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Monday, Nov. 09, 2009

YOUR SAY: A momentous day in the history of the world

On this day 20 years ago, one of the most remarkable events in history occurred: the collapse of the Berlin Wall. At that time there were precious few of us who thought this would happen in our lifetime. When the wall fell, we were as astonished as the border guards and soldiers who had thwarted escape attempts for 28 years.

There are a number of factors that made this “peaceful revolution” possible. The achievements of the Polish solidarity movement in the early 1980s cannot be over-estimated. Mikhail Gorbachev’s efforts to liberalize socialism through glasnost and perestroika cannot be overlooked, nor can Ronald Reagan’s boldly provocative challenge: “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!”

In the spring of 1989, Hungary opened its own borders to the West and provided an accessible outlet for East Germans who wished to flee from their state. In East Germany, the Lutheran church emerged as a forum for the anti-nuclear and pro-peace movements that gradually spawned the grass-roots action groups largely responsible for ushering in a new social consciousness.

Starting in Sept. 1989, East German citizens assembled in town squares throughout the country to demand reforms. First, there were dozens, then hundreds, then thousands and finally, by the end of October, hundreds of thousands who marched in silent protest. The courage of these protesters is especially admirable in light of the implicit threat issued by their government.

Earlier that year the People’s Republic of China brutally suppressed demonstrations in an action known as the Tiananmen Square Massacre. The East German government congratulated China on its resolve to quell “counter-revolutionary riots,” thereby insinuating that the same force would be used against its own insurgent groups. Yet, despite the massive demonstrations in East Germany, not a single shot was fired, not a single drop of blood was shed. The “peaceful revolution” was a success, and, to speak with George H.W. Bush, a New World Order was in the offing.

The ninth of November, 1989, is one of the most important dates in world history. Yet it is not celebrated as a national holiday in Germany. The reason? On this very same date in 1938, on Crystal Night, the Nazi government initiated its anti-Jewish pogrom. It is a credit to contemporary Germans that they commemorate the event that led to unification and the collapse of the Iron Curtain without repressing awareness of the atrocities of their past.

The ninth of November is thus a time for celebration as well as sober reflection. We should not succumb to the temptation to build new walls between groups of people, and we should nourish hope that, despite all odds, the walls that do exist can and will collapse.

Edward Weintraut is a professor of German at Mercer University.