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35 Years Since The Fall Of The Berlin Wall - The R/Evolution Is Love

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4 days agoSteemit2 min read

On November 9, we remember the fall of the Berlin Wall 35 years ago - a historic event that reshaped Europe. Built in 1961 by East German authorities to divide Berlin, the Wall was a 155-kilometer stretch with 302 watchtowers and 45,000 concrete blocks meant to stop escapes. On November 9, 1989, it came down, closing a chapter of separation.

For many Germans, it was the end of a tough post-war era. After 28 years of forced separation, families and friends could finally reunite. Although the events took everyone by surprise, East German citizens had already been protesting for political and economic change for months.

The position of the East German government, which resisted the openness and restructuring reforms initiated years earlier by the Soviet Union, was already crumbling. And so, the Iron Curtain fell, and history took a giant step forward!

One of the most iconic Berlin Wall images, The Kiss shows Brezhnev and Honecker in a kiss, a reminder of their strong but controlling connection.

This brings us to the East Side Gallery in Berlin, a spot near the Spree River where a preserved section of the Berlin Wall still stands. In 1990, famous international artists covered the once-gray wall with paintings that reflected personal dreams, desires, destinies, and memories from the time before the Wall.

Many of these artworks celebrate freedom and the joy of change. Altogether, there are 101 paintings spanning 1,316 meters, making it one of the largest outdoor galleries in the world.

Art inspired by Pink Floyd’s The Wall album.

In 1987, David Bowie held a legendary concert by the Wall, triggering riots in East Berlin. Some say these protests were the start of the movements that led to the Wall falling. Six days after, Reagan made his famous speech at Brandenburg Gate: "Mr. Gorbachеv, open this gate. Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this Wall!"