SASKATOON – Members of Saskatoon’s German community are celebrating the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall Sunday.
A free showing of the documentary When the Wall Came Tumbling Down: 50 Hours that Changed the World is being held at the German Cultural Centre starting at 4 p.m., followed by a reception and banquet.
The event also features a photo exhibition, presentations and entertainment.
The Berlin Wall – a symbol of division between two conflicting ideologies – came down Nov. 9, 1989.
Sabine Doebel-Atchison, executive director of the Saskatchewan German Council, said she still remembers the historic event.
“I’m from East Germany and we were watching the news on the evening of November 9th,” said Doebel-Atchison, who was 10 years old at the time.
“The next morning, I remember going to school and there were a lot fewer students in class than usual because they all had gone to West Germany.”
Crowds of East Germans crossed over and joined West Germans on the other side in celebration.
“Being able to go to places you’ve only heard about, and never thought you could go to. My family took the opportunity to go to Hamburg that day,” Doebel-Atchison said.
Over the following weeks, people chipped away parts of the wall, marking the most significant events in German history and paving the way for unity in the country.
Amber Rockliffe contributed to this story
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