The post-communist generation

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For some living in what was once the Eastern Bloc, the anniversary of bringing down the wall brings little cause for celebration. The last twenty years have brought freedom but also hardship and uncertainty – especially for the youngest generation who have grown up without Communism. Laura Lynch visited a high school in Budapest, Hungary. Download MP3

• Laura Lynch’s story on the first breach of the Iron Curtain in 1989
• Susan Stone reports how young Germans remember East Germany
• The World’s Gerry Hadden revisits the former East German border
• The World’s Alex Gallafent on owning a piece of the Berlin Wall

First breach in the Iron Curtain

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Before the Berlin Wall fell in November 1989, Hungary tore down its barbed wire. Hungary’s prime minister didn’t ask permission in Moscow. He just told Soviet President Gorbachev it was a done deal. Hundreds would escape to the West in a single day. The World’s Laura Lynch went back to Western Hungary. Download MP3

• Hungary’s role in the 1989 revolutions
• 1989: Europe’s revolution
• The World’s Gerry Hadden revisits the former East German border
• The World’s Alex Gallafent on owning a piece of the Berlin Wall

Remembering East Germany

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Twenty years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, young Germans don’t give a lot of thought to what was once known as the GDR or East Germany. Few know much about a state that vanished before they were even born. And while some educators would rather not dwell on a recent but painful past, others say remembering is the only way to move the whole country forward. Susan Stone reports from Berlin. Download MP3

• The World’s Gerry Hadden revisits the former East German border
• The World’s Alex Gallafent on owning a piece of the Berlin Wall
• Former leaders recall Berlin Wall’s fall

Day By Day – 1989 Revisited…

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As part of its 1989 season, the BBC examines news events from twenty years ago – day by day. As John Tusa delves into the archives for October 6th, he finds Gorbachev beginning a historical visit to East Germany to help celebrate the GDR’s 40th anniversary; and acid house parties have been disturbing the peace.
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