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What did the Berlin Wall and its inevitable fall mean for Germany and the world? How did this one incident trigger some many more crucial political developments, in Europe and worldwide? How do Germans today remember and deal with this part of their history? The Berlin Wall fell on 9 November 1989 by a peaceful revolution of people who chose freedom over promises of equality and security. With a domino effect, the event not only challenged the basic premise and foundation of communism, it gave a global voice to the call for freedom. In 2001, 9 November was declared the “World Freedom Day” by the US to commemorate the fall of the Berlin Wall and the end of communist rule in Central and Eastern Europe. This day serves as a reminder that vigilance is the key to the maintenance of a free society, and, as in the past, freedom does not come without sacrifice.

To commemorate the 20th anniversary of this momentous event, FNF South Asia brought together German and Indian liberals at a film-screening and panel discussion on the theme, "Celebrating Freedom: 20 Years after the Fall of the Berlin Wall” on 10 November in New Delhi. With this special eNewsletter, we bring to you reflections by liberals, mainly from South Asia, about their perspectives of the fall of the Berlin Wall - as a special dedication to all those citizens, in South Asia and beyond, who are committed to tearing down the walls of coercion, protectionism, and intolerance in order to create more freedom, peace, prosperity and opportunity for all.
- Dr. René Klaff, Regional Director, FNF South Asia


The Twentieth Anniversary of the Fall of the Berlin Wall and its Relevance for Germany and Europe
Dr. Wolfgang Gerhardt
The fall of the Berlin Wall opened a new chapter in world history and changed the lives of peoples and nations (and, of course, the city of Berlin) to an extent, that can hardly be overestimated. November 9, 1989 was the kick-off for a breathtaking process: only 11 months later Germany celebrated the reunification of the two German states after 40 years of forced separation. Read on...
 
Walls Between Minds
Dr. Ashok V. Desai
It is 20 years since the fall of the Berlin wall, the cataclysmic event that changed the face of Europe, and 50 years since I first went to Germany. I studied in Kiel in the early 1960s; the scars of defeat and division were then still etched on the landscape and on the minds of Germans. I remember visiting Berlin soon after the wall was erected. The wall was only for Germans; it did not stop foreigners like me. Read on...
 
20 Years Later: Why the Berlin Wall Fell?
Swaminathan Aiyar
We are approaching the 20th anniversary of the fall of communism. This comprehensively refuted the communist claim to represent the people. Yet the claim continues, sometimes dazzling a new generation of youngsters with no inkling of why the Berlin Wall fell on
November 9, 1989. Read on...
 
20 Years of the Fall of the Berlin Wall and Maoism in Nepal
Arpita Nepal
On November 9, 1989 one of the most defining events of history took place. Fall of the Berlin Wall redefined the success of political ‘isms’ and initiated a wave of democratization and liberalization efforts around the world. While on the global scale, disintegration of the Soviet USSR was an event closely followed by people around the world, Nepal had its own share of historical and defining moments away from the global attention. Read on...
   
How the Pakistani Liberals View the Fall of the Berlin Wall
Anees Jillani
Germany has always fascinated the Asians - unfortunately often for wrong reasons. Most of Asia, including the Indian sub-continent, was colonized by the British for a long time. Any developments, whether domestic or external, that hurt the colonial power thus was lauded in
the colonies. Read on...
   
Berlin Wall 1989: Collapse of Communism - Lesson for Capitalism
Barun Mitra
On November 9, 1989, the Berlin Wall that divided East and West Germany, both physically and ideologically, finally fell. It was a political earthquake, which signaled the end of communism. Communism was characterised by its contempt for private property, by the complete control of the state over the economy, and consequently, by its disregard for price as a signal of scarcity and guide for investment. Read on...
   
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