Germany is marking the 65th anniversary of the construction of the Berlin Wall, one of the most powerful symbols of the Cold War and the division of Europe.

The wall was built in 1961 at the height of Cold War tensions, separating East and West Berlin and effectively sealing off West Berlin from surrounding East Germany.

An installation and open-air exhibition in Germany are commemorating the historic anniversary and remembering those affected by the division.

The Berlin Wall stood for decades before finally falling on November 9, 1989, becoming a defining moment in the history of Germany and the end of the Cold War era.

At least 136 people were killed while attempting to cross the Berlin Wall, according to historical estimates.

Watch this Gravitas Image of the Day for a look back at the Berlin Wall, its history and its enduring significance.

Berlin Wall Anniversary: Germany Marks 65 Years Since Historic Cold War Divide

Gravitas recall: on 13 August 1961, construction began on a wall that would divide berlin in two. Molly Gambhir tells you more!

Gravitas recall: Building the berlin wall

Ukraine attack: Wars in Europe since fall of Berlin Wall

Explainer: Key things to know about Berlin Wall and its fall

November 09 in history: Napoleon becomes dictator of France, opening of the Berlin Wall and more

<p>The tremors of the&nbsp;Tiananmen Square massacre were felt beyond the borders of China and it coincided with tectonic shifts in international politics even as at home&nbsp;Beijing crushed the movement and toppled its symbol.</p>

<p>In the 1980s, Communist states across the world were starting to open up. The wave was led by the erstwhile USSR. Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev was pushing for reform.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
To the Communist world, Gorbachev personified change. He visited Beijing&nbsp;in May 1989, just days before the Tiananmen Square massacre.</p>

<p>It was the first visit by a Russian president in 30 years. The protesters wanted to meet him. They submitted a request at the Soviet embassy but&nbsp;Gorbachev declined.</p>

<p>However, what he saw in Beijing, bothered him. &nbsp;He reportedly told a member of his delegation that&nbsp;"some of those present here... have promoted the idea of taking the Chinese road. We saw today where this road leads. I do not want the Red Square to look like Tiananmen Square."&nbsp;</p>

<p>What he was referring to was Chinese authoritarianism. Gorbachev himself was taking his country towards reform. namely Glasnost and Perestroika. Gorbachev left Beijing on May 19 and what followed only reinstated his belief that Communist regimes needed to open up.</p>

<p>On June 4, Poland held its first partly free elections in over 40 years. It was on the same day as the Tiananmen Square massacre. Polish trade union--- solidarity-- won a landslide majority.</p>

<p>Protests erupted in Czechoslovakia between November and December of 1989. &nbsp;Thousands were rallying against the one-party Communist government.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Also in 1989, Hungary put an end to more than four decades of Communist rule. It transitioned into democracy. East Germany and Romania were also on the brink of collapse. China was watching very closely. These were fellow Communist states folding one after another. Then the Berlin wall fell on November 9, 1989.</p>

<p>In December next year, Romanian president and Dictator Nicolae Ceausescu was toppled.&nbsp;The USSR too was crumbling. The Chinese leaders went to great lengths to prevent the Soviet Union from disintegrating.</p>

<p>China viewed the USSR as a "pole"&nbsp;in a multipolar world. Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping used to refer to the USSR as the "polar bear".&nbsp;The USSR was also a model for other Communist parties and governments around the world. The Chinese Communist Party knit the survival of the Soviet Union very closely with its own legitimacy.</p>

<p>The Soviet Union collapsed in December 1991. It was one of the most pivotal events of the 20th century. The birthplace of the world's first socialist experiment had re-written its history.</p>

<p>The Soviet Union was no more and the Chinese Communist Party mourned its&nbsp;demise.</p>


The tremors of the Tiananmen Square massacre were felt beyond the borders of China and it coincided with tectonic shifts in international politics even as at home Beijing crushed the movement and toppled its symbol.

