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Years ago well ceremonies are taking place at locations across the city throughout the day it was exactly 30 years ago on the night of november 989 that east germanys communist regime surprised the world by lifting all travel restrictions on east german citizens the move allowed ordinary people to cross freely to the west for the 1st time since the wall was built in 1961 it enabled friends and family to reunite after being separated for decades and it paved the way fluent german reunification just a year later. Well the w. Will be covering events throughout the day taking us through this mornings activities r. T. W. Thomas aspira the berlin wall memorial here in the capital and in the studio im joined by john beric great to see you both thomas id like to start with you then because tell us what is in store where you are. We are right here as you said in the wall memorial in the center of. The wall divided this city you can probably see part of the memorial behind me on a such this was a very powerful symbol of german education by the way it was also a powerful symbol of how that division was overcome 30 years ago and the political commemoration will take place here in just a while that commemoration will have a presence of on that ima call the german chancellor also the german president flanked by shimei are as well as the leaders of various countries like poland Czech Republic slovakia and hungary and the idea behind that is to show that the fall of the berlin wall 30 years ago was not only due to the protests in eastern germany was not only due to germans but it was something that went well beyond germany and where Eastern European countries like the one that i just mentioned played a very Important Role in the fall of the berlin wall so the main political commemoration will take place here at the band i washed it off towards later on the following quote commemorations will take place in the Brandenburg Gate all right thomas thanks for now im john over to you give us a sense of the significance of this anniversary significances such a difficult thing isnt it when you talk about historical events because we all have our own narratives of historical events and theyre always partial and subjective and i think particularly today where the Mainstream Media are so often criticised for i think unfairly my personal view unfairly for fake news and so on i think one has to be very careful about simply buying into one particular narrative one has to see the whole process is being a very complicated one but the significance of today is of course it mucks does historically the end of the the beginning of the end of the east german regime i think such an important point to make. How narratives you know are not single and how they change over time as well and how theyve changed now as we are on this 30th anniversary well thanks to you both will be coming back to you of course during the course of this program during this special coverage but 1st lets take a closer look back at that magical night when the berlin wall was a friend was. The wall must go what had seemed unimaginable became true on november 9th 1989. After 28 years a chink in the wall and suddenly immeasurable freedom. When im with my mother and my father over there can i go over there and see my parents yes im one of those over what that. Would look like that thats evil and no one dreams this could be possible in their lifetime and the sushi it is too good to be true to me you have waited for this moment. So youve never been to the west no never with sort of feeling is that brilliant indescribable the atmosphere in the joy you cant believe it oh my its crazy. Logs and. 11 30 pm at berlins Bornholmer Strasse a transit point the borders 1st began to open here freedom had finally won. Now its off to west berlin. Destination the glittering to down from a not. Just and we just walk right through without being stopped it was fantastic i thought i just went over with my id i asked if it was free yes they asked what are you going to pay with. And what did you do here in west berlin. Ethno left now i just went over stood there had my feet on the ground thats violent thats my just to see if its true or not stand because now i can go back and forth at any time its fantastic leaders were surprised and overwhelmed form an incumbent man as a prime time back gate. They spoke of the happiest people on earth the united europe and fissions and ideas. Leave the peace somewhere for the museum. For the people must be able to meet each other again freely not just for a few days but own ways. One year later east and west germany were united but back to memories of decades of separation and a system of oppression remained. But i said it was a joyous night and not just for people. Of course john i cant have you in the studio with me for this is the actual coverage of course without all skin the way you were all not fateful night when you found out that the body will was down well i was living in west berlin at the time id been living there for about well nearly 10 years and i had to get up the next morning at 5 so i had never done and went to bed so i didnt in fact hear the announcement that the border was opening but i was woken by my telephone jangling in those days it was before smartphones you could switch them off at night so i had a landline like everybody else and telephone was jangling and a friend said to me im onstage telephone said the border crossings are open and i think i said what border. Because i just couldnt believe it when it was just i was a party was because i was just waking up as i was and he said im going down there can i pick you up and take you down there i didnt have a car and we went down to the Brandenburg Gate just near the wall just down there were people standing on the war and somebody had brought a garden ladder just near where we were standing and so i went sort of scrambling up the garden ladder i was 39. 00 and at the time most of the people much younger than i was and there was a kind of exhilarating euphoric atmosphere people standing round bottles of stalking german sparkling wine sector i remember taking a swig of a bottle and there were other people with candles on the wall those pictures that we see of people standing on the war. Interesting that a west germans there were 2 rules in fact so with the no mans land between them so these west germans went up i included looking over couldnt really see anything it was so crowded and so there was the one hand there was this atmosphere of it. Strawberry like id like to live in a sort of a folks fest party and on the other hand there was also something quite different something almost spiritual it was of course some months little more than a month before christmas and suddenly i had a woman quite close to me with a clear bell like voice started singing a very popular german Christmas Carol ode to fleet zerega via nothe side been designed by an outside oh you bless it christmas time bringing grace and peace and there was i think a huge relief that this hadnt ended in bloodshed i think that it was the 1st thought it was so close we realized in retrospect so close to ending remember this was only a few months since the chinese authorities had because i have secured the can they had the protesters on Tiananmen Square yeah absolutely incredible how that peaceful revolution unfolded and no surprise then that you would remember those poignant words thomas im going to have to come over to you and ask you the same question where were you what do you remember. Well i was not in germany in fact i was a young child many many many kilometers away in south america at about 8000 kilometers away from the berlin wall but that doesnt mean that the berlin wall and the fall of the berlin wall didnt mock me because i was back then after German School and such obviously we learned very quickly what had happened here in berlin and one of the ways in which we learnt about all this was by playing so i remember and i still remember today and actually talk about that with my School Friends we used to play a game called the burning wall where a group of kids would stand in a line and hold hands whereas another group of kids would try in different ways to break through that wall break through that group of kids that were actually Holding Hands together and that was one way in which the teacher taught us what had actually happened at the berlin wall and that is something that by the way mocked me a lot also want to later with german reunification that was something that we also commemorated back there in south america so as you can see this is perhaps a very small example of how the fall of the berlin wall how the german reunification afterwards was not only something that was commemorated and celebrated right here in germany it was also commemorated many many kilometers away. Or at thomas thank you very much indeed were just taking a look now at live pictures of people gathering for the ceremonies to mark the 30 since the fall of the bernie ward at a memorial day in the heart of the german capital that band now and. Now as john was talking thomas talking of course both about their fond memories lets not forget that the history of germany up until that point was also one of suffering of east germans who risked their lives to flee to the west trying to overcome the absent player in this story the burning wall itself it physically divided the city and symbolized the division of germany and europe itself during the cold war and as our next report shows it was 1st built to stem the flow of people who turning their backs on communist east germany with the aim of escaping to the west. East germany was losing citizens fast people were voting with their feet 3 and a half 1000000 people fled the east in the years following the war. Authorities build up a border to hinder their flight but east german leader placed denied more drastic measures were coming. Im not aware of workers being mobilized in the capital of east germany to build a wall no one has the intention of building and im i want. 2 months later on august 13th 1961 construction of the berlin wall started closely watched by police and soldiers but even some of them took the opportunity to flee the one was meant to keep east german citizens inside their country but it was off west berlin as well mayor billy ponte was powerless to stop it but support came from outside u. S. President john f. Kennedy visited to show his solidarity with west berlin citizens. Oh my. God a powerful speech but the allies accepted the walls presence in the city people continue to try to escape sometimes in dramatic ways many died trying just how many is still unknown over the years the wall was built up and made even more imposing it seemed like a symbol of a divided germany that would last forever in 1907 u. S. President Ronald Reagan visited making a startling demand of the soviet union mr gorbachev. Was. 2 years later east germany still had fortified borders but november 9th 1809. 00 was the beginning of the end now remnants of the berlin wall are few and far between. Well if youre just joining us a very warm welcome this is e. W. Special coverage of the festivities in germany on the 30th anniversary of the fall of the berlin wall where people have been gathering were taking a look at live pictures of a bed now washed out the woman morial not far from d. W. Studios here in the heart of the german capital actually on what is a grave but no less symbolic morning here in berlin and weve been talking to our correspondents i want to go over to tom aspire now now tell us that report that we just saw made clear that the u. S. And west germany were close allies at the time that atlantica Alliance Nato it was part of the bedrock of the west in cold war policy has anything changed since then. Well this week has also seen how german politicians actually mocked and remembered the role that the United States played not only in the fall of the berlin wall but also afterwards with german reunification thats something that most german leaders have actually mentioned this week and we also had the visit here in berlin of secretary of state mike home peo and he also stressed time and time again how important that relationship is between the United States and germany how important that relationship has been for a long time will dog the same time its impossible to meet or its impossible not to mention the fact that the u. S. German relationship now is going through a difficult time there are many areas along a list of topics where germany and the United States now do not see eye to eye whether were talking about iran whether were talking about trade without talking about the environment where were talking about syria i could go on simply naming topics where the u. S. And germany do not see eye to eye but what might bump a option he stressed during his visit here in berlin is that germany and the United States might have different approaches to certain topics but that they still do share common values and that is something that not only he stressed that idea that germany and the United States have common values is also one that german politicians have stressed for a very long time i know they obviously mention now as we celebrate 30 years of the fall of the burden wall. Right which is going to take a look now live pictures where you are standing thomas. So hopefully we can get those people start to gather for those ceremonies marking the 30th anniversary the fall of the wall and of course there you can see her the german chancellor Angela Merkel there who is arriving who have course will give a speech on this symbolic day. Part of the ceremonies marking the 30th anniversary of the food off the Ballot Initiative to watch. Yes. Just chancellor merkel itself of course an east german grew up in east germany she was a professor of physics at a university in east germany she wants during the communist period not to kill or be politically involved in the she was somebody who like many i say this without any criticism and this youve been in that situation yourself that its very difficult to know how 100 like she she was somebody who kept ahead she still she really emerged only in the period after the fall of the war and before german reunification she emerged and answered as a politician in the interim government what turned out to be the interim government is pretty uncertain its her own personal life and career is very much tied up with this german history absolutely because she actually is well its just so important when we talk about this event and you know it incredible to have a chance here as well who has been through this significant moment in history and lets remember of course as well that the east germany was a communist system that was the system that im going to machall grew up in it rejected over the edge and of course as one might expect with a communist system but churches still had a nice existence in east germany and some even became sentence of the anti communist resistance on its report looks at one but in church with a special history. In october 989. 