage in dialogue to find solutions”, pointed out Chancellor Merkel.
A gap separating the East and the West. Although Germany was reunited, the differences are still evident and appear to undermine social peace: the east has a GDP 25% lower than the west, as well as a 15% wage difference. East Germany is by far more atheist, with 3% of Christians, while it is in the eastern Lander that right-wing movements have regained popularity and AfD has grown in consensus. East Germany is also the least represented in the country’s top ranking universities, businesses and public administration. According to a recent survey, 57% of East Germans felt treated like second-class citizens. The freedom – from the communist regime – regained thirty years ago still does not reflect social equality: this may be the next goal of united Germany.