The tremors of the Tiananmen Square massacre were felt beyond the borders of China and it coincided with tectonic shifts in international politics even as at home Beijing crushed the movement and toppled its symbol. In the 1980s, Communist states across the world were starting to open up. The wave was led by the erstwhile USSR. Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev was pushing for reform. To the Communist world, Gorbachev personified change. He visited Beijing in May 1989, just days before the Tiananmen Square massacre. It was the first visit by a Russian president in 30 years. The protesters wanted to meet him. They submitted a request at the Soviet embassy but Gorbachev declined. However, what he saw in Beijing, bothered him. He reportedly told a member of his delegation that "some of those present here... have promoted the idea of taking the Chinese road. We saw today where this road leads. I do not want the Red Square to look like Tiananmen Square." What he was referring to was Chinese authoritarianism. Gorbachev himself was taking his country towards reform. namely Glasnost and Perestroika. Gorbachev left Beijing on May 19 and what followed only reinstated his belief that Communist regimes needed to open up. On June 4, Poland held its first partly free elections in over 40 years. It was on the same day as the Tiananmen Square massacre. Polish trade union--- solidarity-- won a landslide majority. Protests erupted in Czechoslovakia between November and December of 1989. Thousands were rallying against the one-party Communist government. Also in 1989, Hungary put an end to more than four decades of Communist rule. It transitioned into democracy. East Germany and Romania were also on the brink of collapse. China was watching very closely. These were fellow Communist states folding one after another. Then the Berlin wall fell on November 9, 1989. In December next year, Romanian president and Dictator Nicolae Ceausescu was toppled. The USSR too was crumbling. The Chinese leaders went to great lengths to prevent the Soviet Union from disintegrating. China viewed the USSR as a "pole" in a multipolar world. Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping used to refer to the USSR as the "polar bear". The USSR was also a model for other Communist parties and governments around the world. The Chinese Communist Party knit the survival of the Soviet Union very closely with its own legitimacy. The Soviet Union collapsed in December 1991. It was one of the most pivotal events of the 20th century. The birthplace of the world's first socialist experiment had re-written its history. The Soviet Union was no more and the Chinese Communist Party mourned its demise.

How Tiananmen Square massacre impacted Communist regimes around the world

<p><meta name="uuid" content="uuidxgnz7FgtbZkW" /><meta charset="utf-8" /></p>

<p>Germany celebrated on Saturday the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall that divided East and West Germany, with President Frank-Walter Steinmeier thanking Eastern European neighbours for spurring on the peaceful revolution.</p>

<p>The toppling of the wall, which separated the Communist-ruled East from the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/germany-marks-30th-anniversary-of-the-berlin-walls-fall-261073#commemorative-ceremony-attended-by-heads-of-state-261062">capitalist West</a> in Berlin for nearly three decades and became a potent symbol of the Cold War, was followed a year later by the reunification of Germany in 1990.</p>

<p>"Together with our friends, we remember with deep gratitude the events 30 years ago," Steinmeier said during a ceremony at the Bernauer Strasse Berlin Wall Memorial, which was also attended by Chancellor Angela Merkel and heads of state from Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic.</p>

<p>"Without the courage and the will to freedom of the Poles and Hungarians, the Czechs and Slovaks, the peaceful revolutions in Eastern Europe and Germany's reunification would not have been possible," Steinmeier said.</p>

<p>During the ceremony, Steinmeier and the presidents of the four Eastern European nations placed roses in a small gap in the remains of the wall at the memorial.</p>

<p>In August 1989, Hungarian border guards for the first time allowed people from East Germany to cross freely into Austria, paving the way for the fall of the Berlin Wall three months later and with it the end of the Iron Curtain.</p>

<p>Steinmeier said, however, that the historic event did not mark the "end of history" as U.S. historian Francis Fukuyama stated. The struggle of political systems continues and the future is more uncertain than ever before, he added.</p>

<p>"Liberal democracy is being challenged and questioned," Steinmeier said, calling on Germany and its European allies to keep fighting for a peaceful and united Europe.</p>

<p><strong>Rule of law</strong></p>

<p>His message was echoed by Merkel, who grew up in the former East, during a commemorative service at the memorial's chapel.</p>

<p>"The values ​on which Europe is founded -- freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law, respect for human rights -- are anything but self-evident. And they have to be filled with life and must be defended again and again," she said.</p>

<p>Foreign Minister Heiko Maas also used the occasion to appeal for European unity.</p>

<p>"Power is shifting away from Europe, authoritarian models are on the rise, the United States is increasingly looking inwards and international law is losing ground," he said.</p>

<p>"It means we will have to overcome some of our much-loved national taboos. Especially here in Germany. But the time to do it is now."</p>

<p>The United States and European allies accuse Berlin of spending too little on defence, and view Germany's large current account surplus as a sign that Germans are not investing enough to support growth and development.</p>

<p>Saturday's anniversary festivities in Berlin were due to culminate with a party at the Brandenburg Gate in the evening featuring the Staatskapelle Berlin orchestra directed by Daniel Barenboim and electronic music with techno DJ legend WestBam.</p>


Germany celebrated on Saturday the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall that divided East and West Germany, with President Frank-Walter Steinmeier thanking Eastern European neighbours for spurring on the peaceful revolution.