00 the gifts ceremony church and what was then east berlin became the center of the revolution communist east germany was celebrating its 40th anniversary and there was still rousing applause for the countrys leaders but at the same time the streets were slowly filling up with protesters. East German Police and members of the countrys notorious Intelligence Service brutally beat the demonstrators. On this night thousands some of them wounded fled into the safety of the church there were fears that the church would be storm. But the police didnt intervene a new wind was blowing from the east under Mikhail Gorbachev moscow was no longer willing to back the use of force against demonstrators the protest Movement Based in the guest them in the church was allowed to continue with candles courage and nonviolent protests these demonstrators paved the way for the peaceful revolution and the fall of the wall. Well john you know i think some of our viewers might find that kind of curious the concept of churches and communism i mean after all i think it was called mox who said of course that religion is the opium of the people so then just remind us about the role that churches actually did play in east germany. Its one has to give a nuanced answer to that i think the churches were in fact tolerated in the east in east germany to a far greater extent than for example in czechoslovakia we know that quite another large number of now we know quite a large number of processed and ministers were in fact informants on their own congregations and that might have been also one of the reasons why they were tolerated. But there were also very brave mainly protestant pastors who allowed the churches to become places where people could meet as a kind of safe haven and discuss initially issues of International Peace strangely enough the east German Government also allowed certain protests against the deployment of russian new. Missiles east german territory and at the time of course there was a Peace Movement in the west a very strong one in west germany against the deployment of pershing missiles american missiles in west germany so this was something that you nicety the 2 the ds Peaceful Demonstrations they were actually began officially they were preemies things in the churches they turned into into demonstrations the socalled monday demonstrations particularly in the eastern city of lights where people went on to the streets to to ask for a greater degree of of freedom of movement basically and a reform of the economics of the country i think one of the really interesting important things to say here is that the minute the movement at this time was not a strongly characterized by. A democracy democracy activists as such these were not revolutionaries these were reformers people who wanted basically they were baby boom is like my generation they want to consider access to consumer goods and they want to travel they want to be able to move around and they want to be able to buy things but that was the beginning of of the movement that then slide into a Political Movement and we should say as well chancellor Angela Merkel the daughter of a pasta and were just taking a look now at life pictures as she meets with dignitaries at a ceremony at a memorial site for the water she prepares for that ceremony i want to go back over though to tom asperity touch on that conversation with regards to religion thomas because interestingly religion will also play a prominent role in todays ceremony where you are right. Thats correct and on that has to do with the fact that right here where we are in the berlin wall memorial theres a chapel of reconciliation back then when the wall was built a Protestant Church ended up in no mans land and was then obviously inaccessible for a very long time and many years later it was also destroyed by the east German Government and afterwards after the wall fell they decided to rebuild that as a chapel of re conciliation today it is right here not far away from where im standing actually it is still a place where people can go and pray but it is also a place where people can learn more about what were talking right now and also about memory and reconciliation here in germany and thats the reason why the event here the bernauer toss it will also have a religious part its not only about politics it is also about what were talking right now about the role religion played back then and about this chapel of reconciliation bill thomas from the religious back to the political were taking a look at live pictures of german chancellor Angela Merkel meeting there Holding Roses in a similar way to the way which roses were held on top of the move 13 years ago held by really present no less and to come back to you thomas one of the key moments in this morning ceremonies of course will be that speech from german president to steinmeyer in the company of 4 countries that were once behind the iron curtain tell us tell us more about that. Exactly so the events right here where were standing will include german president. Hes the head of state here in germany and as such obviously one of the most important politician german chancellor Angela Merkel as you say will also attend but for guests of honor if you will will be the 4 president s of the countries that you mentioned poland hungary Czech Republic and slovakia and what we stressed just a minute earlier is actually actually very important namely the fact that that is also a reason why the wall fell it was not only about those demonstrations that john just mentioned in particular in a city of leipzig it was not only about what was happening right here in berlin it was also about what was happening in other parts of europe and in particular in Eastern Europe when you think for example about the Solidarity Movement in poland that was absolutely key for what then happened here in germany and we do expect a german president front part this time at to actually stress the role that those countries played back then and what in the fall of the berlin wall and how europe as a whole then afterwards also developed and changed so what do you think about the political event thats happening right here you have to understand it as something that goes well beyond just this street right here about now washed process goes well beyond burlington and it also includes other parts of europe as well it is above all an International Event you know thomas that is such an important point to make its geopolitical significance just cannot be overstated here is a closer look at Eastern Europes role in bringing down the communist dictatorships paving the way to democracy poland became the 1st country in the warsaw pact to tolerate an independent trade union solely donnel shes also a diety in english this led to the 1st semi free elections in june of 1989. During the same month activists held a protest picnic in hungary officials allowed them to cut its border fence to austria. Thousands of east german holidaymakers seized the opportunity to and to the west in the summer of 1909 more and more is german refugees escaped the country via hungry and the former czechoslovakia then in september 1989 the west German Foreign minister hans de to address the thousands of refugees who had been stranded in prague. From the balcony of the west German Embassy denounced that these east german citizens were allowed to enter the west freely. God. These were all milestones on the road to reunification and the beginning of the end of east germany. Well if youre just joining us you all watching live coverage and special coverage of the 30th anniversary of the ceremonies to mark the for all over the war 30 years ago john i want to come to you im going to ask you quite a big question i think an existential question at least in terms of the legacy that these popular movements have today for those states behind the iron curtain heres thomas mentioned just the sort of guarantee which was very very important of course the the trade Union Movement in the danske based mostly which was strongly supported by the vatican there was a polish pope in the basket at the time we know now that the vatican was also supplying information and guidance to the movement. These various democratic movements of Eastern Europe also of course the charter 77 movement in czechoslovakia they were intellectual movements they were really movements that manipulated to some extent all guided by intellectuals who had a political agenda and a particular ideal i think the situation in east germany was somewhat different indeed im just going to through our viewers attention that to the u. S. Ambassador to germany there at the events Richard Grinnell who is there for the ceremonies as well its just been greeted by the german chancellor Angela Merkel who is holding a rose that one of the symbols in the days after the for all the something that people came for with them as they came to visit the wall if they came to cross to the other side to see what was behind the iron curtain. All right i want to go even now to thomas who is standing by Thomas Sperry just tell us a little bit more about what is happening there as these ceremonies profession take place. Was i mentioned just a 2nd ago this is the main political event on the day of the berlin wall and the 1st weve had our whole week here of what has been described as a festival so more than 200 events in different locations in that played a role in the fall of the berlin wall 30 years ago and one of the highlights is obviously what is happening right here in back i watched this very important i mean morial where you can clearly understand what that division meant 30 years ago how about division actually separated families and friends how it also affected obviously the politics not only of germany but also of the entire region and what were seeing today especially this morning is the political event with chancellor Angela Merkel with the german president francois dust on my on with the 4 leaders of poland Czech Republic slovakia hungary and we will see also here as we also mentioned religious part of the ceremony later on today the ceremony will move from band i watched it where we are standing to the Brandenburg Gate which is obviously as you all know one of the biggest symbols here of late so this is obviously a day where germans are celebrating but as the organizers of all these events also save these events should also be a moment for germans to reflect on for germans to discuss not only about what happened 30 years ago but also about what lessons can be drawn for germany and for europe today indeed and of course it is such a poignant day for germans but also around the world as well and i think reflecting that we are seeing these live images here with a greeting from the german chancellor. He has been speaking to the u. S. Ambassador richard at grinnell and of course joe we know that the u. S. Embassy here in. Just under veiled a statue to Ronald Reagan for his speech calling for the iron curtain to be toned down at that speech at the Brandenburg Gate which some delegates wont necessarily sure about that statue in the german chancellor Angela Merkel as well also paying tribute to george bush for his assistance she said in the reunification of germany just tell us about that american significance and i think i think its interesting that you ask this i think there is in the official narrative as it were the west german official narrative of the war coming down there is a conflation of of the war coming down and german unification as though they were 2 aspects of the same event that is not my sense of it and there are certainly many other narratives. The americans of course played an absolutely pivotal role in the question of reunification it could not legally have taken place without the agreement of the i pods and we know that for example the british namely the Prime Minister at the time Margaret Thatcher was opposed to german reunification she was lent on as it were by by Ronald Reagan and by bush at the she was lent by the his successor she was led by the by the americans but also by the french by mr home. And told the charge of the russian president so history instructor there but i havent noticed that the arrival of the president frank about dying my the mayor of berlin also that mr miller and of course 4 president s from Eastern European countries just tell us a little bit more about what we see here thats really interesting of course they played a significant role these these president s were not the president s. Ansels but the countries that they represent which are generally known as the fishing rod for they have a close economic cultural and Political Alliance slovakia poland. The Czech Republic and hungary im sure were probably going to hear today a part of the official version which of course is that the were all living together in the united and happy europe as a result of this and the reality of course is probably a little nuanced than that of both poland and hungary have far right governments that are strongly nativist. Authoritarian and only last week the Prime Minister of of hungry for example match with the turkish president at the one and praised him to the head and so against of course the policies of the e. U. We have widespread corruption in the whole of Eastern Europe and oligarchy is also coming to power in Eastern Europe its not simply a picture of peace and freedom and the end of history i want to ask you more about that john because as somebody who has overseen this period of history we began the show with you telling us about your reckon it recollection from not moment that the wall came down to now for example through the geopolitical lens with reference to european Eastern European nations with the sense of the dreams of 30 years ago and where we are now do you get the sense that those dreams have been fulfilled. Again its a question of yes and no the standard of living of people generally in Eastern Europe the former communist countries and certainly in eastern germany has risen beyond recognition and so the flowering landscapes that they were promised 30 years ago have eventually after 30 years certainly in eastern germany they have to advantage extend materialized however as in the. Movements social and personal cost 1. 00 talks about a lost generation the initial reaction to introducing the free market economy remember this was the time 30 years ago where everybody was talking about deregulation of markets if you deregulated markets let the markets regulate themselves everybody would be happy and as the american philosopher. Said it would be the end of history he wrote this famous book the end of history because everybody would be content. Of course that was not the case people put up with the tremendous suffering with huge unemployment for many years believing that there was no alternative. But of course with the financial crisis of 2008. Experience Something Different right im clarity raise that complexity because when we talk about festivities today of course we talk about a minute of celebration but thomas i want to go over to you our correspondent Thomas Sperry because its fair to say that today comes with complexity with some of the moments as well as festivities right. Yes thats absolutely correct officially were going to hear what john just mentioned that idea of celebration here of of that official version of the role that Different Countries played of different groups played in the fall of the berlin wall but when you look a bit deeper when you dig a bit deeper you will see that this is far more complex you will also understand for example that germany has since the fall of the berlin wall and since reunification obviously advanced a lot that is absolutely vital that is very easy to see as well here in germany but at the same time there are key divisions that still persist and in particular key divisions in the eastern part of the country where you lost people now in the eastern part of the country they sometimes say that they feel left behind they sometimes say that they feel as if they were 2nd class citizens and thats why german officials have said on various occasions by the way that although germany has advanced a lot the goal. All of reunification is not 100 Percent Complete that germany still has to advance more when it comes to bridging that divide to trying to reduce those differences between the 2 different parts of germany and making sure that citizens on both sides in the east and in the west do not feel as some of them have described themselves as 2nd class citizens and there are many things that the government and the Government Coalition are trying to do whether it is move offices from the west to the east or try and make sure that employment is risen or is improved in the east so making sure that companies can move to these there are theres a wide range of measures helena that the government is trying to do because a such a this is seen as a structural change here in germany and one that german officials will be dealing with for a very long time so very much work in progress well lets go over now to this live event as you listen in to a brawl score tat heralding the beginning of the ceremony to mark the 30th anniversary of the fall of the here in the heart of the german capital. Have. 5. 