The End of Tyranny, 25 Years Ago:   

Berliners, and Germany as a whole, is celebrating the end of tyranny, marked by the breaching of The Berlin Wall 25 years ago.

It was on November 9, 1989, that a miscommunication within the ranks of the East German Government sent thousands of people living in the communist east to checkpoints along The Wall, eventually forcing it open.

This is one of my favorite pictures I took of The Berlin Wall, looking into what was then East Berlin, down a street blocked off by the "Anti-Fascist Barrier," as the communists referred to it.

West Berliners could walk right up to the wall and paint on it. "Halt Hier, Endet die Freiheit," the graffiti you see that at the bottom of the picture is a tribute to those who fought in the Cold War. Stop here, Freedom ends.

There's no question about it. Thousands died, although only a few hundred have officially been identified. Take this memorial along the Spree River in what is now the Government Quarter where freedom seekers died tried to get to the west.

My most recent tour of Berlin, lasting three years, was largely spent tracing remnants of The Wall. People talked about how it was it was largely gone, except for pieces saved for memorials and for displays like this one at Potsdamer Platz, and area cut off from the rest of the city by the barrier but now a vibrant district:

Imagine my surprise and finding a graveyard, if you will, of pieces of the wall on the outskirts of the German capital:

Taken in July of 2011, these pieces of The Berlin Wall in Teltow, on Berlin's southwest edges, appeared to be in some sort of storage, as if they were to somehow be used later. They have great significance in my mind, representing if you will a rotted ideal that government knows best and that people are subservient to it.

The grayness that was East Berlin is still evident. Take this picture of an old, Soviet-style building with the iconic television tower and Berlin's Red City Hall in the background. There's a UNESCO movement underway to preserve many of these old buildings in hopes of saving some elements of what was the communist's work to make East Berlin a showcase for socialist ideology.

I took this picture of the Soviet War Memorial down from the Brandenburg Gate in 2010. It had been fenced off from a crowd which had gathered for what has been countless celebrations celebrations of German unity.

People gather daily at the Brandenburg Gate, marveling at its history and the fact that just over 25 years ago it had been cut off from visitors by The Berlin Wall.

Tourists love the place and there's no shortage of street vendors and artisans who ply the area in hopes of picking up a few euros. I'm not sure exactly who this guy represents, but he gladly accepts tips from the many children who want their picture taken with him.

Make no mistake, capitalism has won out. Here, Coca-Cola benefits from the sponsorship of one of the many celebrations held every year at the Brandenburg Gate.

The beauty that has sprung up along where The Berlin Wall once stood might be exemplified here. Once on the dividing line between East and West, the Oberbaumbrücke has been refurbished and the U1 subway line has been restored.

The before and after pictures are stark reminders of what once was. Take the parliament building:

Now magnificently restored, there's a glass dome on top from which visitors can look down into the chambers and their democracy in action. But for those wishing for more pieces of The Wall, there's Mauer Park:

These are only a few pictures of what once was and what Berlin has now become. Make now mistake, the weekend long celebration marking the 25th anniversary of the end of tyranny should be remembered as a celebration of good over evil.