Celebrating the Fall of the Berlin Wall

by Alison Wellner (RSS feed)
Sep 18th 2009 at 2:02PM

Berlin Wall Memorial, Potsdamer Platz, Berlin Germany

It's been 20 years since the fall of The Berlin Wall, and the city's been celebrating all year, with special events, exhibits and hotel packages. I was in Berlin a few months ago, and even then, the energy around the anniversary was palpable -- strolling the sites defined by where the wall once stood, bristling with energy, it's hard to imagine the city divided. Potsdamer Platz, for example, was a barren urban wasteland and is now home to a moving temporary exhibit. And of course there are plenty of museum exhibits and memorials. (A list of special exhibitions here.)

Since we're now entering the anniversary of the season of unrest that led to the wall's euphoric end, on November 9th, 1989, this is the time to go relive one of the last century's landmark historic events, in a city with uniquely troubled modern history. The Westin Grand Berlin is offering a package that includes the opportunity to take hammer and chisel to a portion of the wall that the hotel has artfully (if a bit jarringly) placed right in front of its portico. This cushy hotel is convenient to the Brandenburg Gate and to other Wall memorials.

Gallery: Fall of the Berlin Wall, 20th Anniversary