Germany marked the 35th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall on Saturday, a pivotal moment in the collapse of communism in Europe.
At the Berlin Wall Memorial a commemoration was held, attended by German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.
The Governing Mayor of Berlin Kai Wegner was among those who spoke at the commemoration, describing the fall of the Berlin Wall by the people of the former GDR (German Democratic Republic or East Germany) as “incredible moments.”
Wegner also made reference to the people of the world “who do not live in freedom and democracy” and said he wanted Berlin “to be a place of hope” for them.
After the short event, Steinmeier and others placed flowers into cracks in the wall.
Built in 1961, the Wall stood for 28 years at the front line of the Cold War between the Americans and the Soviets.
It was built by the communist regime to cut off East Germans from the supposed ideological contamination of the West and to stem the tide of people fleeing East Germany.
Today, only a few stretches of the 156.4 kilometer (97.2 mile) barrier remain, mostly as a tourist attraction.
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