Germany celebrated on Saturday the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall that divided East and West Germany, with President Frank-Walter Steinmeier thanking Eastern European neighbours for spurring on the peaceful revolution. The toppling of the wall, which separated the Communist-ruled East from the capitalist West in Berlin for nearly three decades and became a potent symbol of the Cold War, was followed a year later by the reunification of Germany in 1990. "Together with our friends, we remember with deep gratitude the events 30 years ago," Steinmeier said during a ceremony at the Bernauer Strasse Berlin Wall Memorial, which was also attended by Chancellor Angela Merkel and heads of state from Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic. "Without the courage and the will to freedom of the Poles and Hungarians, the Czechs and Slovaks, the peaceful revolutions in Eastern Europe and Germany's reunification would not have been possible," Steinmeier said. During the ceremony, Steinmeier and the presidents of the four Eastern European nations placed roses in a small gap in the remains of the wall at the memorial. In August 1989, Hungarian border guards for the first time allowed people from East Germany to cross freely into Austria, paving the way for the fall of the Berlin Wall three months later and with it the end of the Iron Curtain. Steinmeier said, however, that the historic event did not mark the "end of history" as U.S. historian Francis Fukuyama stated. The struggle of political systems continues and the future is more uncertain than ever before, he added. "Liberal democracy is being challenged and questioned," Steinmeier said, calling on Germany and its European allies to keep fighting for a peaceful and united Europe. Rule of law His message was echoed by Merkel, who grew up in the former East, during a commemorative service at the memorial's chapel. "The values on which Europe is founded -- freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law, respect for human rights -- are anything but self-evident. And they have to be filled with life and must be defended again and again," she said. Foreign Minister Heiko Maas also used the occasion to appeal for European unity. "Power is shifting away from Europe, authoritarian models are on the rise, the United States is increasingly looking inwards and international law is losing ground," he said. "It means we will have to overcome some of our much-loved national taboos. Especially here in Germany. But the time to do it is now." The United States and European allies accuse Berlin of spending too little on defence, and view Germany's large current account surplus as a sign that Germans are not investing enough to support growth and development. Saturday's anniversary festivities in Berlin were due to culminate with a party at the Brandenburg Gate in the evening featuring the Staatskapelle Berlin orchestra directed by Daniel Barenboim and electronic music with techno DJ legend WestBam.

Germany marks 30th anniversary of the Berlin Wall's fall

<p>US President Donald Trump on Saturday hailed Germany as a "treasured" ally as commemorations were held marking 30 years since the fall of the Berlin Wall.</p>

<p>"The Cold War has long since passed, but tyrannical regimes around the world continue to employ the oppressive tactics of Soviet-style totalitarianism," Trump said in a message from Washington.</p>

<p>"I congratulate the German people on the tremendous strides that have been made in reuniting their country and in rebuilding former East Germany... We will continue working with Germany, one of our most treasured allies, to ensure that the flames of freedom burn as a beacon of hope and opportunity for the entire world to see."</p>

<p>On November 9, 1989, East German border guards, overwhelmed by large crowds, threw open the gates to West Berlin, allowing free passage for the first time since the Wall was built.</p>

<p>The momentous event would ultimately bring the communist regime crashing down, leading to German reunification a year later.</p>

<p>In Berlin on Saturday, Chancellor Angela Merkel said the Wall should remind Germans "that we have to do our part for freedom and democracy."</p>


US President Donald Trump on Saturday hailed Germany as a "treasured" ally as commemorations were held marking 30 years since the fall of the Berlin Wall. "The Cold War has long since passed, but tyrannical regimes around the world continue to employ the oppressive tactics of Soviet-style totalitarianism," Trump said in a message from Washington.

US President Donald Trump on Saturday hailed Germany as a "treasured" ally as commemorations were held marking 30 years since the fall of the Berlin Wall. "The Cold War has long since passed, but tyrannical regimes around the world continue to employ the oppressive tactics of Soviet-style totalitarianism," Trump said in a message from Washington. "I congratulate the German people on the tremendous strides that have been made in reuniting their country and in rebuilding former East Germany... We will continue working with Germany, one of our most treasured allies, to ensure that the flames of freedom burn as a beacon of hope and opportunity for the entire world to see." On November 9, 1989, East German border guards, overwhelmed by large crowds, threw open the gates to West Berlin, allowing free passage for the first time since the Wall was built. The momentous event would ultimately bring the communist regime crashing down, leading to German reunification a year later. In Berlin on Saturday, Chancellor Angela Merkel said the Wall should remind Germans "that we have to do our part for freedom and democracy."