55. 5. Goodness president. Talks president problems comes loving as that in a president of the. Excellence of the german republican experience reasonable newsman who stubbornly high well we can dog a mighty long belly ministers who have president s and you know up on the president of the Berlin Senate some. Fish off the word are supposed to have im years comes out the show. And i would also like to welcome the representatives and the relatives of the victims of the berlin wall and the activists United Nation i know and representatives of the not for associations of the victims not particularly at least that we have our young people who ate in Different Countries soon we can welcome here about. Actively part of our meet him welcome to all of you its a great pleasure to have you. Mine asea for you have been down wont happen ladies and gentlemen im in there Getting Started very welcome what is a salute creation read off a wall memorial at a place where you can see all facets of a divided germany and so overnight. Vest poured out was divided from here for you and band i watched as if it would east and west people fled from here or doubt tunnels trough freedom 5 people died fleeing from east berlin or to western landmarks and even the church of reconciliation in 1985 was. Blown up to ensure the Borders Security so this is an important part of Human History part of irish memory polish of. Our region feel and people are encountering tyrants those who have to suffer through this in she remains to be part. Of it. Or to what i see there i want to mention for the one very poor huge difference to the cost of the 2 women who really know mall 30 years ago being interviewed in glory one of the people of east germany went to the streets and brought down this wall and we still remember the pictures of those who were in tears for all the scenes and euphoria right at the International Level the presidency was michelle go back shuffle created a conducive environment for this to happen as well as the support from other countries as well not from poland you should go from hungary to see the back yet check 183. And this made it possible for them off orleans possible such an amazing event to how you had to be mentioned because armed with awestruck most dreams of this sense of powerlessness was what joined the magic really just a place in europe so your musical archtop moderates who is libertarians are so grateful grudged really broke out why start residence in the pressure that states are here on board as well as having mayors of istanbul prague and the region a dominant presence that were trying to get to morality memes latest judgment the International Dimensions of the fall of the berlin wall and on the other is something that is so important to us today as a place of your political historical Education Workshop we cannot just look to the past and i watching the early days of this is theres all of the story life starting out you can. That you its since the for all of the live with me here in the studio is john eric john if i could just ask you what you expect from this ceremony today what kind of message do you expect the German Government to be giving say because its complicated its a day of celebration but it also has its song of moments as people reflect on progress and what happened that years ago for that as well if you. Consider what i would hope for all. Whether one can expect it or not im not quite sure there is as i say the number of times an official as there is in every country there is a kind of yes National Mythology is born lives and there is of course an official narrative of what happened and the official narrative. On occasions like this it is a natural of course that the official narrative is the one that is tends to be celebrated that is that the people of east germany wanted freedom and that they tore down the wall because they wanted a political system like the one in the west the reality is that if you look at some of the facts that only 9 percent of the east germans just after the fall of the war said that they would like to adopt the what was called the basic law constitution of west germany the vast majority wanted actually the for east germany to continue as a country on it so whether that was realistic or not as an expectation is an entirely different discussion but. They were not. They were not trying to be west germans they were not aiming to be west germans and there was a certain resentment initially that they were given the form or the choice either to become a part of the west German Federation and they have to apply as individually in newly created federal states and they had to accept. German standards the advantage of this it was of course that there is for as a result fall. Corruption in the new german states in eastern germany than there is in the rest of Eastern Europe where that western model was not forced on against the will of the people to some extent forced on the Eastern European states weve seen the rise of the gawkers and widespread corruption i had been living myself for the last 4 years in romania i really am speaking from personal experience there is every day there is a huge examples of of corruption in society that people have come to sort of accept as being something inevitable and this is right across Eastern Europe and i think something that people perhaps shouldnt forget i mean i dont know what your take is that the wall came down and they were in a relatively short time frame people who will use the different economic and social system and how to integrate and assimilate see the system that was in the west and that was not something that was easy it was it was thats putting it very mildly and what it what it led to initially was that state owned property was sold off and. People lost their jobs there was initially very high unemployment one talks about an austrian aeration what were seeing now is a generation of the gen zias as you know the right americans call them the 23rd heroes looking back at their memories of their parents sitting at home unemployed. The villages of eastern germany and Eastern Europe as well as generally being hemorrhaging people who went to the west to find enjoyment and better jobs i mean if the aim was to the east should become like the west when the west already existed and you could simply go there then why as a young person would you stay in the east so there was this huge rumania for example right saying i was living last 3000000 of its inhabitants is a relatively small cunt. 3 and these were talented people with University Degrees of course a brain drain of course absolute brain drain not unfrequently years later has not recovered from it and indeed one could apply that model to germany in itself will be look at your students all of migration when we talk about large towns and cities in this country the pattern of migration is that the flow goes through east seas act west yes all right were going to take a listen now to the other speaker whos just taking to the podium here at this ceremony. Ladies and gentlemen president it is a joy that youve come from Czech Republic poland hungary answer vacuum because it was the opposition and your countries that gave us such inspiration for our own activities but particularly it is to berliners that i want to speak here ladies and gentleman. Just like the berlin wall is gone. Brought down in the twinkling of an eye in a beauty of joy we brought this monster down and since this night november 1894 the years are counted as post wall and there are 35. Years that weve had now turbulent years in germany policy. And in european and World Politics turbulent as well new problems and conflicts have emerged in these 13 years trolling over the sky like dark clouds. New walls have been built between people since then its just like you and me and most. Of the uniqueness of the fall of the berlin wall of 9809. 00 is now just a sort of wrinkle in history city mo almost. It is as if he the mall of the wall is now in a museum and segments of the berlin wall have been sent all over the globe and huge have been. Exhibited in museums served on once on the 5th of october 1009. 00. 109 just at the start of the still revolutionary i mean youre protesting east german citizens you have im not i come from shit held up a big bad hand on a bridge team this state will one day Standard Museum it said fs by 4 out of date and it was mainly just to encourage ourselves but it was also a threat to the uk to its Border Police and the east German Police force so much the activists. But we know that what we find in a museum was once in real life thats had its face in our real lives which is the wall was also a place of death for you both eyes as john mentioned it water toward this wall threatened people for 30 years really mentioned frightens people for 30 years but we also got used to it many got used to when one is certain for these german communists it was a bull walk of peace is best god is good even in west germany there were and enough people politicians among them to be them who wanted to see meaning innocence in the berlin wall the more were different certainly we got used to it we accepted it yes id like cold weather in the winter just like a punch holes in the road coffee no one spoke the truth the sham have to cite the shameful loyalist times they are the way they are hammers it can provide no loves just. Shameful nice it hates naked truth and this is why it covers up the vehicle for and the whole movement change when not in. Site where not conceivable. Watching those well of the end soon at least germany waited and waited not missed often they didnt wait for the fall of the berlin wall and out of it so really they waited to grow rowlands it for at 65 with the labor capacity all used up they were allowed to go into west germany at leaden time the bag is in the heart of god and decided to skip for not one and neither the forests noid the mountains follows this on their own it is a monday overcast day the lanes are sleepily and it almost seems to me that we are in a lead in age when done. And then it happens to you good at suddenly all of the citizens went to the monster they melted to lead this and its just the few east german regime with its promise of eternity came a crumbling down once and what you still get that suddenly no fog of the pages increased of this time that had been slowed down so much and life wanted to be created a new and all of this 30 years ago the berlin wall was gone its busy life to the well initiative you will see just when as we built it we didnt know how high the wall was inside us we got used to horizon with the wall across it we got use to the wind shadow hymen. In which we cast no shadow. And and here we stand naked of any excuse for the last 30 years of liberty of all devices. For 30 years of new responsibility. For every single one of us response and if i say i was and for i labors 30 years of new accountability within society for speaking the truth for dealing with one another respectfully i know you 30 years of the news responsibility and multipolar world ticked off over policymakers one in which dictatorships and in the justice still have shocking power. Every one of us politicians as well techies should think more often should in fact every day look at the crimes committed by this wall now in a museum then we would know beyond all reason that the miracle of movement in the lead and in the ages possible thank you. And following that speech were expecting more or less of your words. A little bit of news it will get around as i look around 50 young people are going to predict youre going to live in what is and i live comes i promise i lives and moves as you are all welcome to sing to get down comes in for i thought free. That was to the point where you betcha i was personally if i might just say that very pleased to see that you had come and face here because she was course was an east german she was a Founding Member of the democratic of for the Democratic Awakening Movement in communist east germany and she was in charge of administering the the secret police the stasi files after the unification of germany in the Eastern States of of tubing and so these are the real heroes of the war coming down its good that its not simply prominent well famous politicians being represented here but somebody like that really was very brave in her own and her own gauge went for them obviously. I think. Some are expecting for statements now that the young people come from from conant hungary Czech Republic any forums that tim. Will go that believe that for. I will fall on lucky day in the hot rock will cut it but i thought that id much to offer all the old russian empire betty baye she will play additionally she ate and i was asked lucky to try out the wood i just really shifty shut the door and set about to show it to you at the sub out of shock see to me as she gets set off to a little. Talk to most janish household and does in your gut that lead to significant motto i would all popish on the who it would i. Q. Obama give me some b. S. Cultural that im funny. You could also see it as a sham me to tell you what they should get at that will cost more. Who said a name why would a petain that was a cheat i know about the record and i mean because the shock you mean putting just got your statement that in nj when i did the congress eventually you know i do that on a young people were also going to hear me from young people from so vastly from the podium and. As well as talking about your dad john is here with me in this studio just talked to us a little bit about the importance of having them a young perspective wish back and here and then they can take on i thought because hes just misunderstood you if youre going to do translations you dont think about or dentist bed to my left and i must fabienne and find that if i had been without went to bed with that new d. V. D. Outfit id be going to beijing so much just not that notification that i need you know but also the unification of families that and lived in this is the wall that made it possible for us to create. Unity in you what you said i think its important to have bent slightly this one because it makes it possible for young people like i was to experience you know and its cultures 1st time and create contacts with other young people in but sometimes i have the feeling that there is still a wall between eastern and western europe and thats. That thats. One shot that isnt made of concrete edge that i won with get my and you have actually strengthened. And i wanted to find one thats been that conservatives who got responses to the challenges facing us in this world because thats the only way we can offer a prosperity and security for its citizens and this isnt just the job of politicians but for all you have peons as well. And we are from the Czech Republic but you miss you think you get out sick that asses whats nipple matter h. S. C. You just got up of accountable us or chest you ever upscale an air space me ive actually missed emotional state that i now know b. C. Devon i was forward to up with you this bitchy almost years. And up about her just a. No i dont look at me unless i mean shes watching you good that address just in a check which will be translated the message there to germany and then for you into english to receive that message but just briefly john just how important do you think it is to incorporate this youth aspect 30 years ago i mean it wasnt so long ago but how we forgot a lot of the lessons. When im i think were only beginning to historians and political scientists are any now beginning. To know what really happened sides of the situation and that its so. For the czech im not going to public belong to the European Union we hardly remember those times. We grew up within the European Union and appreciate the opportunities that its given us gives us liberty it gives us the chance to cooperate and work with one another and to unfold our