20th Anniversary of the Fall of the Berlin Wall
In 2009, the yearlong celebrations marking the “20th Anniversary of the Fall of the Berlin Wall” attracted an audience of millions and pushed Berlin to the forefront of worldwide attention.
Working in cooperation with the Robert Havemann Society, we had already previously created and implemented the first-ever exhibition spotlighting the Peaceful Revolution in the GDR. That exhibition focussed from the outset on the events preceding the fall of the Wall as well as on their subsequent impact. Our cooperation with the Robert Havemann Society created the perfect foundation upon which to develop the yearlong events marking the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Wall. Using our trademark approach of working with select partners to transform unusual concepts and sophisticated content into popular formats, we were able to reach an audience of millions for the first time.
Temporary monument to unity
The “Peaceful Revolution 1989/90” open-air exhibition that we created and implemented together with the Robert Havemann Society at Alexanderplatz was a temporary monument to German unification. The exhibition was the first of its kind to provide comprehensive information about the events leading up to the Peaceful Revolution and to honour the courage of those individuals who fought for freedom and the right to have their voices heard. The exhibition has since found a permanent home at the former Stasi Headquarters on Normannenstraße. Visit the website here.
A symbolic gesture that touched the entire world
On 9 November 2009, when the Berlin Wall came tumbling down a second time at the Brandenburg Gate, the images were broadcast around the world. Roughly 1,000 large-scale “dominos” resembling the slabs of the former Wall and symbolising their path through Berlin had been decorated by hundreds of school children, students, contemporary witnesses, artists and politicians. The festive event was broadcast worldwide, with the dominos emerging as the breakout stars of a very emotional evening.
The focus was on the history of the Peaceful Revolution 1989/90 from the early days of protest and the fall of the Berlin Wall all the way to German unification.