Prior to its fall on Nov. 9, 1989, the Berlin Wall stood as a clear symbol of separation between the free and the oppressed. From its construction in 1961, the Berlin Wall endured for nearly three decades with the primary purpose of halting those who tried to flee East Germany.
The breach in the wall was announced by top official Günter Schabowski at a televised press conference, and not a moment passed before East German citizens jubilantly “scrambled” over the wall in overwhelming numbers. As eyewitness Uwe Kross recalls: “That night, you couldn’t stop people. They lifted the barrier and everyone poured through.”
Soon after, crowds began to hack it away to destruction, joyfully reclaiming their freedoms and announcing the end of Communist oppression. It was obvious to everyone: Communism was dead.
In honor of this historic event, then-President George W. Bush designated Nov. 9 as World Freedom Day in 2001.
While we may not have a barrier as clear as the Berlin Wall to remind us of the oppression that pervades our current day and age, the signs are just as clear. Read more.
The breach in the wall was announced by top official Günter Schabowski at a televised press conference, and not a moment passed before East German citizens jubilantly “scrambled” over the wall in overwhelming numbers. As eyewitness Uwe Kross recalls: “That night, you couldn’t stop people. They lifted the barrier and everyone poured through.”
Soon after, crowds began to hack it away to destruction, joyfully reclaiming their freedoms and announcing the end of Communist oppression. It was obvious to everyone: Communism was dead.
In honor of this historic event, then-President George W. Bush designated Nov. 9 as World Freedom Day in 2001.
While we may not have a barrier as clear as the Berlin Wall to remind us of the oppression that pervades our current day and age, the signs are just as clear. Read more.
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