A generation ago, the Iron Curtain divided Europe into East and West. The iconic manifestation of the great divide was the Berlin Wall. Built by East Germany in 1961, it marked the height of fear and mistrust within a country - and a continent - divided. Its dismantling on November 9, 1989 served to reunite not just Germany, but all of Europe.
BERLIN WALL
All day on November 9 FRANCE 24 focuses on the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, with witness accounts, debates and live coverage of the celebrations in Berlin.
BERLIN WALL
As the world celebrates the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, FRANCE 24 takes a look at the events that led up to the historic night of November 9, 1989, and the people that made it possible.
BERLIN WALL
On November 9, 1989, thousands of individual stories came together to make history. FRANCE 24 asked those who witnessed the fall of the Wall to recount their experience. Each has a different story to tell.
HISTORY
The Berlin Wall went up in August 1961 to the wide-eyed consternation of all. It was no less shocking when came down on November 9, 1989 — particularly since it happened because of a verbal slip.
MUSIC
Its fall ushered in a “wind of change”, boosted Prince’s sex drive and inspired David Hasselhoff’s greatest feat. From Bowie to Rostropovich, we look at some of the musicians who found inspiration in the Berlin Wall.
20TH ANNIVERSARY
The Berlin Wall will be back to briefly divide the German capital again next month -- but with giant brightly coloured dominoes rather than cement slabs.
GERMANY
Helmut Kohl, George H.W. Bush, and Michael Gorbachev – the leaders of Germany, the United States, and the Soviet Union in November 1989 – are in Berlin to take part in the celebrations marking the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall.
GERMANY - US
Angela Merkel spoke out on the urgent need for all countries to accept binding obligations on climate change in a rare address before the US Congress, ahead of the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall.
Germany
The old Stasi prisons lost their purpose in 1989 with the fall of the Berlin Wall. They have now become the symbols and a daily reminder of what the unified Germany never wants to see again.
BERLIN WALL
Around 2,000 people are working day and night to make sure the city is ready for the upcoming celebrations to mark the fall of the Berlin Wall, an event that that is expected to attract hundreds of thousand of people.
BERLIN WALL
U2 gave a free concert - as part of the MTV Music Europe Awards - to 10,000 fans in front of the Brandenburg Gate to commemorate the twentieth anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall.
BERLIN WALL
On November 9, 1989, thousands of individual stories came together to make history. FRANCE 24 asked those who witnessed the fall of the Wall to recount their experience. Each has a different story to tell.
BERLIN WALL
As the world celebrates the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, FRANCE 24 takes a look at the events that led up to the historic night of November 9, 1989, and the people that made it possible.
