Germany Marks 23 Years Since Fall of Berlin Wall

Citizens throughout Germany mark the 23nd anniversary since the fall of the Berlin Wall on the night of November 9, 1989.

The Wall was built in August 1961 and for 28 years separated West Berlin from the German Democratic Republic. The wall was a symbol of the Cold War and the splitting of Europe.

On the night of November 9, 1989, the East German government opened border crossings with West Germany, including the Berlin Wall fronting the famed Brandenburg Gate.

Another historic event is commemorated on Friday: the "Kristallnacht", or Night of Broken Glass, in which Nazis destroyed Jewish-owned shops and burned down various synagogues on November 9 and November 10 1938. I

• 1