Trump hails Germany as 'treasured' ally, 30 years after fall of Berlin Wall

<p>Europe "must stand up for democracy and freedom, for human rights and tolerance", Chancellor Angela Merkel said Saturday as Germany commemorated the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989.</p>

<p>Such values "must always be lived out and defended anew," Merkel told political leaders and European guests at a ceremony, warning that these freedoms cannot be taken for granted.</p>

<p>Speaking in the Reconciliation Chapel on the former "death strip" that ran alongside the wall, the chancellor said that the barrier that divided communist East from democratic West was "history".</p>

<p>Merkel herself grew up in East Germany and was a scientist working in Berlin on November 9, 1989.</p>

<p>The&nbsp;communist authorities finally opened border crossings that day "teaches us that no wall that shuts people out and limits freedom is so tall or broad that it cannot be broken through," Merkel said.</p>

<p>The chancellor and guests including the presidents of Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovakia had earlier been invited to stick roses through holes in a section of wall still standing at the Bernauer Strasse memorial, just north of central Berlin.</p>

<p>Groups of schoolchildren from around Europe, including war-torn Ukraine, also spoke in their native languages to the leaders about the emotions the anniversary wakens for them.</p>


Europe "must stand up for democracy and freedom, for human rights and tolerance", Chancellor Angela Merkel said Saturday as Germany commemorated the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989.

Europe "must stand up for democracy and freedom, for human rights and tolerance", Chancellor Angela Merkel said Saturday as Germany commemorated the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. Such values "must always be lived out and defended anew," Merkel told political leaders and European guests at a ceremony, warning that these freedoms cannot be taken for granted. Speaking in the Reconciliation Chapel on the former "death strip" that ran alongside the wall, the chancellor said that the barrier that divided communist East from democratic West was "history". Merkel herself grew up in East Germany and was a scientist working in Berlin on November 9, 1989. The communist authorities finally opened border crossings that day "teaches us that no wall that shuts people out and limits freedom is so tall or broad that it cannot be broken through," Merkel said. The chancellor and guests including the presidents of Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovakia had earlier been invited to stick roses through holes in a section of wall still standing at the Bernauer Strasse memorial, just north of central Berlin. Groups of schoolchildren from around Europe, including war-torn Ukraine, also spoke in their native languages to the leaders about the emotions the anniversary wakens for them.

On Berlin Wall anniversary, Merkel urges Europe to defend 'democracy, freedom'

<p>US Secretary of State <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-renews-attack-on-pompeo-says-communist-party-criticism-dangerous-260769">Mike&nbsp;Pompeo</a>&nbsp;on&nbsp;Friday issued a stark warning&nbsp;against&nbsp;China&nbsp;and&nbsp;Russia&nbsp;on&nbsp;the&nbsp;eve&nbsp;of the 30th&nbsp;anniversary&nbsp;of the fall of the&nbsp;Berlin&nbsp;Wall.</p>

<p>"Western, free nations have a responsibility to deter threats to our people" from governments like&nbsp;China,&nbsp;Russia&nbsp;and Iran,&nbsp;Pompeo&nbsp;said, speaking just a few metres (yards) away from where the&nbsp;Wall&nbsp;ran past the German capital's world-famous Brandenburg Gate.</p>

<p>The US and its allies should "defend what was so hard-won... in 1989" and "recognise we are in a competition of values with unfree nations," he added.</p>

<p>Picking at sore spots in Washington's relationship with&nbsp;Berlin,&nbsp;Pompeo&nbsp;said the under-construction Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline from&nbsp;Russia&nbsp;to Germany would mean "Europe's energy supplies… depend&nbsp;on&nbsp;(Russian President Vladimir) Putin's whims".</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/germanys-merkel-in-fresh-push-for-nationwide-e-car-charging-network-259740">Chancellor Angela Merkel</a> has repeatedly said the pipeline is a purely private business concern.</p>

<p>And he warned of "Chinese companies' intent to build 5G networks", after the German government failed to exclude tech giant Huawei from the bidding process for the next-generation mobile network infrastructure.</p>

<p>Pompeo&nbsp;is&nbsp;on&nbsp;a whirlwind two-day tour of Germany where he has revisited the site of his Cold War military service&nbsp;on&nbsp;the former Iron Curtain border and is slated to meet leaders including Merkel.</p>

<p>While in Europe, he has looked to shore up transatlantic relations eroded by trade conflicts and discord over geopolitical crises and military spending.</p>

<p>Spurred by the US leaving the way open to Turkish and Russian military action in northern Syria, France's President Emmanuel Macron told The Economist this week that the NATO alliance,&nbsp;of which Ankara is also a member,&nbsp;was suffering a "brain death" of lack of coordination between Europe and Washington.</p>

<p>Recalling past "challenges between partners" within NATO, including France's 1960s departure from the alliance's command structure,&nbsp;Pompeo&nbsp;on&nbsp;Friday dismissed the debate around Macron's comments as a "kerfuffle".</p>

<p>Other leaders including Merkel, NATO secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau have also firmly rejected Macron's assessment.</p>