potential smaller countries like the Czech Republic to make you get a equal voice and for this reason a country can speak and influence the situation internationally in the future might we want to look at what the European Union has done for us and that we can get back as well and i would like to ensure that you have never again be divided by a wall. And i think thats a very important point just to pick back up on what we were discussing john the fact that these young people here are saying we hardly remember or if they remember it all of course you know may have just seen these images on t. V. Or heard it from that parents but what about the significance as well not just in germany out with reunification but also if it east in europe as well about what this actually meant for that part of the world made the freedoms that and suggestive almost yes of course the time coincide with this this doctrine or that economic liberalism as i mentioned earlier that this is had a very profound effect perhaps as much as the. For the belittled itself on the Subsequent Development of the Eastern European countries there is a very strong nativism in these countries that these young people. Come from and although they didnt talk about this on the speeches of course they are there are many different as ive said before that what we know there are many different narratives and they none of them has a monopoly on the truth but have one has to realize when the young man with from hungary for example was speaking about. The unification of europe in the united europe that the government of his country in fact is a far right government and the german of this year all the records for good morning year by god sir paul and putting them all at the bottom here are some of the berlin oswald that are innocent it was a symbol who presided people and that over the coming years we dont often people this way. From hostility but im a division that are picking on but it was also the inception one of a difficult path towards great so when i see underneath it see. We respect you know that. By keeping our cultures alive but they only by participating in its processes on the bright structuring your projects and events and this way we can contribute to the retching european culture not to allow it and make it dissipate an International Movement and International Conferences and other events gives us an opportunity to get to know the Cultural Heritage of other european states as well as well as giving us the chance to share on culture and its all of this is the foundational force of being on the boat and europeans based on theirs. Next few for. Diversity mention that in which good healing rights and civil Rights Reserved protected status boys and if theyre not there. Thank you presence on the International Stage thank you. This is another example of what i meant for example the poland has been criticized by the European Union flock because of its assaults on the independence of the judiciary actually like dr phillip you know theyre in day to day is very much showcasing the the coming together or its europeans that are aspects which are also true thats need to be seen in a broader context of course and today is a good day for a reminder for there is of course but that yet the message overwhelmingly positive talking of overcoming orders when of course were also seeing your times of a rise of populist government for and the borders being closed for example to immigrants hungry refusing to say can you its any of the migrants coming from you for example freeing the syrian conflict you know and what if you are just joining us youre watching news special live coverage of ceremonies marking the that anniversary of the fall of the body of these young people have been ordered ages from about these in the middle east and in Europe Europe which is a huge range of possibilities for studying at home and abroad and at the same time wonderful conditions for life and your business small consonants in the us and on the phone with huge diversity of people its based on that and among its Member States and this is why as europeans we must join forces in this changing world that our thoughts and do everything we can to preserve our traditions for really know most of what the fall of the berlin wall is a symbol of the fall of the communist machine inside us and this event in 1989 what a pretty defiant and the europe of today you can all travel throughout europe. Out limitations another reason why i know if you have been its coming from on. High and now were expecting roses to be laid by the german president himself after this found sarah long with the president so potent the Czech Republic slovakia and hungary. Was. Was. Very sudden now very bruises even hands about to be led by the german president thanks to shimei closest to our screen there along with thing for president s about to. Lay roses a memorial of the 30th anniversary of the sewer of the berlin wall. R. R r r. R. R r r. R. R. R r. R. R r. R i. I i i. Am are also expecting me german chancellor there she is you can see also legged rose as well as the president of the bundestag both gun show that also following those president s in a procession all laying roses. At a remaining piece all of the wall at that memorial site their own bed i washed also not too far from the d. W. P. Studios in the hospital on council. When things are never to be watching this part of the ceremony of the people who lost their lives of course fleeing from the straw man that they are after all flowers the ground that. Theyre poking them in the wall which i find myself very emotional gesture reminds me simply visually optically of the wailing wall in jerusalem we have people who missed. Most important present wishes and is the paper squeezed into the wall these will serve. Tokens of remembrance for desperate people who lost their times shock and bury and schumann know all of the east German Government which committed the shooting of freeing people and i think is a good time to point out some of the extreme lengths people went to in an attempt to escape we know that over the course of history before the wall came down around 3 and a half 1000000 people actually fled but people were trying all sorts of different ways whether that was digging tunnels for example right. Or for example you know even those people who were left then on the other side of the wall they were subjected to very difficult circumstances whether that was being watched by their friend their Family Member at the behest of the secret police because this is darlas enormous operators of course of people spying on each other sometimes members of the same family spying on each other hard dreadful. That must be to discover after the wall came down and theres File Secret Service files became public to discover that somebody you had regarded as a close friend or perhaps even a maverick partner had been spying on you and informing on. These there is without doubt the the draconian and frightful aspects of the east german communist regime they are the darkest facets of that and often very personal individual histories that every Single Person who lived there had to go through the decision do i then go and consult my secret police file once it was opened do i find out that a loved one for example was being an informant on me yes a very difficult challenges that people had to face hugely difficult facing up to the past reinventing themselves i suppose the east germans had to and this is an aspect that i think perhaps we had to little in the west to the understanding of children sympathy for her to really reinvent them. Sells. Well following that solemn part of the ceremony paying homage to some of those aspects that weve just touched on john were now seeing the german president to shine my leaving with other guests and dignitaries as well as the 4 president s from Eastern European countries to continue the ceremony which we will continue to cover here on. You can also see many members of the audience then also taking a moment to pause to reflect to lay their own rose. In commemoration on this 30th anniversary since the fall of the berlin wall this is ben our shasta this is not far from the studios there amongst the crowd the german chancellor Angela Merkel. As they were moved to the 2nd part of the ceremony which is as i think thomas mentioned. The Church Service in the chapel of reconciliation i think used to be a church there called the church of reconciliation and it was exactly on the border and it lost its congregation when the war went up to the congregation were living on the other side so it was not used barely used and then demolished by the east German Government and this chapel of reconciliation that we will be seeing shortly was built in its place. And there is a chapel of. Of peace. Chapel commemorating the suffering of people fleeing eastern germany mentioned people shot at the border. I but also as the name suggests a time of reconciliation a place of reconciliation. And just walk us through again the role that churches played in east germany with mentioned it before but it seems a bit of a misnomer when you talk about communism and then you also talk about the role that churches played for example towards that time with the fall of the iron curtain in terms of organization is once rise the one has to be distinction here the 2 main churches in germany are the Lutheran Church in various forms pretty Evangelical Church in germany is the Lutheran Church basically and the Roman Catholic church the Roman Catholic church was notably not involved in the democratic. Awakening of eastern germany it played as opposed to poland where it was very much involved in east germany the Catholic Church i. Dont want to make judgments here personal criticism and judgments but it was noticeable in the fact that they were trying to keep a very low profile in the Lutheran Church there was as i mentioned earlier a very mixed picture they were very brave. Passengers who were very politically engaged and supported. The wishes and political strivings of the people but there were others who in fact were so close to the regime that they in fact even spied on their own congregations and i just want to ask you about the significance of well the place that were looking at now ben our shasta and the piece of wall that were seeing balinese now far away from the 2nd part of the ceremony but just remind us a little of the significance all ben i wish hasa well the war was built along the boundary of the soviet sector of but then at the end of the 2nd world war the lid was of course divided up among the allies of the french sect to the british back to the america. Sector and the russian sector the western allies formed one territory which they allowed to the west germans to administer more or less for themselves that was what we call west berlin what we called in west berlin the soviet sector so. Basically a puppet. Government a communist government as it did in the rest of Eastern Europe. There were elections but they were not free and fair were democratic elections. And better known was one of the streets. Which you see look has been treated in fact it was gently a municipal boundary between the russian sector and i think was part of the american sector fund not mistaken but certainly one of the allied powers and so along this street there were they were building apartment buildings where people were living on one side of the streets they were suddenly virtually the open ice literally in the sixtys they was either part of west germany or they were parts of east germany stories of missiles direct sample dangling that baby for example down through and jumping from from the from the windows in the street there are some some famous pictures of people with good people on the western side that put out sheets and mattresses and things and said john john. Very dramatic the iconic players yes at the same time as well and of course by now its tosses not one its the only part cindy german capital with heavy footfall right when it comes to tourist sites with regards to this rally wall checkpoint charlie of course or say very popular in there is you know i when i was living in bad enough until 4 years ago and i would bump into tourists and they would ask me where we see the war. Its. It was interesting but i think the anger about the existence of the war was so strong that was the reason perhaps why. It began i think you. On the night certainly in the days following that people started themselves chipping away at the wall demolishing it and theres going to be none of the war left and of course somebody who was on the other side off the wall we were just looking at how we presumably will go back over the pictures that the german chancellor this is somebody who grew up in east germany just remind us of how treachery from daughter of a pastor in eastern germany to the chancellor now of a really unified country extraordinary really she. I think. I hesitate to to make sweeping judgments about any individual person but i think its fair to say uncle america as a kind of pragmatic at the pragmatism of a natural scientist as part of of her d. N. A. She was. As you mentioned the daughter of a pastor so she was brought up in a lutheran tradition but she had herself a very open very tolerant religious perspective she doesnt come across as somebody was very narrow religious views its all coming from the pastors family thats maybe a little surprising all right sorry to interrupt you john i can see that as the president and hes about to speak as one by the shrine thats taken. The feet because of the bullet soon and also to help. The boys i know the checklist of making their political views sort of back you know. Does it out of them dont dont its why. We would not have been able to achieve the peaceful revolution in Eastern Europe or german units in this place in this day in mind this huge historical achievement they remind us that we are joined in our happiness in europe. That of course was the german president funk about to shine maya there a very short address he will of course later be meeting having lunch with the president s of the crowd for the visit with regard group and hes expected of course to make a luncheon speech which im sure will be. More developed and more nuanced than that short address there where he conflated incidentally to me it seems to me that conflate to some extent affordable bilin war and the and the unification of germany which as i was saying earlier is historically at the very best is questionable indeed it only happened one year later of quinsey aid and it didnt seem at the time during that yeah i remember living in west berlin and feeling at times. We were teetering on the on the brink of an icky actually i remember discussing this with friends it was by no means certain that there was going to be how the political future was going to look that was a very exciting time euphoric. But i could tell you some anecdotes about that while translator. But it was like a party but there was something also a little frenetic and for the personally a times almost a little bit frightening about it is there things were falling apart the center could not hold to quote that great. And if you are just joining us youre tuning in to life special coverage here on. Marking the 30 years since the fall of the wall were taking a look at live pictures. The emphasis very definitely was in those early days perhaps i just havent meant to mention very much on the east germans wanting to be able to travel to the west and look at it most of them did not want to move to the west at that stage they they went back at nights they did they wandered around looked messed up with old friends quite typically i had my doorbell run one day by a young woman loaded down with presents who said ask me about my neighbor with she was there and i said i dont know if you run she said yes but theres no reply and i i she was obviously from the east i said come in we had coffee and she left these presents for a relative and there was this atmosphere an extraordinary atmosphere of of people feeling very generous to one another there