"It's a different outlook, and one that I understand. When you are a former member of the Warsaw Pact, when you have lived behind the Berlin Wall, when you have experienced the communist systems that existed in these countries, for them, the West represents hope."
~Jean-Pierre Raffarin
This song was sang by David Hasselhoff the day the Berlin Wall had fallen. It became very famous, holding its spot in first place in Germany for eight straight weeks. |
The Fall of the Berlin Wall was a big turning point for East and West Germans. After about thirty years, they were finally able to see friends and family they may have had on the other side of the wall. Also, citizens of East Germany could escape the harsh conditions that were created from the Soviet Union ruling over them. However some west Germans were disgruntled by this reunification, due to it's disruptive effect on the economy. The rapid economic growth caused a general upheaval. West Germans also felt they must sacrifice things because of the east Germans rejoining them. The merge created a very hectic atmosphere in Berlin, that took quite sometime to smooth over. There were also noticeable cultural differences, and a social bridge had formed during the thirty year separation of this country. Nowadays however, the economic and social issues between east and west Germans have been solved, and it is a country united once more.
Reunited!
Citizens of East and West Germany were overjoyed at the wall being torn down. The Soviet's communism rule over East Germany made East Germans especially happy about the wall coming down because they could now get better paying jobs, have access to better quality and availability of consumer goods, and have more freedom overall if they went west, which was now a desirable and acquirable prospect.