Done my pays tribute to Eastern European countries and their role in the events of 989. 00. And of course well look back at that historic night 30 years ago the events that led to the fall of the. Welcome to the Program Germany has been marking the 30th anniversary of the fall of the burden war events took place across the capital with a main celebration at the Brandenburg Gate german chancellor Angela Merkel and other european leaders took part in a special ceremony so remember those who died on the east germanys shoot to kill orders against anyone trying to flee to the west this evenings events began with an iconic conductor leaving an iconic concerto in front of an iconic backdrop. Thousands gathered here to celebrate as they did 30 years ago on this date when violence Brandenburg Gate became an unforgettable backdrop to a night that changed the world. In what was a no mans land between east and west the thousands rushed to the landmark to climb atop the wall and make history. At the main celebration german president firefighters steinmeyer pay tribute to the east germans and others in the east bloc whose Peaceful Demonstrations led to the fall of the iron curtain he urged people to carry their legacy into the present. Today when we remember the brave people back then with gratitude. And maybe even tears in our eyes and we cant just sit by and watch as that for which they fought is forgotten. Just we cant allow people to be excluded and attacked democracy to be disrespected and our solidarity destroyed we cant allow that to happen. Next to nothing. Earlier in the day leaders from central and Eastern Europe placed rosens to honor the many who were killed trying to escape communist east germany on banners tossed the wall run straight to the middle of the street dividing families neighbors and friends. Chancellor spoke at the chapel of reconciliation year by it was built on the former death strip where the east German Government demolished a church to build border posts. Having grown up in the century Many American knows the impact of the berlin wall firsthand. At the ceremony she delivered a message of hope. Well you know by want many of them when the berlin wall ladies and gentlemen is history kind of it proves that no war that segregates people and limits freedom is so high and so wide a scene that it could not be broken 3 and. This is brilliance message to the world on this 9th day of november not unlike the scenes that captured the worlds imagination 30 years ago. W. s chief political anytime a fan a curfew has been covering the celebrations at the Brandenburg Gate. Live in germany east and west celebrates 30 years in the fold of the fallen for here at the Brandenburg Gate in this city built to symbolize the power of crosses in the now and of the past decade has gone from being the symbol of the cold when they so when the also park faced off to becoming the symbol of german reunification a lot of sounds a lot of the foreman says this evening but in between also the mess is that east germans need more of a say in where germany or unification is truly going politicians here like fallen may. Also reminding that experiencing the freedom east to west germany power today also means taking responsibility for the freedom of the future. Were going to go from a reporting youre watching special coverage of the 3rd it out of the story of the fall off the boat in war weve seen some of todays commemorative events here in the city so lets now go back to that historic night 30 years ago. The world 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 and of the good luck with. That thus no one dreamed that this was possible in their life a tough guy image upload the solution it is too good to be true millions of people have been waiting for this moment. So youve never been to the west no never what sort of feeling is that brilliant indescribable the atmosphere in the joy you cant believe it my its crazy. Logs an. 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 came down from a not. Just and we just walked right through without being stopped it was fantastic. I just went over with my id was let in just went over there i asked if it was free yes they asked what were you planning to pay with money and what did you do here in western and no absolute just went over there and stood there had my feet on the ground that was it 1st just went over there to see if its true because now i can go back and forth at any time its fantastic leaders were surprised and overwhelmed former an incumbent man as a prime time back gate. They spoke of the happiest people on earth of the united europe a vision and ideas. Leave the pay somewhere for the museum. Was. Evident the people must be able to meet each other again freely not just for a few days but always. One year later east and west germany were united but bitter memories of decades of separation and a system of oppression remained. Was part of our coverage of todays events the doubly reporters have been at some of the key birthing locations where history was made lets join Rachel Stewart welcome rachel where are you. Well im at the very point where the 1st ever Border Crossing was opened in 1809 its not one of the best known points perhaps like Brandenburg Gate or checkpoint charlie im up Bornholmer Strasse which is in the north of the city and im not alone there are a lot of people here tonight as you might be able to hear celebrating that very moment there they are 30 years ago after the unexpected and somewhat premature