was a very there was a very generous atmosphere euphoric out there in the city and of course but that being a time when many people as you mentioned try to find lost loved ones contacts Family Members for example we also know that during the east german regime for example parents who were considered disloyal to the regime could have even had their children taken away from them and we also saw reunifications that i mean just a catalogue of very personal and touching history as a side from this great event about the fall of the armed cat and i think what i do remember at the time that i dont know how representative my experience was but i remember many many east germans saying to me talking to me very idealistically about how they were going to reform their country that was that was the vision in that year that shifted of course to where it became. The the exception to the federal republic of west germany it was presented to them basically as something without alternatives. And they accepted the price initially because they believed in the western liberal dream but as weve seen in right across the world the moment that dream is in shot is that there are many many people right from the United States right through europe who no longer believe in that dream and that is part of the reason why i think there has been a rise of nativism. In the United States in fact putting up a barrier to prevent migrants coming in to hungary for example wanting to do exactly the same thing in Eastern Europe but it talking about eastern youre of course you know before all of the world and giving rise to revolutions as well in Eastern Europe as well i mean just having a knock on effect. Yes its a question of the chicken in the egg as you know of course there were certainly things that happened at the same more or less the same time and are difficult to imagine without the moral of this particular constellation. But i think i think a major factor i mentioned this earlier was the the trauma and it was a trauma of course of reinventing societies and and shifting ones ideals. That was accepted up until about 20082009 with the. With the Global Economic crisis of that time people really seriously began to dobbs liberal democracy and its and its ideals and we seeing really a severe pushback particularly in Eastern Europe against liberal democracy that is that for me personally a very worrying phenomena talking about. Economic developments for example i think its important not to forget for example how the east of this country still has suffered in the wake of the war we will touch on that a minute but perhaps our viewers want to take a look at the german chancellor doing selfies. Thats a sight she is she looks very relaxed i must say. Who. Doesnt necessarily or many people say she doesnt have much of the common touch in this kind of situation she does seeds in others and i think also essential knows that this is a. Time a chance that is slowly coming to an end she seems to have developed a new a new wind to be less to be less just worried about what people say about her how she appears she says that it will naturally relax appears to be relishing the moment and of course it is just marking not only the history of her country but of course at a time that touched her very poignantly as well she was of course one of the one of the women is that this was one of the also the phenomena that swept across the whole a beast in europe including eastern germany there was suddenly winners and losers. And that was a part of the trauma because people who had lived together be neighbors been good friends for years suddenly were in a different economic class within a few years and friendships died villages died out because young people moved to the urban centers or to western germany where they could get jobs and educate better Education Opportunities so it was a traumatic time. In many ways and there was this demographic former russian across Eastern Europe. Psychologists talk about the phenomenon of displacement that they have that thats when there is an insoluble problem that we look for another problem that is small and an imaginary problem which we can solve and i think to some extent that is explains why there is. A strong reaction against migrants in Eastern Europe its not a real problem but it is a problem that is easily managed. And right well were just seeing the german chancellor that entered the chapel of reconciliation for the next part of this ceremony marking 30 years since the fall of the. Chapel was built of course since the fall of the berlin wall a chapel of reconciliation. There used to be a church there called the church of the reconciliation but when the war was built it would run right along the burnout strasse of the municipal boundary between western sector and the eastern sector and the church along had its congregation so it was stood empty for quite a while and became derelict and finally was pulled on shortly before the fall of the wall incidentally it was pulled down by the east German Government. And off the for the war this new chapel was built as a commemorative charm very attractive modern design i find but it once again there are different narratives some people probably would find it not attractive what i like about it one of the things is the weight it in the circular construction it brings the whole congregation very close together indeed and that seems to me very appropriate very subtle because it sort of the the chapel of reconciliation the german chancellor the german chancellor waving Somebody Just across the church which is exactly an example of what i was talking. Sitting next to work on show a blur. And what can we expect. I think will be a very simple ceremony but they will there will be an address by the pastor of the of the chapel whos in charge of the chapel hes an evangelical pastor. And. I think that the 1000000 but the main address will be by the lutheran bishop of dr marcus to her that. It will be interesting to see whether to. Emphasize the political aspects or the human and social aspects of of the wall coming down on. Both approaches of course perfectly legitimate to be interesting to see where is his emphasis and i. Will certainly religious stripe or no as you have also john there was something you said spiritual about the fall of the berlin wall in one of its questions its euphoria the spirit of the moment. Yes i think certainly in a very broad. Sense of the spiritual certainly. It was it was as i said i think initially i say this myself as a baby boomer baby boomers a notoriously wanted access to Consumer Products they want to be able to travel with a backpack and that was no different to the east one has to see that as well that its not just simply a country of idealists but there was also a spiritual aspect. The fact people want to move to other cultures shows also a certain spiritual openness to other cultures. Surely a good thing leading to a greater understanding people and and the relativizing of ones or. National prejudices. Were just waiting for the address there from the pastor thomas joy the chapel of reconciliation. If youre just joining in this special coverage here on w ceremonies to mark the 30 years since the for all the more you can just see there at the center of your screen the german chancellor Angela Merkel. Away taking that address to her right i tried law disconsolate in 2nd when the stocks president president of the bundestag were the souths president president of the blender society but of its president one president to get instead to some relief and other to command for and be avoided shrooms or flash serves those well becoming that we received yesterday at the then well memorial but i would like to welcome all of you here in the chapel of reconciliation where he. Was especially you young people here a few of you i hear from the youth groups from the European Countries but outside san diego to welcome him to the guests but to god who are watching this on the screen outside social intercourse and those of you who are watching as it homes on to the church on my own television we call welcome to all of you and to be as laughable for good living in the course only very much look forward to hearing you play for us all to do it in the chapel and welcome rather bishop sister i need to refer to emotes your knowledge is a deeply emotional and his joint ownership traces left in you know into german history which by the 9th of november i have a metaphor not just made its mark just off the beaten half an hour ago on bagels square house next to the opera house guns is on the us why hes talked all steen bush on the every day when he was telling us from his books that were blowing up in a stray 1983 by the nazis that exactly this ok should former nazi not the brown in a spark a madness or nationalism a few years ago books or tools and by jewish invites and theres a few of them who were burned in the frames. Well station given by both stuart was very much there as well i didnt know that is until my little friend if dustys it touches on a question should know that these are 2 very old noises that were to be silent house behind them to a wall of hatreds clung about. Once resonated again today in the publics mind syphon. Justice and savannahs sign of the fact is that the free. Lunch calls to Human Dignity and she didnt ruin for ems that we are now hearing from your voices of young consoles guests from germany and france from no way that guides ukraine also as well as the voices that we heard. Outside already or 3 of them we want to just continue we want to hear from will be a critically can gauge with one or your thoughts that you have presented to us that about the risk of exclusion about the risk of new walls in our minds we want to see was. I understand what you have said as well about the valuable unity of europe you have the floor. Howdo is an allstar. We have finally believe in germany the fall of the berlin wall is a symbol of unification and that we can all unify because the fall of the berlin wall was the beginning of the and of the division of europe with us Monetary Union guys made things a lot easier as well and the e. U. Is a guarantor of can you think of what peace many of us in the joy of the liberty that the generation before us could only dream of. And this is why we hope that in the future europe will continue to allow us all to live in freedom and security and allowing us to have a vision of a future that every one of us is respected and that each of us get the same opportunity that there be no discrimination we would like to see more unity in political and economic terms that there would a patient with european Member States must take on more responsibility and have more unified policies because no one is a winner if we exclude groups of people discriminate them or try to divide them thank you. We are from from. Lets should yield a bit more hopeful study your. Support all lethal force and when you know the new will be able to fix your budget is on the verge of could mean this one had what. We wanted but were leaving no money just listening to the young people giving me a book that takes only my europe our collective europe just heard that the wrong was a young woman speaking on behalf of germany right now of course were hearing from a young man speaking on behalf of france for also expecting to zigzag comments from what you know regions stick with it is on its own and its going to get from the cricket bats commune costlier and the vineyard where you can see a man talking about the common Human Rights Holding together the European Union and how they must be preserved. Deborah you know moer. Burn was strengthened as the opinionated yes but you know High School Students from start to see that new was of shane being built 1st that we can use instead of values. Around human rights we see the wire that we saw at the iron curtain we see that many of our citizens was so quick to define themselves as different than other cultures and we are shocked by the physical and mental walls that divide our society and this is why we appeal to our citizens and politicians to listen to one another. And to create find common ground. To create a promising future for our union and finally we would like to refer to long gone. Who said it may. Be ice the face of freedom. And. Unity that al islam and we are from norway. Together us of ive had some moments get through hell i dont. Yes like name year for books and how they use a representative if among wrong Little Norway giving her address this is the same marquis 13 gazers the 4 Year Old Girl about him was speaking in a chapel of reconciliation void of walk from the main message being from these young people to me reflecting on the importance of your faith of reserve in the common values of the European Union values which have been strengthened extends the fall of the eye and tell you if youre just tuning in this is live coverage from the market that israel israel and the dominant one have a real common oust mohegan well were going on smith mention norways guns we used to be here with people i remember you about a week level to be allowed to go in a year we have had so many opportunities and its defined by pieces isha and im sure we value the wonderful landscapes the different cultures and finally the sense of security that we have here and would we have many hopes for the future among the most of the work of. Democracy peace the threshold of equality the right to education and to pendants as individuals and Cooperation Among peoples hello. We are from the grain. Then asked you were open to really commitment also had a value the most of the it was a lot to say but there was a 3 as in the defective bad as it was we crane if. You want to go in your new show or location which is that is that country within this group if ya know what youre talking about here over and over again you know. Who enters your cold war shuttles which of thoughtless you may. Drop and then you to get it. Your thought that roman with my ability to cheat could spare more me on my beauty and the shadows im sad so much but he had to tell me should nikolay be studying the story in the blues but what i knew just limit what d. M. Was. Youre not sure you can say you make a revolver but better study fission of the control with a joke or a not a good idea for saving these young people talking with them but of course. Presenting not only their own views but also views that are different even discussing you know at a higher level before i say so these you know but still its very interesting that there is i think a difference you can act as a difference certainly in this between those representing countries from the west and those from Eastern Europe. The ones released in europe we heard one for example sovereignty 70 is very very important what it means translated very often of the use to her country since our course our home just dont get involved in our affairs and i can is leaving. The people couldnt what im talking diet when dimension of respect where people deal with one another respect for them but has it always been that way fancy in the history of the 20th century a great deal of blood was shed and i know many decisions were made to harm other people and one of the incidents was the wall which divided so many people and cost so many lives we must remember the past must clearly be looking to the future. And our hearts and minds must contribute to ensuring that history is never defined and overshadowed by terrible events for us the 21st century which was a bloody one is not over because ukraine is still suffering from the legacy of war and the horrors of war but this is why we as young ukrainians understand how valuable peace is to achieve peace people from many countries must communicate wouldnt do with one another next change ideas because human beings. At the heart of europe and we want to define define and defend this because ukraine is. Part of europe not just geographically but also in terms of our culture thank you for your attention especially primary message their families representative from the crane of course a country that still finds itself facing a conflict in part of its country we are waiting now and you can just see chancellor Angela Merkel about to take to the podium for her way to address this part of the ceremony today and that is the kind of once regarded. Is when the president of the bundestag. And no houses of parliament and colleagues from the state assembly is an accident scene is. Made is a gentleman. I want to thank these young people very much for the words here in the chapel where it used to be the church of reconciliation and your words are food for thought this is also true from the young people we heard from the bishop at states earlier so they remind us of what happened here but 1st and foremost and this came across in the speeches of each and every one of them what it means for the future and what we must take to heart and do for the future since 1960 when the northern wall was built the church of reconciliation was in the border strip neither east it burnin or snow west berliners could visit it and then 85 it was demolished and this was. Sick just so wrong because the individual citizen lives were targeted. And yet they were only seeking liberty by demolishing the church of reconciliation we saw how the dictatorship of east germany could not be reconciled with the individual needs of its citizens for liberty but too many people who. Were victims of the east german regime and we have not forgotten even its people i remember those who were killed at theres berlin wall because they were seeking liberty i remember the 75000 people who were arrested and imprisoned because they were fleeing in east germany i remember all of those who suffered depression because their Family Members had fled i remember those who were under surveillance who were didnt m. C. A. To those who were oppressed their dreams and hopes. Were killed because they did not want to subject themselves to stay out of betraying us the 9th of november is a. Thing terrible day for german history on this day we also remember the victims of the nazis. Pogroms of the night of november 938. 