US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Friday issued a stark warning against China and Russia on the eve of the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. "Western, free nations have a responsibility to deter threats to our people" from governments like China, Russia and Iran, Pompeo said, speaking just a few metres (yards) away from where the Wall ran past the German capital's world-famous Brandenburg Gate.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Friday issued a stark warning against China and Russia on the eve of the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. "Western, free nations have a responsibility to deter threats to our people" from governments like China, Russia and Iran, Pompeo said, speaking just a few metres (yards) away from where the Wall ran past the German capital's world-famous Brandenburg Gate. The US and its allies should "defend what was so hard-won... in 1989" and "recognise we are in a competition of values with unfree nations," he added. Picking at sore spots in Washington's relationship with Berlin, Pompeo said the under-construction Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline from Russia to Germany would mean "Europe's energy supplies… depend on (Russian President Vladimir) Putin's whims". Chancellor Angela Merkel has repeatedly said the pipeline is a purely private business concern. And he warned of "Chinese companies' intent to build 5G networks", after the German government failed to exclude tech giant Huawei from the bidding process for the next-generation mobile network infrastructure. Pompeo is on a whirlwind two-day tour of Germany where he has revisited the site of his Cold War military service on the former Iron Curtain border and is slated to meet leaders including Merkel. While in Europe, he has looked to shore up transatlantic relations eroded by trade conflicts and discord over geopolitical crises and military spending. Spurred by the US leaving the way open to Turkish and Russian military action in northern Syria, France's President Emmanuel Macron told The Economist this week that the NATO alliance, of which Ankara is also a member, was suffering a "brain death" of lack of coordination between Europe and Washington. Recalling past "challenges between partners" within NATO, including France's 1960s departure from the alliance's command structure, Pompeo on Friday dismissed the debate around Macron's comments as a "kerfuffle". Other leaders including Merkel, NATO secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau have also firmly rejected Macron's assessment.

Pompeo warns against China, Russia on eve of Berlin Wall anniversary

<p>When the Berlin Wall came tumbling down 30 years ago, many hoped its demise portended an end to barriers between borders and isolationism.</p>

<p>But with US President Donald Trump's planned wall on the border with Mexico, the West Bank "separation barrier" and Hungary's anti-migrant fence facing Serbia and Croatia, manmade partitions are going up again.</p>

<p>"Edifices of fear, both real and imaginary, are being constructed everywhere," the Transnational Institute, an Amsterdam-based think-tank, wrote in its "Building Walls" report last year.</p>

<p>The fall of the Berlin Wall, a Cold War structure erected in 1961 to separate Soviet-allied East Berlin from the democratic West, was met with jubilation by Germans and millions of others dreaming of cooperation and openness in a more globalist and liberal world.</p>

<p>But the optimism and idealism of 1989 was "short-lived," said Alexandra Novosseloff, a senior researcher at the International Peace Institute in New York.</p>

<p>"Walls are still there and have multiplied. There are more today than 30 years ago," she told AFP.</p>

<p>Not only physical walls but also political and legislative ones are rising.</p>

<p>The United States and some European countries have been taking an ever-harder stance against migrants, and Brexit is the result of citizens choosing to leave a barrier-free European Union created exactly to put an end to the continent's recurrent, bloody conflicts -- often over border disputes.</p>

<p><strong>Too risky&nbsp;</strong></p>

<p>Bruno Tertrais, deputy director of the Foundation for Strategic Research in Paris, argues that globalisation has, somewhat ironically, fuelled a resurgence of nationalism.</p>

<p>After the initial rush of freedom, many people started worrying that too much openness was putting their national identity and values at risk.</p>

<p>Then everything changed on September 11, 2001.</p>

<p>It was really after the terror attacks on the United States, Tertrais said, that "barriers started to multiply."</p>

<p>Raphael Bossong of the German Institute for International and Security Affairs in Berlin said the post-9/11 war on terrorism "fuelled a sense of paranoia and erosion of political freedoms".</p>

<p>"By the late 2000s, economic shocks, rising inequality and a growing political backlash against globalisation led to a resurgence of nationalism in the West," he wrote in a blog entitled "New Walls I: Militarizing Borders in Europe" for the Bertelsmann Stiftung research foundation.</p>

<p>"The resurrection of physical borders has taken on an outsized symbolic importance."</p>

<p>Elisabeth Vallet, a political analyst at Canada's Universite du Quebec a Montreal (UQAM), said she had counted "70 to 75" border walls built or being built around the world, compared to 15 in 1989.</p>

<p>Placed end to end, the world's existing walls would stretch over 40,000 kilometres (25,000 miles), Vallet said -- enough to cover the circumference of the Earth and divide our planet into two parts.</p>

