More than 100 people were killed at the Berlin Wall between 1961 and 1989 while trying to escape [EPA]
World leaders have gathered in Germany's capital to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, beginning the day's events with a prayer service.
Angela Merkel, Germany's chancellor and Horst Koehler, the country's president, joined a congregation at a former East Berlin church, where pro-democracy rallies were held in 1989.
"We remember the tears of joy, the faces of delight, the liberation," Lutheran Bishop Wolfgang Huber said at the Gethsemane Church.
But Merkel, who grew up in communist East Germany, used the opportunity to raise concerns about the work still to be done, saying "German unity is still incomplete".
"We must tackle this problem if we want to achieve equal quality of life [in east and west]," she told ARD public television on Monday.
Special report
Following the ceremony Merkel and Mikhail Gorbachev, the ex-Soviet leader, walked through the Bornholmer Strasse crossing - a former border where hundreds of East Germans rushed past 20 years ago.
Merkel, who grew up in East Germany and was one of thousands to cross that night, recalled that "before the joy of freedom came, many people suffered."
She told Gobrachev, who is known for his role in pushing reform in the Soviet Union, that "we always knew that something had to happen there so that more could change here".
"You made this possible - you courageously let things happen, and that was much more than we could expect," she said.
Colourful events
Thousands of people have poured into the capital to mark the anniversary of the event on November 9, 1989, which led to the reunification of Germany and paved the way for the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Merkel will be joined throughout the day by pivotal figures from the era that ushered in the collapse of communism in Eastern Europe as commemorative events around the once-divided city continue throughout Monday.
They include Lech Walesa, who led anti-communist protests in Poland as the head of the Solidarity trade union, and
former dissidents.
Gordon Brown, the British prime minister, Nicolas Sarkozy, the French president, Dmitry Medvedev, his Russian counterpart, and Hillary Clinton, the US secretary of state, will also attend - representing the four nations which occupied post-war Germany.
The day's celebrations will include the toppling of 1,000 giant, brightly coloured dominoes along a 1.5km-stretch of the wall's original path, to symbolise how communist governments in the Eastern Bloc fell one after another in 1989.
Memorials are also planned to the 136 people killed trying to cross the
border, and a concert featuring performances from Bon Jovi and the Staats kapelle orchestra are expected later on Monday.
Merkel, who was working as a scientific researcher in East Berlin 20 years ago, has called the fall of the Wall "the happiest day in recent Germany history".
Al Jazeera's David Chater, reporting from Berlin, said there was a real sense of celebration in the air.
"But it is nothing like that feeling on the streets on that day in particular, because it marked the end of communism itself."
Sore point
But for some German residents, the 1990 reunification of the country remains a sore point.
A poll of more than 1,000 Germans carried out for the Leipziger Volkszeitung newspaper showed one in eight wanted the wall rebuilt - with the numbers nearly equal in the eastern and western parts of the now-unified country.
Shaken by the mass flight of its citizens into capitalist West Berlin, East Germany began erecting its "anti-fascist protection barrier" in the early hours of August 13, 1961.
According to a study published this year, at least 136 people were killed at the Berlin Wall between 1961 and 1989 while trying to escape.
However, thousands managed to evade the minefields, dogs and guards in watchtowers, using schemes including tunnels, aerial wires and hidden compartments in cars in order to make it to the West.
And as for the onewho fears standing in front of His Lord and restrainsthe soul from impure evil desires and lusts, verily, Paradise will be his abode [79:40-41]
A friend and I drove for hours into Berlin one day in 1989 to observe people chipping small bits off the Wall for souvenirs. That was only weeks before the wall officially fell - but already there was a atmosphere of hope and expectancy.
For my generation, who had never known a Germany without the division, it almost seemed impossible to believe that it could be done ...
As it happened the reunification wasn't without it's difficulties and disappointments, but it was a great moment nonetheless - and it marked the end of the Cold War!
Peace glo
Here I stand.
I can do no other.
May God help me.
Amen.
Come, let us worship and bow down •
and kneel before the Lord our Maker
[Psalm 95]
In my opinion, he didn't play a big role and it looks like he wants the honor to himself.
And as for the onewho fears standing in front of His Lord and restrainsthe soul from impure evil desires and lusts, verily, Paradise will be his abode [79:40-41]
In my opinion, he didn't play a big role and it looks like he wants the honor to himself.
