The Fall of the Berlin Wall
 

Wow, I can't believe it's been that long. It makes me feel kind of old.

I was in graduate school and substitute-teaching part time. I remember I had a short-term assignment teaching college-bound Calculus. One day, we put the math books down, got the newspapers out and started discussing the situation.

Does anyone remember when Nadia Comaneci defected to the United States?

I was 4, and so I was probably making one of those hand turkey things in pre-kinder in preparation for Thanksgiving.

I was in fifth grade.... I remember it, but I wasn't clear on the significance.

Yes, although I hesitate to admit it. It is a vague memory--now I have to look up the details.

because I was four as well...
 

I remember it. My father was in the Navy (officer on a nuclear submarine). He made both my brother and I sit down and watch the coverage. He had tears in his eyes. Now that I am older, I have a better grasp as to why it was so important. I can't believe it has been 19 years.

A family friend, Elliott Jacobson, was working for the AP, and assigned to cover the Velvet Revolution happening in Eastern Europe during 1989. He was in West Berlin on November 9th, and couldn't get a flight to Prague, where he was to interview Vaclav Havel. He called into the AP office, where they said something like "Forget Czechoslovakia! The story of the century is happening at your feet!" He ended up having a hand in any of the AP coverage of the Wall falling, and becoming a friend of Vaclav Havel.

I would love to have gotten a piece of the Wall, but such is life.

I remember it very well and all those saying they were in preschool or were too young to understand the significance are making me feel like I need to go find a walker...

Vague Memories-Nadia Comanechi's defection (1989), according to my recent research.

Thoughts/recollections on the fall of the Berlin Wall 19 years ago- I remember that at the time it seemed like it was a really big momentous occasion. The breaking down of the Wall meant that the Communists were attempting to pursue capitalism. A unified Germany meant that the country as a whole could be a part of capitalist culture. Now it seems that it symbolizes the larger global community and economy, with the US still acting like "Big Brother."

Me too.

Does anybody remember this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NaYKXNJxNgg

I loved that episode..... Actually - I thought that episode came out before the wall actually fell. I was only 8, so I dont remember for certain. For some reason I thought that the concert was in Alvin's dream while he was on a plane to go play in Berlin, but he woke up just before landing and the wall was still there. Does anybody remember?

If you go to Berlin, you can still buy a piece...It's like 5 bucks for a piece the size of a quarter.

and for like 4000$ you can buy like a two foot by two foot piece. It's sort of ridiculous.

After living in Berlin awhile, I can't tell you what kind of impact that wall had on life. I lived in the East and it was a whole 'nother world from the West.

I was one year old

My grandparents have a piece of the Wall. My uncle, a Naval officer, was stationed in Munich around that time, and he sent over several pieces. It's pretty cool.

I was 8 years old.

I've seen pieces for sale here, but that's how I wanted to get a piece of the Wall - from somebody there.

I was in high school when the wall came down. I remember my history teacher was so excited about having the opportunity to teach living history. He completely ditched the book we had been using, and our history class became a current events class. (Hijack: When the movie Dead Poet's Society came out, all his students agreed that he was the teacher Robin William's character was based on. I wonder how he's doing these days. /end hijack)

I was in sixth grade and I remember thinking how cool it would be to get a piece of that spray-painted wall. I seem to recall watching Peter Jennings broadcasting from on top of the wall, too.

I was 9 when this all happened, and I remember my teacher brought a piece of the wall in during the history/geography part of our day. I think she got it at some conference in D.C.

I remember it very well because I was there in Berlin at the time! I was backpacking across Europe with another KD.

Here's the chunk of wall I pulled off:
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a3...lpiece-1-1.jpg

I remember being at work and listening to news coverage of it on the radio. I know someone who was in the Air Force, stationed in Berlin who was able to ride his bike over soon after it started to come down. He told me about the stark differences between East and West Berlin.