The Day the Berlin Wall Came Down
In 1961, the government of East Germany built a long wall through the city of Berlin. The wall separated families and friends. People in East Berlin could not travel freely to West Berlin. Guards watched the wall day and night. Some people tried to cross it, and life was very difficult for those who lived near it.
For almost thirty years, the wall stood. Then, on the night of 9 November 1989, something amazing happened. The government announced that people could cross the border freely. Thousands of people went to the wall and started to celebrate. Some climbed on top of it. Others used hammers to break pieces off. People on both sides hugged and cried with happiness. In the months that followed, workers knocked down most of the wall. Today, a few small parts still stand as a reminder of that difficult time in history.
