The Fall of the Wall on November 9, 1989 not only marked a special day for the reunited Federal Republic of Germany: In fact it can be regarded as a historical watershed in global politics as this event is seen as one of the cornerstones on the path to the end of the Cold War.
Recalling this memorable event the Ambassadors of France and Germany, Henry Lavertu and Jörn Rohde, respectively, together with the Director of the Bandaranaike Centre for International Studies Dr. Harinda Vadanage were invited to a panel session to share and exchange recollections and anecdotes on the event that took place exactly three decades ago.
The conference hall at BCIS was quickly filled with a notably high number of students who were eagerly taking selfies in front of the building where a replica of the Berlin Wall was to be found. The fascination of the event has barely decreased, even outside of Germany.
Thanks to the pictures presented by Ambassador Lavertu, who was posted to the Embassy of France in Berlin at the time of the fall of the Berlin Wall and his vivid storytelling, all participants were granted a short journey through time.
Ambassador Rohde not only related some anecdotes from the days of the fall of the Wall; rather, he spoke about his conclusions regarding this historic event: That on the one hand, committed people standing up for democratic interests are essential. On the other hand, sometimes the fortune of historical circumstances for a peaceful movement to achieve its goal is required.
The interest on the implications of the German reunification was pointed out in particular. Ambassador Rohde especially underlined that in the aftermath of such an event, patience and time must also be invested so that the achievements could be established and people accept and internalise the new coexistence.