Events commemorated 25th anniversary of the fall of Berlin Wall

World Today

Germany commemorated the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall on Sunday, an event which led to country’s reunification between east and west. Berlin hosted a big party for the occasion, which featured a light installation along the path where the wall used to be.

For Germans who experienced the fall of the wall, it’s something they will never forget. Hundreds of thousands of people came to the German capital to celebrate an event that dramatically shaped the history of the last century.

Berlin installed illuminated balloons along a 15 kilometer (about 9.3 mile) path where the wall used to be. Many Berliners spent the weekend walking along it, remembering the division that used to define this city.

Events spanned the weekend, including public film screenings and special exhibits about the wall’s history. German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who grew up in the former East Germany, lit a candle to honor the 138 people who died trying to cross the border.

“The fall of the Berlin Wall showed us that dreams can come true, and that nothing has to stay the way it is, no matter how high the hurdles might seem to be,” Merkel said.

After the sun set, the balloons that had temporarily divided East and West Berlin were released into the night sky, symbolizing the collapse of the wall that ushered in a new era of a united Germany.

CCTV America’s Ira Spitzer reports from the German’s capital.