00. We remember from that night to the 10th of november 938 the crimes that were committed against jews in germany and the result of this was the show on. The night of november. In which both both of the most awful and the most wonderful moments of our history took place remind us that hatred racism and anti semitism must be stopped wherever we encounter them in it admonishing us this day to do all we can do to protect Human Dignity the rule of law and freedom but i think because 30 years ago on this date the berlin wall opened and then fell for the whole just before that no one would have believed it even possible 6 at the start of 1909 like it was just small minority fighting for civil rights and democracy suffering discrimination persecution and incarcerate. As a result but this minority. Managed to encourage thousands and hundreds of thousands in autumn of 1989 who took to the streets to protest others went via hungary praga warsaw and turned their backs on east germany all of them contributed to bringing down the berlin wall opening the way to democracy and our country and all of them really do what you could for gratitude a peaceful revolution that was inspired by slowly down north which led to democratic successes in the Czech Republic the charter 77 encourage this early Baltic States the longest human chain in history pushed or independence in in hungary the iron curtain it was made permeable the call for freedom created new democracies in north Eastern Europe and Central Europe germany and europe could finally grow back together but the values on which europe is built Freedom Democracy equality and the rule of law and preservation of human rights they are anything but something we can take for granted again and again we must live them we must defend them up and in the future to europe and the last fight for human rights and tolerance for freedom of and democracy and this and times of sweeping technological and global changes this is more pressing the matter before the contribution of the individual may sometimes seems more but we must become discouraged because of this instead we must remember however spirits who said that freedom is like the sea. He said the individual waves may not seem to do much but the power of the tide is. Impossible to resist really you know and then with the berlin wall is now relegated to the on ice of history. And now we want to ensure that no wall. In his own separate people again it proves to us that no wall is so high and so strong that we cannot break. Spoke and a poem about the wall he said when we created the wall the wall he couldnt imagine how high it was inside us we got used to it horizons we got used to it when shadow and its wind chateaux we cast no shadows now we stand naked of any excuse and this is true for all of us in the east and in the west we are naked of any excuse and it is down to us to do what we can for freedom and democracy thank you. And of her german chancellor and going to moscow rocking the 50th anniversary of the fall off the ballet war were expecting a musical interlude now. Get out of sydney of stores. That are to share both for. The. Good of sushi im all for. Sawyer they go ill sing a. Song where they can all sing. Some would probably the way you made by got a look so they could all sedation soria they see. Somebody. That really is. But you should. Be as. But hold on sawyer but when you. Saw in the movie. Doll sure will be achieved with the. Silly and they. Saw in a. Doll should be a huge. Bush style you pull. In the bus good. Stuff it will. Be the best goodall. So you made this journey she. Saw it on a 2 story. Show she told those soldiers. Sawyer and i will stir the shit so in a stew. She sheeple the small size. Mugs and ill use but ill. Stay put on. My snow is. Shit but ill hold so enabled snow she saw enables me. Goal marouf in a simple old saw and i still. Saw in a most new. Dog who. Was sold. Call us a. Bull call nonevil dog. Is a. Bull dog money. Sawyer shot and a. Sort of shock to be just listening to the final closing who was still played by yet a sad little cub playing now mensch which is a check song come so it is a song roughly translated as trust in new ways and it is a song. Talking about Human Dignity and freedom of course incredibly appropriate and to take on this stupidity kind of a story of the full in the indices life coverage from d w of that ceremony where we have just been listening in to the german chancellor Angela Merkel deliver an address the address that everybody wanted to hear on this day of course john is with me here in the studio and weve both been watching that address i want to ask you john your initial thoughts on the message that the chancellor delivered as i mentioned earlier on american i think is getting more war. More spontaneous perhaps in the final period of her transfer chip and i thought that was true of the speech i thought it was quite personal and she gave great emphasis to the common values of the european house. Thats i read myself as being also admonish you. To to Eastern European in particular. Because as i was saying earlier you know there are. Quite fierce discussions at the moment in europe even threats to the European Union forming a part of the psyche because its not so clear what the values that the with all really should had at least i mean i think its fair to say that there certainly was aside from the posts and all speech that a international not at least a message that should go out she said that a new democracies were created in the form of since the fall of the wall and she said that we cannot take those for granted and she also said that no war will ever separate people again i mean this knowledge goes further than just Eastern Europe doesnt it does i think if one thinks immediately of course of the president s trance dream of a war. With Mexico Mexico or. But i think also because in the european context in these i wrote this is the president of hungry after all sitting there that in Eastern Europe and particularly in hungary there is a very strong sense that as the young man from hungary said respecting our culture has individual cultures was an aspect this very often in is kind of shorthand for saying dont try to impose western liberal values on us we are we have a conservative often religious values. Indeed we do we can just take a listen now to this address taking place not how much of a war this is the bush this is marcus year 2903 seek peace and pursue it i felt a verse from some 30 from a some a funk schism with seek peace. Text is that which you know the hebrew text. And the fizzy jewish thought represents a longing for a sacred and attacked way im trying to give you a world in which there is no longer any threat is this steadfast whole idea that its just a way of interacting with one another well how come not an immunity another sign he says surely his salvation is near those who fear him that his glory may dwell in our land love and faithfulness meet together righteousness righteousness and peace kiss each other good question they from the springs forth from the earth and righteousness looks down from heaven on this. Right in 2019 is something we are urged to do a year in which we have been alarmed when it was only the strong donors of the synagogue in holland the preserve of the jews praying behind them from a massacre. And on and student in which to be told what killed office and you know we have urged him to seek shallow energy and. The discussions amongst society are becoming shallow mistal increasingly less reconciled becoming less pressure on the fleet. We are urged to seek asylum in a year on which we have commemorated a peaceful revolution in a more thoughtful ruling than we did 5 years ago for a year in which we have formulated much clearly than before and which radical upheavals people in eastern germany had after the holidays early and while in 1990 in their professional biography my personal life. We have to seek the books today we commemorate the revolution 30 years ago a document which brought the berlin wall that followed divided our city and our country. And make it fall we are full of gratitude that the demonstrations that time remained peaceful a gift of god yes but it was people who learned and worked and prayed sustainably for this peace. A hope of these learns to walk on its wrists what is the motto under which in 1989 and. 88 in east germany at my feet q menocal assembly was convened involving night churches who followed the call of the ecumenical world assemble aged and discussed how our justice peace and stewardship of creation could be preserved in east germany concrete general questions became more specific kinds because they were translated into a specific context they did not remain an issue only relevant within the church but came into the folk. Because the state power must reach down before to 1st see what fascinates me about this guy to this day was the spirit of this assembly one that would not allow itself to be imprisoned and was built by human beings but became part kristie of a wealthy white process in which christian us all worked together to tackle the challenges of the time specifically to meet. And Stay Together with anyone who was interested in the subject in various different political systems a final document speaks of a return to shallow heist proto shallow mind just got scientists leads in high seas says god means the entirety of life intact relationships as creation intended it to be created like god save the grace. Reached peace in our inch principally connected world cannot be built against one another but only some very agree on the weird one another question for justice is he really hate it that does justice to the community decides and so for humanity to survive and that which see rights and the individual must be called the show of god for its a revolutionary instruction to behaving in this new reality points and these words from 1909 issued from the Ecumenical Assembly of the church in east germany remain true today are you know the violent no violent few could not well be but today we know its better how the most votes will and threatening situations were around the prayers for peace and demonstrations in autumn 1989 words of are everywhere all the tanks were in place hospitals were alerted to care for the injured there was fear on both sides and this is why we are. So grateful when we remember that the revolution remained peaceful gift of god yes but before that any examination by christians in east germany of the message for you to hear peace of the divine shall. Assembly its talked about the readiness that comes from the gospel the priests of why we do not have to be silent about our own trespasses and goes about as it was the we can admit our mistakes and work towards a lifestyle that makes reconciliation credible. And this can be done by fighting in service for freedom from violence supporting the disadvantaged fighting against tendencies towards militarism and all forms of racism which we must reject which is a mage disease and i am grateful for the courage of these peoples who lived there such a message of peace which unfolded i surprising results as its only words of a former coworker. And of the east german state power who said we anticipated everything but not churches and prayers we are urged to seek release separate should seek peace but peace between human beings is fragile and. Me must learn to work for this peace and this site remains. Job pretty years after the peaceful revolution we are gathered here from across europe because and you young people have told us what you have manged to you and what you expect from your europe yes europe is the response to 2 world wars and the persecution and annihilation. Over 6000000 jews in the middle of the last century. And that is why europe is the historical mandate to create just. Good condition for life the europeans are all here seek refuge sciences are for europe he is integrated into the world wide connection of justice and the stewardship of creation in europe is the daily challenge of perceiving one another mention and balancing the needs of all of the different people in different nations with one another the shadow of god is something we are urged to in the minds it is our of. Just hope turn from now seek to be done and christie receipt for 12 now in peace let us sing the song for a time out 9 vacant. Suggestion that all of the ship marcus. And now all gathered there in that church to sing the touts dinoire invading trust anyway. Interesting i saw. Bishops that its the city referred to. The difficulty also as hes trying as it were inventing themselves. An aspect of reunification that would not be close event that the hits close to the center of sleeping. Last. Well if youre just joining us youre watching special coverage here on d w of the ceremony to mark the 30th anniversary since the fall of the ballet war john what can we expect now when. The prayers of the faithful if youve got a license of your candidates. Thats pretty finite the 1st prayer of course of this and thanks for the 4th of. Them. You know its me down country mood you can be often also having fun brave people of the courageous people on the streets for. Humans. Long enough that i didnt get and leaving for them home think of the people who lost their lives. As i dont fly or the visible. Genealogy of the schliemann and you know womanish loss we have families. Got. Food if i had food again and we pray for those who today we are struggling fighting to free to be mentioned the whole issue until one of a short on fire for there is also something some injustice to the. Solution and those who feel prayer for the my good. For your bones bendish. Sure i love. You before you can dynamically see and got you beat and your minds are fatah the lords prayer the office where did i. Die and the congregation joined the fray. Even though all. On the take this is all humans. Since. The early years eve the century. Thatll be followed by the blessing in which i assume the bishop says were going to do this. And i just. Want to. Be. In the. Good tinian freedon just have to has eaten a dish wont be easy dish to alice im asking is he growing anybody on. This is based on towards your own sanctity of freedom if you free pass. It marks the end of the ceremony religious service and when i hear i think i care a lot for you i know zeke signals. Are not. Inviting. The. Winds here just to add to the congregation which i think and specifically referred to as. Like. Right. For i was explaining what the message the rest of the program of the day which of course did i would also be covering i believe my oath really called the piece of craven would be sitting here where im sitting not to guide you through that as well and comment on the events at the Brandenburg Gate is a massive goal of their i think this evening that is massive garner of course and for those fireworks display by works display and an art installation of course complete with 30000. 