announcement that these borders were going to be opened you can ration the reaction that was here in the east these people hadnt been able to cross over this border for decades many of them had friends and family on the other side so soon as they heard the news many people headed straight to the border so soon enough there was a crowd gathered here now the Border Guards themselves hadnt been given any official information by this point worst Case Scenario they could have ended up trying to shoot at people as they tried to cross the border likely they avoided that but there was still a sense of panic rising by 920 they decided the best thing to do was let a few people across but it wasnt enough the guards were essentially overwhelmed at 1130 the chief decided this is it we have to open the borders so in the next hours at this point alone more than 20000 east germans would cross over into west berlin and they were met by crowds just as excited on the other side so now we can see people celebration that very moment because it was momentous and it was followed suit elsewhere in the city other Border Crossing started to open and that marks not just the beginning of the end for the berlin wall it was also the end for the socialist party it was the beginning of the end of the cold war and of course it led eventually to the reunification of germany. Im rachel sure thank you. All from the former Border Crossing the border Houma Strasser to get hard at another key location a little earlier today. Out of more than schloss in the center of the lane and because in this building behind me all the believe that stood there before the political events of the 9th of november culminated in a very famous press conference during that day but the political scene in east berlin was very basic busy there was frantic activity there was a full of pro meeting there was a Central Committee meeting where basically it was decided to lift travel restrictions on the next day the 10th of november and then a man called going to schabowski who was have been the government spokesman only for 3 days was told to go and brief the International Press which he then did and there were a couple of misunderstandings there in that press conference and i think we can have a listen to that right now. The east German Government was under growing pressure on the evening of november 9th 1909 a spokesman going to be called a press conference. In a bid to quell the growing demonstrations communist authorities had agreed to allow east germans to travel without restrictions to the west. Was asked by reporters when this would take effect he looked at his notes. Just as far as im aware its Effective Immediately because. The east german regime was caught off guard across the border in west berlin camera teams waited for something to happen the announcement set off a tidal wave of east german citizens who wanted to enter the west hours later history was made as people began crossing the border freely and the berlin wall began to fall. And with me now i. With me now here in the center of pearland is gergiev norton who at the time was a rookie reporter for 29 years working for west german radio on is only a 2nd assignment to east berlin and he went to this now Infamous Press conference. Tell me was there anything did you know what to expect not exactly but the town was filled with rumors with experts and tension and something had to happen. To the regulations are struggling and they had to change those regulation this evening next day but attest to happen now the pressure on the government was intense was it yeah because the g. D. R. Was bleeding out 2 deaths. Several sauza 10000 of people leaving a week for a week of the g. D. P. And these were the young people the young families the best of them when you went into this press conference was it immediately palpable that we would be a historic event had he not yes knowing that i went in and my 1st impression was completely annoying because mr schabowski swagged all the time about reforming socialism and how to do it and how to make a better place but that was not the question the people were thinking about the people were thinking about freedom and traveling and 57 of the 60 minutes the press a press Conference Take place he talks about reforming socialism and then you missed the main part a nightmare for recording yeah complete nightmare and historic fail for me because i feel. Minutes before the press conference and i have to go upstairs where a radio studio was to make a life broadcast to my Radio Station in less than berlin so i prepared a little bit 5 minutes and this where the 5 minutes i missed the historical sentence of mr schabowski so you could have been the 1st person to tell the world that the wall is open but you couldnt after you realize what did you do then yeah i went inside to several bars and pencil back in some berlin and spoke with the people there they didnt know anything and i brought the news to them and this was a very intense speaking and interns evening and then we went together to the border to the checkpoints where the pressure on the border was drawing growing in every minute nothing was happening at that very moment thank you very much for sharing your memories of a very sad and report. On the back to the studio so it was all going off 30 years ago indeed only Political Correspondent peter craven was here and while he was in west berlin 30 years ago witnessing history where were you that night i wasnt in west berlin i was