Historic Fall Of The Berlin Wall Stirs Emotions 20 Years Later

November 21, 2009 by John Rook

History can, at times, be a bland concoction of dates and names. Textbooks rarely reveal more than the bare-bones version of the events and individuals who have shaped the world in which we live.
But, sometimes history can come to life and one can literally reach out and touch a period in time now long-removed.
That’s exactly the type of personal connection two Cheshire residents were able to make with one of the most significant historic events of the 20th century. Peter Gallay and David Fitzgerald spent last week in Berlin, Germany, chronicling the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. Gallay, a faculty member at Quinnipiac University, and Fitzgerald, a student at the university, joined a convoy of 10 representatives from Quinnipiac who were given the opportunity to see the commemoration of the fall of the wall first hand.
For their part, Gallay and Fitzgerald helped shoot a documentary of the celebration, interviewing residents who were present when the wall was torn down and recording the ceremonies that marked the event.
“It was an amazing experience,” said Gallay. “The actual ceremony was really interesting. It was like being in Times Square for New Year’s Eve.”
The Berlin Wall was erected in 1961 by the German Democratic Republic (GDR), which was controlled by the former Soviet Union. The concrete structure split Berlin in two, separating the Soviet-controlled East Berlin from the Allied-controlled West Berlin. The wall became a stark symbol of the Cold War and was marked by the killing of an estimated 100–300 individuals who tried to cross from the east side of the city to the west.
In 1989, more than 28 years after it had been first erected, the Berlin Wall was finally brought down and Germany was unified. The celebratory nature of the collapse of the Berlin Wall is one remembered in now famous photographs, showing overjoyed Germans tearing down sections of the wall with everything from pick axes to their own hands.
When the wall fell, Gallay was only 5 years old and Fitzgerald just under a month old, meaning that neither remember, first hand, the excitement and reaction that reverberated around the world. Both had studied the history of the wall and the circumstances that led to its ultimate demolition, but neither had ever visited Berlin before this month.
The experience, according to Fitzgerald, was eye-opening.
“You can’t even compare reading about it to actually being there and seeing where the wall was and the portions of the wall that still exist,” Fitzgerald explained. “It was actually very emotional.”
To symbolize the wall, Berliners erected large domino pieces in the footprint of the former concrete barrier. During one of the final moments of the anniversary celebration, the dominoes, which stretched for about one mile, were tipped over with each one knocking over the next.
It was a sight Gallay saw clearly from his hotel room as he recorded the moment for his documentary, and it stands as one of the lasting images from his trip.
“Watching that take place was incredible,” said Gallay. “For the Germans, it was quite joyous.”
For their documentary, Gallay and Fitzgerald had the opportunity to interview Berliners about their emotions during the anniversary ceremonies. The language barrier was difficult to overcome, but many of those who were willing to speak were either fluent enough in English or able to find a translator.
“One of the people we interviewed was a friend of (David) Ives’ (Quinnipiac University professor invited to speak in Germany at a Nobel Peace Laureate conference),” explained Fitzgerald. “He was a lawyer and a pastor in Germany. He just started talking about where he was when the wall came down. It was very educational and very moving as well.”
But, while the wall remains a large part of the city’s history, Gallay insisted that the people who call the area home do not focus on the past. Aside from special ceremonies and anniversaries surrounding the wall, residents rarely think about that moment in time, Gallay was told.
However, the footprint left over by the wall is undeniable, he said.
“They have cobblestone walkways that are right where the wall used to be and there are portions of the wall that are still standing,” said Gallay. “Unfortunately, those areas have become very touristy, but we found an area where a portion of the wall still stood that not a lot of people know about, and it was interesting to see that side of it.”
The architecture of the famous city is also separated by time and era, Gallay observed. There is the ancient architecture, represented by grand cathedrals and elegant structures, which is offset by buildings built during the Nazi reign. Then, the buildings erected after the fall of the wall in 1989 represent more modern buildings that would be common in many U.S. cities.
“There was about a 50-meter area that existed between the two walls, where there was nothing,” said Gallay. “Everything built in that part is completely new.”
With their visit complete, Fitzgerald and Gallay have the opportunity to reflect on an experience that may well be once in a lifetime.
Gallay called his experience “surreal.”
“Bon Jovi was even playing,” he recounted.
Fitzgerald was even more effusive when speaking about his time.
“It is something I will never forget,” he remarked.