<p><strong>'Staunch our fears'&nbsp;</strong></p>

<p>Former French diplomat Michel Foucher, author of "The Return of Borders," argues that the vulnerability many people feel in the face of globalisation has caused them to welcome more state protectionism, and by extension, more walls.</p>

<p>The wall serves as "a metaphor, it is supposed to calm our fears," Foucher said.</p>

<p>For Vallet, author of "Borders, Fences and Walls -- State of Insecurity, "at a time when populism is growing fast, a wall is a quick solution that a populist government can quickly exploit."</p>

<p>As the migration flows from south to north continue, more and more walls are seeking to keep foreigners out.</p>

<p>"Member states of the European Union and Schengen Area have constructed almost 1,000 km of walls, the equivalent of more than six times the total length of the Berlin Wall, since the nineties to prevent displaced people migrating into Europe", according to the Transnational Institute.</p>

<p>In spite of their growing popularity, however, there is little evidence of their efficiency, Vallet said.</p>

<p>"They do not, for example, halt the trafficking of drugs, most of which enter the United States through border crossings," he told AFP by email.</p>

<p>"What is clear is that the ever-changing role of borders serves as an indicator for the health of liberal democracy," Bossong said.<br />
<br />
&nbsp;</p>


When the Berlin Wall came tumbling down 30 years ago, many hoped its demise portended an end to barriers between borders and isolationism. But with US President Donald Trump's planned wall on the border with Mexico, the West Bank "separation barrier" and Hungary's anti-migrant fence facing Serbia and Croatia, manmade partitions are going up again.

When the Berlin Wall came tumbling down 30 years ago, many hoped its demise portended an end to barriers between borders and isolationism. But with US President Donald Trump's planned wall on the border with Mexico, the West Bank "separation barrier" and Hungary's anti-migrant fence facing Serbia and Croatia, manmade partitions are going up again. "Edifices of fear, both real and imaginary, are being constructed everywhere," the Transnational Institute, an Amsterdam-based think-tank, wrote in its "Building Walls" report last year. The fall of the Berlin Wall, a Cold War structure erected in 1961 to separate Soviet-allied East Berlin from the democratic West, was met with jubilation by Germans and millions of others dreaming of cooperation and openness in a more globalist and liberal world. But the optimism and idealism of 1989 was "short-lived," said Alexandra Novosseloff, a senior researcher at the International Peace Institute in New York. "Walls are still there and have multiplied. There are more today than 30 years ago," she told AFP. Not only physical walls but also political and legislative ones are rising. The United States and some European countries have been taking an ever-harder stance against migrants, and Brexit is the result of citizens choosing to leave a barrier-free European Union created exactly to put an end to the continent's recurrent, bloody conflicts -- often over border disputes. Too risky Bruno Tertrais, deputy director of the Foundation for Strategic Research in Paris, argues that globalisation has, somewhat ironically, fuelled a resurgence of nationalism. After the initial rush of freedom, many people started worrying that too much openness was putting their national identity and values at risk. Then everything changed on September 11, 2001. It was really after the terror attacks on the United States, Tertrais said, that "barriers started to multiply." Raphael Bossong of the German Institute for International and Security Affairs in Berlin said the post-9/11 war on terrorism "fuelled a sense of paranoia and erosion of political freedoms". "By the late 2000s, economic shocks, rising inequality and a growing political backlash against globalisation led to a resurgence of nationalism in the West," he wrote in a blog entitled "New Walls I: Militarizing Borders in Europe" for the Bertelsmann Stiftung research foundation. "The resurrection of physical borders has taken on an outsized symbolic importance." Elisabeth Vallet, a political analyst at Canada's Universite du Quebec a Montreal (UQAM), said she had counted "70 to 75" border walls built or being built around the world, compared to 15 in 1989. Placed end to end, the world's existing walls would stretch over 40,000 kilometres (25,000 miles), Vallet said -- enough to cover the circumference of the Earth and divide our planet into two parts. 'Staunch our fears' Former French diplomat Michel Foucher, author of "The Return of Borders," argues that the vulnerability many people feel in the face of globalisation has caused them to welcome more state protectionism, and by extension, more walls. The wall serves as "a metaphor, it is supposed to calm our fears," Foucher said. For Vallet, author of "Borders, Fences and Walls -- State of Insecurity, "at a time when populism is growing fast, a wall is a quick solution that a populist government can quickly exploit." As the migration flows from south to north continue, more and more walls are seeking to keep foreigners out. "Member states of the European Union and Schengen Area have constructed almost 1,000 km of walls, the equivalent of more than six times the total length of the Berlin Wall, since the nineties to prevent displaced people migrating into Europe", according to the Transnational Institute. In spite of their growing popularity, however, there is little evidence of their efficiency, Vallet said. "They do not, for example, halt the trafficking of drugs, most of which enter the United States through border crossings," he told AFP by email. "What is clear is that the ever-changing role of borders serves as an indicator for the health of liberal democracy," Bossong said.