00 ribbons carries hopes and wishes of people from around the world and we have been plenty of reports as well all not during all coverage that obviously get a full spectrum of the atmosphere surrounding what is a truly monumental day of course i mean today some of the at least in this ceremony this song by remember exactly and that the other part of the fun part he says. I think both are important for me. I think it is important im saying it here that we remember that this process has been not without pain and casualties and that its not completed and that there are very serious divisions within europe as much as we on a day like this understandably we talk about what unites us and our ideals that the the reality is of course also in brussels as we know not just the british with the brits it plans but there is a very serious threat to the European Union precisely because there is no real agreement on what all of the common values Eastern Europeans tend to feel threatened and and by the west imposing its liberal particularly morally tolerant liberal ideals things like gay marriage and so on to them saying this is not part of our culture and leave us alone and dont dictate to us what you must do i want to touch will not with you because following the speech from chancellor merkel and what she said there were too many victims of course its german regime and. Remember that there is one narrative which we have on days like this openness European Values but germany 30 years on do you think people are still talking about for example east and west germany their recollections from that time or that certain to bruise which though that linger. Well. Its difficult to generalize i suppose i think i think the big danger is not only unique in eastern germany but also the whole of Eastern Europe that people tend to glamorize no idea lies the regimes that existed before the fall of the iron curtain and thats very puzzling to people like myself who grew up in the west one for one thinks theres so much hard evidence that this is not simply a question of a spin this hard evidence of these were very very cruel regimes and materially people are certainly doing a great deal better how can it be that just 2 weeks ago we saw an election result here in germany in the state of cheering and where the far left and the far right swept the wards and one asks how is that possible and i think thats one of the things we have to do a lot of listening is understand and diden merkel herself calling for periods of reflection on that and we are just seeing the chancellor of the chapel now shes in the company all female of. Rilya and we believe that she is candle in hand as they will light candles once again in commemoration. And if you are just joining us this is special coverage live from. As germany marks 30 years since the fall of the all the night of november. 9th november. Themselves mentioned its often called the day of destiny of germany its a very strange almost. Eerie coincidence that the 9th of november 938. 00 was the beginning of the worst. Jewish program in the nazi period leading up of course to the shoah the attempt to exterminate the entire Jewish Population of europe. An appalling memory that is of in the german consciousness. That is anti semitism is something that cannot be under any circumstances tolerated and its something that on the 9th of november 1 it commemorates and remembers if that had not been the case probably the 9th of november that as the day the war would have become the German National holiday but it was felt that because of this ambiguity it would be. Tasteless i mean certainly a very faithful. Night and day this country i want to go even now to all Political Correspondent who has been following this is ceremony on proceedings for us Thomas Sparrow who is poised at ben our shasta one of the main sites for memorials over the course of the day thomas just give us a sense if you were nischelle assessment of what the german chancellor had to say during her address. It was a solemn speech by the german chancellor who by the way is just walking beside where we are talking right now greeting young people who have different messages but you could also climate messages they have in their hands but it was a very solemn message by the chancellor in various ways it was solemn because she presented some stories of how the berlin wall affected people directly and that is something very important right here in baton our strother where were standing because this is the memorial where people can understand that the burden will divided not only those who did but divided also families and friends it was also a clear acknowledgement of the role that for example Eastern Europe played in the fall of the bird in a waltz or such i think her speech but not only her speech also the positive this ceremony as well reflected how the burden wall affected many people in many different spheres and how the fall of the burden will 30 years ago was also an event that not only mocked right here where were standing the burn our cars in the morial but but as a whole and i would also say the world and that is something that i think many people here also understood very clearly that this is an International Event an International Phenomenon and also an International Commemoration of a very Important International day. And with that knowledge the chance to knowing indeed that this is an International Event and the eyes of the world will be on her she delivers that address do you think that there was a message she wanted to give to other countries watching with regards to president democracies in societies and political ongoings today. I think the whole event here was not only about the posse not only about what happened many decades ago it was also an event to try and understand what lessons can be drawn from dot event for the future there was one for example element that you can clearly see not necessarily from the chancellor but from the youth gathered here from those speeches by different young people that we also heard and i think there is an understanding that what happened 30 years ago the fall of the violin wall has direct impact not only today but also in the future of those young people and gone already mentioned some of those they say ironic elements that you can understand when you think about other countries here in europe on the one hand the idea that they played a very Important Role when it comes to the fall of the berlin wall and the other hand that you see that they are now facing serious challenges that theyre being given criticised by the European Union for example the case of poland or the government in hungary is considered to be right wing those sort of things are also warnings that some people consider to be very important in todays world as well so again the whole event the whole commemoration he was on the want to understand what happened 30 years ago trying to also all know what happened 30 years ago the fall of the berlin wall but also trying to understand what challenges the Different Countries are facing today and also what lessons can be drawn when it comes to the fall of the berlin wall all right john i just want to talk a little bit more about those lessons and for example because what we saw in the lead up to the fall of the war were tremendously courageous protests and demonstration one notable one on alexander cuts for example in the east of the german capital it was incredible that we did see a peaceful Resolution Resolution wasnt it really in light of the absolutely we knew no. As i think it was the bishop mentioned in his in his address. To the east german authorities. Reckoning with the possibility that there would be widespread bloodshed that the hospitals have been instructed to provide more beds to have built up their blood supplies and so on. And we know that in june of the same year the communist chinese of course had reacted to demonstrations and tenement square by opening fire on the crowds there could very easily have been a similar situation in east berlin there was in 1956 there had been minor uprising of workers in east germany which was brutally suppressed there could have been a repetition of that they had been in hungary previously the climate there was different the climate of the times was different and i think myself but this is pure speculation on my part i think myself that the east german regime were probably divided about how they should react and there was probably. A fear that if they gave instructions to the army to open fire on their fellow citizens on the germans that it it might simply have have collapsed and they would have refused to do so and this is a different situation from the orders at the border for 4 Border Guards to shoot at a figure a shadowy figure disappearing trying to disappear over the border or god might do that but when the risk and demonstration of people where you can see their faces and there are thousands of people perhaps people also from your own town or neighborhood in the demonstration to be ordered as a soldier to open fire on the crowd. Might well have been an order that would be refused now nevertheless the peaceful enters is there the danger was that the peaceful revolution certainly was remarkable but history is rarely linea and the chancellor has self evokes the fact that we must continue we cannot take the granted progress that has been made and Something Else i want to touch on of course this being the fate. Full night of laughed or the night of shattered glass on the night of november giving rise to the horrors all of the holocaust and the persecution of jews in germany and Eastern Europe as well and this is a question that germany is facing once again correct. Term is a particular particular sensitivity obviously of historical responsibility. To keep alive the memory of that. Of that appalling period of german history of the nazi regime. And germany that least the mainstream establishment. Of germany does recall that and feels that responsibility very seriously there is a very close relationship with israel for that particular reason. There is on the other hand and this is very worrying linked with right to far right movements in germany there is quite definitely a rise of antisemitism its small but its there were talking about remembering victims and paying homage i can just say that if youre taking a look at the screen you can see is this plaque of memorial in recognition of those people who were victims of communist and violent regimes thats what youre looking at now that is at the memorial off the wall in our shaft that. I dont want to one of the interesting things that struck me about the speech is. Nuance of difference i mentioned earlier was the emphasis on common values which the representatives broadly speaking represents of western countries the chancer herself she is she is as we mentioned she grew up in east germany but shes one of very differently she is one of the winners of the of german unification if not the most prominent when a journey she identifies very strongly with the west german narrative of the unification. There is a kind of push back in in east germany to some extent on the whole of Eastern Europe against the dream of liberal democracy isnt it and i think that that has got to do with the fact that as i said that was weve said there was considerable pain involved in the transformation of these societies and people put up with that because a while until the Economic Crises of 20082009 then the the present chance that uncle americal had always you know one of her famous expressions is talk of a tentative flaws its means in german that theres no alternative to this and people accepted that they accept that there is no alternative to the communist regimes have failed we havent the this liberal democracy and if its painful we just have to go through it and then everything will bloom and be wonderful but in 20082009 we saw that the liberal democracy syria markets regulating itself very nearly brought about the collapse of the of the World Economic order. And that led to a kind of pushback where i think its extremely significant that the far right party in germany which has its most of its support in the eastern german states is called the alternative for germany its as if its saying to chancellor merkel in the assessment you may say this is alter or without alternative but we have an alternative the frightening thing for people who are concerned democrats like myself is that they have a very or thora tarion narrow nativist emphases or so in their program that at times of even antisemitic order or revisionist about german history in the persecution of the jews and are certainly quite racist and that is something right across europe i mentioned i live in remaining i have been living there for 4 years im appalled at the level of racism in romania and the way that. For example the minority roma population is openly reviled and and criticized as being some worse than 2nd class citizens and on my travels in Eastern Europe i have friends also in prague in the Czech Republic when they dictated otherwise tolerant people and people i respect and regard as my friends casually making racist remarks about the roma population in the Czech Republic of course i know the persecution of the rumors well was also a population who had persecuted curiosity the holocaust as well and that of course just being one of the horrors all of this time and i do want to go over to thomas to touch a little bit more on that the chance in his speech thomas because she spoke about not taking Democratic Values for grumps it over the past 30 years and continuing all not yet she told my son the chancellor also evokes the challenges of the digital fail of the World Wide Web any idea specifically what she was referring to with regards to that. She has sometimes linked those challenges of the World Wide Web both to opportunities and also to certain problems and that is something important when it comes to chandigarh merkels priority the child sort of that fact that she has for example focus for a long time when germanys digitalisation under such i think that is also a remark towards better communication towards better talking to each other towards understanding what john mentioned earlier about those shared values and trying to sift through those are the positive messages and on the other hand messages that can be considered harmful or that cannot bring those common values to the fore in general i would stress about this whole event as i said earlier was not only about looking back but also looking to the future looking what challenges lie ahead under such one of those challenges according to the german go and then my life ahead is precisely when it comes to what im going to stressed in her speech i would also like to say that this place back i watched hostility now the ventus concluding but it is a remarkable place a very solemn place where you can understand precisely what the burden wall actually meant by not only what the berlin wall actually meant but also what the fall of the berlin wall brought to the city and also brought to germany and as such thats why the main political event the one that weve been talking about for the last few hours actually took place here the organizers of these events referred to the need to celebrate something that germany is obviously doing today but also to the need to discuss and to remember and when you discuss and you remember we also have to bring into account and discuss those elements that im going to call mentioned in his speech earlier today absolutely thomas aspire revoking the atmosphere there where he is absolutely perfectly on this day all of commemoration which is that one solemn as well as it will be increasingly festive later on during the day but if you are just joining us this is special coverage of the 30. Anniversary since the fall of the ballet war we have been shooting into that commemoration and the speech by the german chancellor Angela Merkel if you missed it we had it for you here to watch again take a watch since 960. 