Freedom Without Walls - 20 Years Fall of the Wall

1989 - 2009

The fall of the Berlin wall 20 years ago marked the beginning of a new era in history.  It was the end of the Cold War, the beginning of a fully united Europe and proof that peaceful change is possible, even in the moments when it seems most unlikely. 

Looking Back at the Fall of the Berlin Wall

On November 9, 1989, jubilant crowds gathered on both sides of the Berlin Wall to celebrate the opening of border crossings between the eastern and western parts of the city. Germany's postwar division was over and national unity came less than a year later. 

Berlin Wall Timeline

Berlin Wall in the United States - Interactive Map

What happened to the 96-mile ring of concrete that once surrounded West Berlin? Some pieces are in Germany, but many also found their way abroad, including over 50 complete segments in the United States. Browse our interactive map to see where they are.

Berlin Wall in the USA

Traces of the Wall: Relive History in Berlin

Within a decade of the wall falling, Berlin achieved something momentous; it became commonplace for Berliners to cross between East and West Berlin without thinking much of it. Today, the city is working to ensure that the world remembers just how extraordinary an every day trip across town can be.

Traces of the Wall

From No Man's Land to Nature Preserve – The Inner German Border

The iron curtain may be a blemish in history, but the former border between East and West Germany is a jewel of nature today.  Conservationists are working to preserve the unique eco-systems that flourished in the former no man's land.

Inner German Border

Wall Stories by Germany.info Readers

On the occasion of the anniversary of the Fall of the Berlin Wall we asked our readers, "where were you when the wall came down?" Read what Germany.info readers told us about their personal and moving memories of that historic event.

Wall Stories 2006

Profiles - East Germans Shaping Germany

In celebrating the 20th anniversary of the peaceful revolution that brought down the Wall, we will profile over the course of 2009 important East Germans who have shaped beyond all physical borders the cultural, intellectual and political life of postwar Germany and Europe.

Profiles