Build that wall! Barriers back 30 years after Berlin Wall

Race to remember Berlin Wall victims, 30 years on

<p>In a direct attack on Donald Trump, the former official photographer of Barack Obama on Sunday posted a picture of the former US President on Instagram with a caption "There once a wall here. It was torn down in 1989.''</p>

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<p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BsTWka_lF4G/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">There once was a wall here. It was torn down in 1989. 😎 #throwshadethenvote</a></p>

<p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/petesouza/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px;" target="_blank"> Pete Souza</a> (@petesouza) on <time datetime="2019-01-06T18:00:22+00:00" style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;">Jan 6, 2019 at 10:00am PST</time></p>
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<p>In his Instagram post the former photographer Pete Souza has compared the Berlin Wall with Trumps's incessant demand for the construction of the US Mexico border wall.</p>

<p>The post which has attracted over seventy thousand likes, shows Obama sitting beside the iconic Brandenberg Gate in Germany where the Berlin Wall once stood.</p>

<p>The Berlin wall which was built in 1961 demarcated East German with the West and prevented free movement between the two sides from 1961 to 1989 before being pulled down in 1992.</p>

<p>The post holds significance as it highlights the current American politics being ruled by "wall".</p>

<p>The United States has entered the third week of a partial government shutdown resulting from the dispute between Trump and Democrats that has left hundreds of thousands of federal workers idled or without paychecks.</p>

<p>The conflict&nbsp;rose after the Democrats declined to approve the $5.6 billion fund that Trump has been demanding for the border wall.</p>

<p>Building a wall along the 2,000-mile (3,200-kilometer) US-Mexico frontier was a central plank in the 2016 election campaign of Trump, who has sought to equate immigrants with crime, drugs and gangs.</p>

<p>He has also threatened to declare a national emergency in the country in case his demands are not accepted.</p>

<p>Trump on Sunday proposed for a steel barrier between Mexico and US instead of concrete as a potential compromise with Democrats.</p>

<p>Thousands of federal workers are without work and paychecks since the US government shutdown. The shutdown has also been a factor in stock market volatility.</p>

<p>This is not the first time when Souza has targetted Trump through his Instagram post.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In his previous post, Souze had posted a picture captioned &nbsp;'a different kind of wall' and has garnered over ninety-nine thousand likes.</p>

<p>Here Obama can be seen painting on a wall with the caption 'wall of hope''</p>

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<p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BsQ0CSvl1m1/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">A different kind of wall. 😎 #throwshadethenvote</a></p>

<p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/petesouza/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px;" target="_blank"> Pete Souza</a> (@petesouza) on <time datetime="2019-01-05T18:20:08+00:00" style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;">Jan 5, 2019 at 10:20am PST</time></p>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>


In a direct attack on Donald Trump, the former official photographer of Barack Obama on Sunday posted a picture of the former US President on Instagram with a caption "There once a wall here.

In a direct attack on Donald Trump, the former official photographer of Barack Obama on Sunday posted a picture of the former US President on Instagram with a caption "There once a wall here. It was torn down in 1989.'' View this post on Instagram There once was a wall here. It was torn down in 1989. 😎 #throwshadethenvote A post shared by Pete Souza (@petesouza) on Jan 6, 2019 at 10:00am PST × In his Instagram post the former photographer Pete Souza has compared the Berlin Wall with Trumps's incessant demand for the construction of the US Mexico border wall. The post which has attracted over seventy thousand likes, shows Obama sitting beside the iconic Brandenberg Gate in Germany where the Berlin Wall once stood. The Berlin wall which was built in 1961 demarcated East German with the West and prevented free movement between the two sides from 1961 to 1989 before being pulled down in 1992. The post holds significance as it highlights the current American politics being ruled by "wall". The United States has entered the third week of a partial government shutdown resulting from the dispute between Trump and Democrats that has left hundreds of thousands of federal workers idled or without paychecks. The conflict rose after the Democrats declined to approve the $5.6 billion fund that Trump has been demanding for the border wall. Building a wall along the 2,000-mile (3,200-kilometer) US-Mexico frontier was a central plank in the 2016 election campaign of Trump, who has sought to equate immigrants with crime, drugs and gangs. He has also threatened to declare a national emergency in the country in case his demands are not accepted. Trump on Sunday proposed for a steel barrier between Mexico and US instead of concrete as a potential compromise with Democrats. Thousands of federal workers are without work and paychecks since the US government shutdown. The shutdown has also been a factor in stock market volatility. This is not the first time when Souza has targetted Trump through his Instagram post. In his previous post, Souze had posted a picture captioned 'a different kind of wall' and has garnered over ninety-nine thousand likes. Here Obama can be seen painting on a wall with the caption 'wall of hope'' View this post on Instagram A different kind of wall. 😎 #throwshadethenvote A post shared by Pete Souza (@petesouza) on Jan 5, 2019 at 10:20am PST ×