00 when the northern wall was built the church of the conciliation was in the border strip of neither east to burn an arsenal west berliners could spawn visit it and then 85. 00 it was demolished and this was. Sick just so wrong because the individual citizens were targeted. And yet they were only seeking liberty by so i demolish ing the church of reconciliation we saw how the dictatorship of east germany could not be reconciled with the individual needs of its citizens for liberty but too many people were victims of the east german regime and we have not forgotten even sleep and i remember those who were killed at theres berlin wall because they were seeking liberty i remember the 75000 people who were arrested and imprisoned because they were fleeing east germany i remember all of those who suffered depression because their Family Members had fled i remember those who were under surveillance who were denunciatory those who were oppressed their dreams and hopes. Were killed because they did not want to subject themselves to state arbitrariness the 9th of november is a thing talking terrible day for german history on this day we also remember the victims of the nazis. Pogroms of the night of november 19th 38 minutes we remember from that night to the 10th of november 938 the crimes that were committed. And jews in germany and the result of this was the show you know. The night of november. In which both the both of the most awful and the most wonderful moments of our history took place remind us that hatred racism and anti semitism must be stopped wherever we encounter them in it admonishing us this day to do all we can do to protect Human Dignity the rule of law freedom but i think because 30 years ago on this date the berlin wall opened and then fell for the last call just before that no one would have believed it even possible 6 at the start of 1909 like it was just small minority fighting for civil rights and democracy suffering discrimination persecution and incarceration as a result but theres minority. Managed to encourage thousands and hundreds of thousands in autumn of 1909 who took to the streets to protest others went via hungary praga warsaw and turned their backs on the east germany all of them contributed to bringing down the berlin wall opening the way to democracy and our country and all of them. Quickly to the brits i do would you go for gratitude would the peaceful revolution that was inspired by solar down nourish which led to democratic successes in the Czech Republic the charter 77. 00 encourage this early politics states the longest human chain in history pushed or independence and in hungary the iron curtain was made permeable the call for freedom created new democracies in north Eastern Europe and Central Europe germany and europe could finally grow back together with the values on which europe is built Freedom Democracy equality and the rule of law and preservation of human rights they are anything but something we can take for granted again and again we must live them we must defend them up and in the future to europe and must fight for human rights and tolerance for freedom and democracy and this and times of sweeping technological and global changes this is more pressing and i never before the contribution of the individual may sometimes seem small but we must become discouraged because of this instead we must remember however spirits who said that freedom is like the sea. He said the individual waves may not seem to do much but the power of the tide is. Impossible to resist really you know about one minute down and down the berlin wall is now relegated to the arson history humans. And now we want to ensure that no wall. Thats in the his or separate people again it proves to us that no wall is so high and so strong that we cannot break or to mow the street im not concerned spoke in a poem about it he said when we created the wall behold we couldnt imagine how high it was inside us we got used to its horizons we got used to it when you shadow and its when chateau we cast no shadow use now we stand naked of any excuse and this is true for all of us in the east and in the west we are naked of any excuse and it is down to us to do what we can for freedom and democracy thank you. The words there of the german chancellor Angela Merkel in her address to mark the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the fall of the berlin wall if youre just joining in d. W. Has special coverage throughout the course of the day merkel that is speaking about the need not only to commemorate that time on the victims but as well for people in europe to fight for freedom to continue to fight for democracy and to unpack it all here in the studio im joined by d. W. Correspondent john a barack as well as out there now our shasta Thomas Sparrow has been standing by as well for all of those events as youve been watching this john im just wondering as we get to the end of this ceremony do you have any concluding thoughts about this ceremony not just what machall had to say but about the tone about the message today. I think that theres a kind of subtext that has been going through all the events occurred. As its as a Common Thread and that is the question of European Values. Its because there is something of a crisis of values i think in europe at the moment you can see it as one of the most the crassest example perhaps is the brakes of the issue. Britain has always seen majority of british people parents have always seen the European Union basically as an economic horribly economic advantage of the Member States that of course is a judgment way of seeing it but the german and french view has always been no its a community of values and the enlargement of the e. U. At the end of the cold war to include Eastern Europe was intended to be a kind of guarantee of those values of those of tolerance of freedom of respect for the individual of the free and Fair Elections of a multiparty system and a free market economy one has to say that these were common values that one wanted to share as being self evidently valuable. Unfortunately there is being as i mentioned before theres been a very strong pushback from the east there is because of the pain of adapting. And because of the Financial Economic crisis of 20082009 there is a feeling quite widespread in Eastern Europe and in eastern germany that it wasnt it wasnt all it promised to be and that ones been sewed up the river talk to me about that paying off adapting because even though the wall has come down for many people will still exist in their heads for example they had to adapt to a new reality that was a big challenge a huge challenge and of course friendships families. Were divided just as ironically even more than they were when the war was there because there was an exodus of young. Talented people of course to find work elsewhere there was suddenly economic divisions within the society which hadnt been there before everybody was more or less poor in in Eastern Europe almost everybody from a small elite but suddenly that was all different and and that was a huge traumatic experience also the very very high level of unemployment as i say that was accepted in to be as being with awful tentative but after the financial crises anomic crisis there was a sense perhaps there is that there is an alternative and that is very worrying because the alternatives the populists in germany for example the the f. T. And also the left party to some extent on the 2 extremes of the political mainstream spectrum are holding up. As a kind of idealization of the past of suggesting that in some ways things were even better before and that is taken to be not the case and so many of the issues these issues of course just encapsulated by this day and what this day brings up i want to go over to you Thomas Sperry thomas concluding thoughts as this ceremony this part of the memorial events wrap up. I walked along where were standing now the back and i watched a memorial to try to understand a bit more what it actually means and this is very powerful memorial of what the burning Wall Division actually meant how this place here the ball the wall goes you see run just across the street it divided families and friends but it is also a reminder of how that division was overcome and those 2 elements what the division meant and how that division was overcome was absolutely present today not only in all the speeches but in every different part of the commemoration ceremonies today right here in our strikes and not only clear what problems germany hard with the burning wall but also what kind of celebrations were possible once the berlin wall fell and i would also add to that what challenges came afterwards because germany on the one hand has obviously advanced a lot since the fall of the berlin wall since german reunification but it is absolutely clear that the country still has many challenges ahead and that is something that was also evident today the goal of german reunification as an expert put it not long ago is not complete its not 100 Percent Complete and that will be a challenge that will face a germany will face for a long time still so i would say that those elements were absolutely present today right here at the bernauer and i think those elements are also important elements as we continue to commemorate this day today as i said earlier it was not only about celebrating it was also about remembering and about discussing what happened right here 3 decades ago and what germany has or has not learned since then tell us what you are describing is a complex memorial a complex day one of many manifold and motions in fact people you speak to today what do they feel about this day the process that germany has undergone. I think it depends who you talk to if youre talking for example to young people there were plenty of young people by the way here with many slogans talking about how they are the future how they want the future to be different how they are worried for example when it comes to Climate Change i thought that was particularly interesting that on a day where you are remembering the fall of the berlin wall you also have a group of students saying that they actually want to learn what happened back then and try to understand that they are above all the future if you talk to 2 older people people who probably went through that through that German Division who probably saw firsthand what the fall of the berlin wall was all about and what it meant they will probably try and approach this state rather differently with a bit of nostalgia maybe but also with a sense as i said earlier of what germany might have learnt but also what divisions still remain so i think its important to understand this from a different perspective from from a perspective which includes different layers and layers for example from those people who witnessed this firsthand but also from those who didnt but who understand that the wall was a powerful symbol of division and that when that wall fail doc brought with itself a lot of lessons not only for this street here not only for this memorial which is now but also for the city and for germany as a whole absolutely thomas lessons challenges emotions paid evil all of that john just sum up the significance of this day for germany and even the significance of this day for someone who remembers the fall of the berlin wall. Well it was a time you know this is i was there when history was being made. And the people say journalists are fond of those kinds of expressions but i really did have that feeling on the 9th of november. 1900. 89 that i thought this is history being made the difficulties that i talked about off. The words that followed were not in themselves parts of what was happening that day they were the consequences that need to be looked at as i mentioned earlier historians and political scientists are now beginning to be able to with a certain amount of distance and time to analyze what was good in and purposes that followed what was could have been done better what might have been done better and more importantly than simply reckoning with the past deciding how to proceed into the future with resentments that there are still felt in in society but that being said that the for the billing war itself was a blow for freedom of ordinary people not necessarily freedom in a very narrow specific political sense people fighting for new democratic order i experienced as something very very similar very very simple of people simply experiencing their own individuality their right to travel and their rights to engage with other people and to express their views openly that was something that was a wonderful expression as i said there was a feeling almost of anarchy of the youth euphoria in in berlin at the time and of course the forest something key to remember as well on this very special day t w correspondent john of eric thank you so much for sharing your thoughts and your insights here in the studio with me and of course thomas aspira who is at ben our shasta all Political Correspondent thomas big thanks to you as well. Well you have been watching d. W. Use special coverage of ceremonies here in berlin walking the 30th anniversary of the fall of the berlin wall we have much more in store for you on this key on a verse or of course up next a peek at how newsrooms experienced the fall of the wall in the meantime well leave you over some more images from that memorable night im heading home for a imbalance thanks as ever for your company and c. C. I think a fee for the fleet i. Think. I i was not cut out that i. I thought it was going to hold up out. At up because i like to do you love me you know. I. Could live like a. Piece. A lot. Of. Years after the fall of the berlin wall and t w. Im not i think the jim well i guess sometimes i am but those ended up in which the Research Evidence digs deep into the german culture looking at the stereotype the question interesting to see if the country that i now live from. Kiev muted so you can take his grandmother. Yeah. Its all about ok. I might show join me to meet the gentleman from v. W. Post. Syrian born american visits a local bar in berlin. He lives just opposite with a father who was a member of the hitler youth as a child. Some residents are suspicious of refugees in the neighborhood. And there is curious about the bars regulars. Across the road worlds apart. Starting november 11th on b w. How to. Just cover your concept. Discover with the colleagues. Of school. Legend after 100 lives the ideals of the bombers are more relevant today the it was. 100 years ago visionaries reshaped things to come to follow people understood design as a way of shaping society. With ideas that are part of the core future. Of our house thats castella our interest in narrative and anything that needs to me found house means a vision of the future good of. What makes the house and its traditions spiralling to this very. Exciting power i. Prefer to mention starts nov 14th and w. I. Was in a motel my father as an adult and caught it gets a blue eye and i must mean yeah yeah i know i never thought of that. And even tubby to get home i might include options in good nights were just your be a very good over thats what. I knew it will happen the next day we had a lot of discussions of course