It has been a very intense 48 hours in the city of Berlin, with people from around the world and key players from recent history converging there to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. This post consists of coverage from around Europe on the event, which effectively marked the end of the old Cold War. I say old, because as Mikhail Gorbachev notes in speeches he gave over the past few days [below], the world has likely now embarked on a new one. Let us begin with some of the coverage of the celebration from Germans Deutsche Welle. First, people in Berlin for the festivities talk about why they are there and what it means: VIDEO: Berliners Celebrate German unification (Deutsche Welle, Germany) bit.ly/1wJbhpj Then, Germanys parliament, the Bundestag, marked the Walls fall in part by allowing former East German dissident and songwriter Wolf Biermann to sing his former hit protest song in the chamber: VIDEO: Berlin Wall Marked in Bundestag (Deutsche Welle, Germany) bit.ly/1EiRBZZ Then DWs Agenda program on the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall on Nov. 9. Host Brent Goff talks to three people who were there: Artist and Former East German dissident Katrin Hattenhauer, Former RIAS TV Editor-in-Chief Rüdiger Lentz, and Former U.S. Ambassador to Germany John C. Kornblum. VIDEO: Agenda: Fall of the Berlin Wall - 25 Years On (Deutsche Welle, Germany) bit.ly/1usZvAy Then, DWs Quadriga program hosted another roundtable discussion on the fall of the wall with Michael Stürmer, senior correspondent at the German daily Die Welt and a former adviser to German Chancellor Helmut Kohl; Erik Kirschbaum, American journalist now working for the Reuters news agency in Berlin; Dorota Danielewicz, Berlin-based journalist writing for the Polish publications Polityka and Gazeta Wyborcza. VIDEO: Germany 25 Years after the Fall of the Wall (Quadriga, Deutsche Welle) bit.ly/1xcB0YL Then, DWs weekly program Euromaxx Highlights examined how the fall of the Wall was recorded by photographers, and how it has changed peoples lives: VIDEO: Hitting the Streets and Remember 1989 (Euromaxx Highlights, Deutsche Welle) bit.ly/1pGvyv8 Now, moving on to Russia Todays coverage. First, Mikhail Gorbachev, the last president of the Soviet Union, in town for the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, visited the site of the former Checkpoint Charlie today and spoke of the danger that Europe and Russia might allow the gains made since that time to be lost due to the Ulraine conflict. As Gorbachev signs a piece of the Wall - Pink Floyds The Wall is played including Reagans remark to Tear Down This Wall - which amazingly, Gorbachev then comments on, saying Reagan was from Hollywood and had a flair for the dramatic: VIDEO: Gorbachev Visits Checkpoint Charlie (Russia Today) bit.ly/1osJWWQ Then, Gorbachev delivered the longest speech we in the West have seen from him in years. In Berlin for the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, Gorbachev delivered this 40 minute speech that blames the United States for the current crisis over Ukraine, and warns Europeans that if they continue to follow Washingtons line, Europe will be weakened and become irrelevant. VIDEO: Gorbachev: Western Policies Toward Russia Have Led to Crisis (Russia Today) bit.ly/1src49d Then, Euronews reported that Pope Francis has issued a public statement about the fall of the Berlin Wall, praising his predecessor Pope John Paul II for his role in the end of the Cold War and pleading with the world not to erect new walls: VIDEO: Pope Francis in Berlin homage: We need bridges, not walls! (Euronews, France) bit.ly/1EiOuRH Then Britains Financial Times looks at the concrete barrier that kept East Germans in and the rest of the world out - and asks whether given recent events, whether the celebrations began too soon: VIDEO: The Berlin Wall and the new Iron Curtain (Financial Times, U.K.) on.ft/1su7Xt5 Then from Ruptly - RTs affiliate in Europe, footage of Angela Merkel marking 25 years since the Wall fell: VIDEO: Merkel marks 25 years since the fall of the Berlin wall (Ruptly, Russia) bit.ly/1sulctD Then remarks of Chancellor Merkel on the significance to her and to the world of the Walls demise: VIDEO: German Chancellor Merkel Recalls the Fall of Berlin Wall (Euronews, France) bit.ly/1tw9Gxj Then, a report from Russia Today focusing on the climax of the celebrations over the past few days: VIDEO: 8,000 White Balloons: Berlin Marks Fall of the Wall (Russia Today) bit.ly/119tlxi Then, the Daily Mail posted this report on recently released FBI documents showing that Winston Churchill was prepared to A-bomb the Kremlin: Churchill wanted to Nuke Kremlin ‘to Win Cold War’ (Daily Mail, U.K.) dailym.ai/1AQnvAz Then a Russia Today report on concerns expressed by Mikhail Gorbachev about the worrying direction of the post Cold War world: VIDEO: Fear of New Barriers Emerge 25 Years After Fall of Berlin Wall (Russia Today) bit.ly/1APuwl3 Then a look at how the Berlin Wall and its collapse influenced German and Western film making and culture: VIDEO: Berlin, 25 Years Later (France 24) bit.ly/1xcy6Dt Then a seven minute segment from RT on the ramifications of the fall of the Wall: VIDEO: Beyond the Wall: A Legacy that Shaped Berlin (Russia Today) bit.ly/1su9Dmp Then an interview with former East German and professor at Georgetown University Dieter Dettke on the circumstances that led to the fall of the Wall, U.S.-Germany relations, and the impact of a unified Germany and its role in the world. VIDEO: Fall of the Berlin Wall East German Professor Dieter Dettke (C-Span, U.S.) cs.pn/1zdO5Pm Then, a couple of clips from the past. First, President Ronald Reagans famous speech at the Berlin Wall, which Mikhail Gorbachev commented on while visiting Checkpoint Charlie (see above): VIDEO: President Reagan at the Berlin Wall (C-Span, U.S.) cs.pn/1yo47p1 Then, President John F. Kennedys Ich ben ein Berliner speech at the Berlin Wall from June 26, 1963: VIDEO: At Berlin Wall, President Kennedy Declares Ich ben ein Berliner (Internet Video) bit.ly/1EiMlFB Then a series of digitally-remastered color clips featuring President Kennedy visiting Berlin in 1963. Footage is shown of President Kennedy visiting West Berlin and speaking to a crowd; footage with Kennedy stating ich bin ein Berliner; and a reception in West Berlin. VIDEO: Newsreel of President Kennedy in Berlin, June 24, 1963 (C-Span, U.S.) bit.ly/1spo8Xz
Posted on: Mon, 10 Nov 2014 04:04:22 +0000
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