Obama's former photographer trolls Donald Trump over his 'wall' demand

<p>The mayor of Berlin, Michael M&uuml;ller,&nbsp;has issued a statement&nbsp;to US President&nbsp;Donald Trump&nbsp;urging him&nbsp;not to build the proposed&nbsp;wall&nbsp;at the&nbsp;US-Mexico border.</p>

<p>Read the statement in full below:&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Berlin&#39;s mayor just issued this message for Donald Trump. It&#39;s quite something. <a href="https://t.co/gIIOei6ttT">https://t.co/gIIOei6ttT</a> <a href="https://t.co/B8SgYZhhJ0">pic.twitter.com/B8SgYZhhJ0</a></p>
&mdash; Jeremy Cliffe (@JeremyCliffe) <a href="https://twitter.com/JeremyCliffe/status/825038118504058880">January 27, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>Berlin knows what walls are about.</p>

<p>After the Nazi&#39;s defeat in&nbsp;World War II, Germany&#39;s capital of Berlin&nbsp;was bissected by a 155-kilometre long wall&nbsp;known as the Berlin Wall. The western side, known as West Germany, was occupied by the Allied forces.&nbsp;The eastern section, or East&nbsp;Germany, was occupied by the former Soviet Union.</p>

<p>This separation lasted through, and came to symbolise, the&nbsp;Cold War, when the tension between the nuclear-armed Americans and the Soviets--ideological proxies of&nbsp;capitalism and communism--was running high.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Cold War ended with the reunification of Berlin in 1989, which literally saw the wall torn down, as family and friends came together&nbsp;after decades.&nbsp;It became&nbsp;one of the 20th century&#39;s most iconic historical moments.</p>

<p>Trump originally&nbsp;promised&nbsp;that&nbsp;Mexico would&nbsp;pay for his proposed&nbsp;wall.&nbsp;Mexico steadfastly refused to <a href="http://www.cnbc.com/2016/02/08/mexico-wont-pay-single-cent-for-trumps-stupid-wall.html">pay one cent of the costs</a>.&nbsp;Now, Republicans say that Congress<a href="http://www.journalnow.com/news/nation_world/congress-will-front-the-money-to-build-border-wall-house/article_837ba40a-e35e-11e6-b131-b7a99f475839.html">&nbsp;will front the money</a>.</p>

<p>The costs for Trump&#39;s&nbsp;proposed wall vary wildly, with House Speaker Paul Ryan saying&nbsp;between $4 billion to $8 billion is &quot;about right&quot;.&nbsp;</p>

<p>MIT Technology Review pegs&nbsp;the cost&nbsp;at somewhere&nbsp;between <a href="https://www.technologyreview.com/s/602494/bad-math-props-up-trumps-border-wall/">$27 billion to $40 billion</a>.</p>

<p>(WION)</p>


'We Berliners know better than most the pain caused when a whole continent is split by barb wire and walls'

The mayor of Berlin, Michael Müller, has issued a statement to US President Donald Trump urging him not to build the proposed wall at the US-Mexico border. Read the statement in full below: Berlin's mayor just issued this message for Donald Trump. It's quite something. https://t.co/gIIOei6ttT pic.twitter.com/B8SgYZhhJ0 — Jeremy Cliffe (@JeremyCliffe) January 27, 2017 × Berlin knows what walls are about. After the Nazi's defeat in World War II, Germany's capital of Berlin was bissected by a 155-kilometre long wall known as the Berlin Wall. The western side, known as West Germany, was occupied by the Allied forces. The eastern section, or East Germany, was occupied by the former Soviet Union. This separation lasted through, and came to symbolise, the Cold War, when the tension between the nuclear-armed Americans and the Soviets--ideological proxies of capitalism and communism--was running high. The Cold War ended with the reunification of Berlin in 1989, which literally saw the wall torn down, as family and friends came together after decades. It became one of the 20th century's most iconic historical moments. Trump originally promised that Mexico would pay for his proposed wall. Mexico steadfastly refused to pay one cent of the costs. Now, Republicans say that Congress will front the money. The costs for Trump's proposed wall vary wildly, with House Speaker Paul Ryan saying between $4 billion to $8 billion is "about right". MIT Technology Review pegs the cost at somewhere between $27 billion to $40 billion. (WION)

Berlin mayor implores Trump: 'Mr President, don't build this wall'

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