Il 9th November 1989 It is a date that marked the end of an era. That day, the Berlin Wall, a symbol of the ideological and physical division between the Communist bloc and the Western world, fell under the pressure of a people eager for freedom and united by the hope of a better future. Its fall marked the end of the Cold War, the collapse of the Soviet Union and the beginning of a new order in Europe, culminating in the reunification of Germany.
Today, however, 35 years after that fateful day, Germany finds itself having to deal with a new and unexpected division, which is no longer ideological, but political, economic and social. In a country that still celebrates its unity, new fractures emerge that test the cohesion of the nation.
The Berlin Wall: 28 Years of Division
Berlin wall, erected in 1961 During the Cold War, it represented not only a physical barrier, but became the symbol of an ideological division which lasted for nearly three decades. At 155 kilometers long and 3,6 meters high, the wall was surrounded by a moat, two reinforced concrete walls and a “death strip” guarded by watchtowers, guards and dogs. Berlin was split in two, and with it the whole of Germany, a conflict that caused suffering and separation for families and friends. Despite the very heavy surveillance, about 5.000 people managed to escape to West Berlin, but sadly at least 133 people lost their lives trying to cross.
The Wall became the center of a global struggle, a symbol of a conflict that seemed destined to never end.
It took 28 years of division before the wall came down. The trigger was a sudden change in East German travel policy. Following a decision by Egon Krenz and to an error by the regime's spokesman, Gunter Schabowski, who mistakenly announced that Eastern Europeans could cross the border “right now,” the guards could not stop the people's enthusiasm. Thousands of people poured into the border crossings, forcing the soldiers to let them pass. The news went around the world and the media documented the incredible scene.
In Berlin, among the cheering crowd, the famous cellist Mstislav Rostropovich rang at Checkpoint Charlie, while the police, who had imposed the ban only a few hours earlier, were no longer visible. In the following days, many travelled to Berlin to take fragments of the Wall as I remember, becoming the “Mauerspechte” (wall spikes).
To celebrate the end of the division, on July 21, 1990, Roger Waters by Pink Floyd he organized a concert extraordinary in Berlin, while the The official reunification of Germany took place on October 3 of the same year, when the former GDR territories joined the Federal Republic of Germany.
The new “walls”: 35 years later in Germany, shadows of new divisions
If the Berlin Wall was torn down, new “walls” seem to be rising within German society. Today, Germany is faced with new divisions, this time not between East and West, but within the same company. The promises of economic and social equality between the two halves of the country that followed reunification have not been fully fulfilled. Although Berlin and other Western cities have prospered, the regions of the former East Germany still feel marginalized. Economic disparities are evident, and growth in the eastern parts remains slower than in the big cities of the West.
The former East Germany, once a socialist stronghold, is now seeing a growing support for the far right, with the party Alternative for Deutschland (AfD) which is gaining ground in these regions. The recent regional elections in Brandenburg, a state of the former East Germany, saw theAfD almost takes first place, a clear sign of the growing political polarization that is undermining the country's social and political unity.
Today's divisions are more subtle, but no less dangerous. The far right, with its anti-immigration and nationalist rhetoric, is gaining increasing support in areas that were once under Soviet control. Cultural tensions, economic hardship, and growing distrust of traditional parties are fueling a climate of uncertainty.
An anniversary that comes in the midst of a political crisis
The anniversary of the fall of the Wall comes this year in a moment of political crisis and recession of the country. The Chancellor Olaf Scholz recently fired the finance minister, Christian Lindner, putting an end to the short and turbulent coalition traffic light between the Social Democrats (SPD), the Greens and the Liberals (FDP). A gesture that has exacerbated the ongoing political crisis and called into question the stability of the German government. The end of the coalition could lead to the Country to hold new elections as early as end of 2025, another sign of the growing political divide.
Meanwhile, the opposition Christian Democrats (CDU/CSU) have stepped up their calls for an early vote of confidence in the Bundestag, while the far-right AfD continues to gain ground.
The lesson of the past: the need for unity
In 1989, the fall of the Berlin Wall offered us a vision of hope and unity. But today's Germany, although more physically united, faces new fractures who are likely to undermine social and political cohesion. The country must learn from the lessons of the past and face its internal challenges with determination, dialogue and a shared vision for a better future. True unification is not measured only by removing physical walls, but by overcoming the ideological and social barriers that still separate its citizens.