in east berlin looking at it when it came to the crunch. Oh i was with a group of people who id sort of joined up with coming from the each there in lies a story we dont have enough time for that and we were heading for the berlin wall to try to become among the 1st people to actually get up on the berlin wall at the Brandenburg Gate from the eastern side and one of the guys in this group that i had sort of found myself among said charge and so we all started running towards the wall and there were Border Police with kalashnikovs in front of her on the breast as it were and we drew we challenged through their ranks and then climbed up onto the wall so you know this is indication of how dangerous it could get and yes i mean how do you really heard then that it was open. In my instance was a couple of friends id come from the west where i write you so rightly said that that was where i was based at the time had come through the invalid. Border crossing into the east and then joined up on the other side with these people from these they were charging them back to the west so theres this is this big mobs on the streets knowing that something was was was happening so you know you mentioned the Border Guards with their kalashnikov so not scared at all youd have been well in your early twentys and you know i was in my i was in my thirtys and i was with the woman who was to become my wife and we were we were that moment when the guy said charge and we started running towards the wall i can remember turning and looking to my partner and thinking this is the right thing to be doing but it could come up one heck of a price i mean there was a real sense of this is on and i think its because there had been demonstrations calling for reform and what we get you get the impression that the actual announcement took everyone by surprise it did and that was what was so amazing i mean i had contacts in east berlin i had contacts in east germany and i knew people in west berlin who were really in the know and you would have these endless conversation who are saying the wall is going to come down isnt it yes wed say and then the next question would always be going to happen in my lifetime and youd say. Maybe but probably not probably eric on a cold when this argument and itll be there in 50 years time or 200 years time is that thats what he said the communist leader and life in the years so you were moving between east and west how did life in east and west berlin differ before the war came down differ. I think the similarities were actually quite interesting that each country each city in east berlin and west berlin was a was a shot from for its system its ideology there was capitalism in the west berlin being shown off in the in the windows of the big boutiques in west berlin in east germany that was the showoff city for. East german communism truth be told both cities were really rather dingy but in a fascinating kind of way i mean what it helped helped everybody to make some good music and thats a good thing but today the united berlin is a better place to stay with us peter because once the wall opened then as wasted no time tearing it down but it left a scar that took decades to heal in our next report were going to meet an east berlin photographer who risked documenting the war from his side of the city. The center of the island skyscrapers and tourists filled the streets but this was the death strip until 1909 it was part of the heavily guarded wall complex which separated west and east 150 kilometers long and then places up to 150 meters wide as oh no berlin or was allowed to enter get down if you grew up in east berlin the wall stood right next to his home this is where he started taking photos. When i was relatively few i took my zoom lens and photographed it from far away. Because it was strictly forbidden to take pictures of the border area thats going to be so full of. His pictures so billions of radical transformation this waste land has become germanys government quarter the city may change but some things stay the same people need to love and eat. I used to love to come here with my camera because there was lots of life here lots of images to be captured and one thing that hasnt changed is qana because its still here today. Famous for its color youve lost cannot get has been selling sausages for 90 he is now and still serves the same menu the kleins today and different though. We have this used to be a working class neighborhood there were factories everywhere everyone dropped in here after their shift or on their way to work. Book gate for most east berlin as this was the end of the world today the city has been reunited but forget donegal somethin still remains. By me is the thought that if i still have the wall in my head. And when i travel across a Public Transportation in my mind im traveling from east to west or from west to east thats just stayed in my head than a. Professional and thats why im envious of the young people who do not have the same side on them. For those who born after the war what remains is just part of history. So lets bring it up to date with Political Correspondent of peter craven whos to with a supreme peter lets talk about berlin today in fact little by germany today how other former east and west now getting along well if you begin here in berlin people get on pretty well i would say its its viewed as entirely as you will as you well know its in theaters entirely uncle to talk about east and west really berlin has become