Ha, breh, its nice that You know him at all.
But seriously, our biggest polish star, after John Paul II, good old wicked Lech played important role in Solidarity movement in 70's and 80's which began the change in Soviet Bloc in central Europe.
This country is dying because of a lack of men, not a lack of programs.
But seriously, our biggest polish star, after John Paul II, good old wicked Lech played important role in Solidarity movement in 70's and 80's which began the change in Soviet Bloc in central Europe.
a little history lesson I got.
The key figures who played a bigger role were John Paul II, Ronald Reagan and Gorbatsjov.
Lech says that 50% is thanks to John Paul II and 30% for his solidarity movement and less than 20% is thanks to the rest of the world who has helped the fall of the wall.
hmm 30% is a little too much for me.
And as for the onewho fears standing in front of His Lord and restrainsthe soul from impure evil desires and lusts, verily, Paradise will be his abode [79:40-41]
The key figures who played a bigger role were John Paul II, Ronald Reagan and Gorbatsjov.
Lech says that 50% is thanks to John Paul II and 30% for his solidarity movement and less than 20% is thanks to the rest of the world who has helped the fall of the wall.
hmm 30% is a little too much for me.
Lech the superstar Yo!
I think that its hard to measure it in percentage. I dont want to talk now like ultra patriot, but rather like a historician. The fact that in best moments Solidarity had 7 million members, mostly workers, it was pretty destructive to communists mentality here. The fact that such huge organization was independent in an almost totalitarian country, and that it was anti - communistic worker movement it also did count. The whole myth of communism liberating workers crashed with reality then. I can also add that Solidarity was I guess the only such mass and nationwide movement in Soviet Bloc those times. But again, its impossible to count their influence by percentage, and Lech's ego is bigger than his intelect no doubt.
This country is dying because of a lack of men, not a lack of programs.
A friend and I drove for hours into Berlin one day in 1989 to observe people chipping small bits off the Wall for souvenirs.[/B] That was only weeks before the wall officially fell - but already there was a atmosphere of hope and expectancy.
Pieces of Berlin Wall was an unique export commodity from Germany. It sold in my country.
For my generation, who had never known a Germany without the division, it almost seemed impossible to believe that it could be done ...
They will not believe if we tell them about difference between life in West and East Germany. I never visited this wall but I still remember some photos of this wall. Full of colorful graffiti on one side and full of barbed wire on another side.
Alhamdulillah, no more Berlin Wall, no more Checkpoint Charlie, no more Stasi.
As it happened the reunification wasn't without it's difficulties and disappointments, but it was a great moment nonetheless - and it marked the end of the Cold War!
Reunification ?. I think the right word is 'Liquidation of East Germany'.
I know Liquidation is not the right word. But in fact, after reunification West was too dominant. In example, in Bundesliga 91-92, only two football team from East Germany that can participated in competition, 18 others were ex-West Germany.
I know Liquidation is not the right word. But in fact, after reunification West was too dominant. In example, in Bundesliga 91-92, only two football team from East Germany that can participated in competition, 18 others were ex-West Germany.
I wanted to know how has the fall of the wall affected the muslims ummah???
Actually, the fall of Berlin Wall didn't affected anything to Muslims ummah. But the fall of Berlin Wall was a symbol of the end of Cold War. During Cold War especially in Afghanistan, Muslims ummah and US govt had a good relationship, but after the Cold War ended, this relationship began to change.
About Hollywood. If Muslims become enemies in their movies, that is because they need enemies for their action heroes. But I also found a fact, there are many Zionist supporter in Hollywood.
@ ADRIANTO
yes you are right, in bollywood also heroes are hindus, villians are muslims
In Indonesia, you will not find bollywood movies with story like this, but you can find many bollywood movies with other stories.
-------------------------------
In bollywood, the muslims get to play the heroes when they are fighting for India against their Pakistanis brothers [muslims]
Shahrukh Khan acted as Maj. Ram P Sharma in Main Hoon Na, but the enemy was former Indian officer who killed few Pakistanis.
However, I think there are numbers of bollywood movies which muslims actor get play the heroes against Pakistanis, but movies with story like this never came to Indonesia.
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