sort of an International Zone if you so well its quite a sort of a good news story around german reunification there are other good news stories i mean a city that comes to mind is leipsic for example where things its a very very buoyant forward looking city but still theres massive resentment among people in eastern germany theres this figure of 57 people percent of these german saying recently that they view themselves as 2nd class citizens why so there are so many good reasons i found a very interesting example the other day that might explain this for our viewers. Of all the. Colleges universities and centers of Higher Education in eastern germany of which there are dozens maybe i think 80 plus how many have got directors who are from the east were talking about east german colleges of Higher Education the answer is 00000. That cannot be right so you can live by still active to discover action against each germans in atlanta sealing none for though you know there are lots of very ambitious young former east germans people from lisa in germany who have got great skills one of you know made Great Strides in recent years but nobody from eastern germany or very very few people thats too categorical to say nobody no very very few people are getting to the top either in new west germany or in east germany i suppose with the example is always going to be the chancellor who i suppose people are going to look at her and say well what what shes been in power for for all the years it was a decade and a half has what what has what have her the governments done about addressing those divisions between east and west 20 extremely large amounts of money and i mean the metaphor thats often used is that theyve spent it on the facades and the really it or at least a very interesting aspect of the story is not what is you know the pretty facades of it in germantown cities and villages but what is going on behind the facades and as i say there is still an awful lot of resentment when you took zippy pull not just people whove been left behind successful for eastern germans theyve seen the pain for example of their parents or grandparents in the 1990 s. When 75 percent of people lost their jobs they find it unbearable theyre angry. A good thing is that i think quite a lot of western germans and western german politicians are going around so the error of their ways and realising that we perhaps focused not perhaps we did we focus too much on the markets and too little on the people so that the country is united but still work to be done peter craven Political Correspondent thank you so much for that. So 30 years after the fall of the war where can you still see it or the longest remaining stretch towns along the east side of the citys river. When the border opened artists from around the world transformed a section of the wall into a giant outdoor canvas its now world famous and one of berlins biggest tourist attractions. The east i carry was started in february 990 artists were invited to paint an original portion of the berlin wall back then the initiative was designed to help east german artists who had suddenly been left without an income but in those exciting days of the former communist state opening up artists came from all over the world when berlin was divided it was common for people on the western side to draw graffiti on the wall but on the eastern side people approached at their peril the wall became more and more fortified with heavily armed guards tripwires searchlights and lookout towers Border Guards were ordered to shoot to kill anyone who tried to escape and more than 100. 00 people were killed trying to cross the border in berlin alone just a few months after those instruments of oppression were dismantled the east side gallery turned the symbol of terror into a canvas for Free Expression some of the artworks have become famous around the world because the gallery is exposed to the weather the images have had to be restored or even repainted several times today the east side gallery is a popular tourist destination. Youre watching the news live up next the very night of the fall of the war a documentary on the view now with images from todays celebrations have a good. The eh. I am. 30 years after the fall of the berlin wall on t. W. To the boss and its as if they dont need to keep a day about other people inside both for all of us much at home the force and flew the full disclosure seaman that makes them look so that missed the boat on the family is that the last dragon was worth recalling the harm the true. Degree books are now. Without borders. Cutting long and constant bending look to danger in the eye it was the summer of 198930 years later they chronicled the incredible story of their escape from east germany in a book and for us it was an experience that will bind them together forever. Your romans next on detail. Today i write a long before my border between east and west berlin. I would like to see what remains the big history of the division of Europe Germany temporarily and. Searching for traces of the berlin wall. 60 minutes on d w. Welcome to the book is the game here for d. W. I. Triplets to talk about some of the sounds of coverage. 3 more. As a whole we have last time lets have a look at some of the most recent legal so you dont want to miss this. Weekend t. W. The new book you are no one to keep. The length of nokomis. Exposing and justice global news that matters w. Many former times. Of un suggestible joy in the berlin wall fell