Those who live under democracy often forget the precious value of freedom, but it is necessary to remember the times in history when freedoms were restricted. As Joshua Expeditions seeks to educate students about the value of liberty, we invite you to travel with us to Berlin, Germany, for the upcoming anniversary of the Fall of the Berlin Wall. JE tour director Michael Furchert, himself a former resident of Communist East Berlin, will lead students through an exploration of Germany’s beautiful capital city, focusing on its unique history and sharing how peaceful revolution and prayer serves to change hearts and minds for the better.

The history of Berlin is a storied one, from its founding in the 12th century and seat of government in the kingdom of Prussia to its modernization through industrialism that made Germany one of Europe’s greatest regions. But the city is probably most notable for its 20th-century history, where a series of ruling governments caused Berlin to suffer a loss of freedom that has only recently been restored.

In the early 1930s, the worldwide Great Depression caused unemployment in Germany to soar while people lost confidence in the government. It was during this time that the Nazi Party came to power and eventually established a totalitarian regime under the charismatic leadership of Adolf Hitler. Political opponents were imprisoned or killed, and Hitler set out across Europe to expand his control, thus initiating the Second World War in 1939 when German military invaded Poland. It wasn’t until the Allied forces, consisting largely of Great Britain, the Soviet Union, the United States, and China invaded Normandy in 1944 that the German army was finally pushed back. By mid-1945 Hitler’s armies were defeated and the Allies took control of the German territories, dividing the country into a democratic West Germany and a communist East Germany. In doing so, Berlin itself also became divided.

Conflicts were the norm between the ruling authorities in East and West Germany, and transport was restricted. Not even in the single city of Berlin could residents travel freely, and for more than a decade, refugees from East Berlin covertly made their way into the Western city in order to find freedom from the Communist regime. By 1961, it was estimated that 2.6 million people had fled East Germany, with over 30,000 making escape in the single month of July that year. In the very next month, the Communist government of East Germany began constructing a wall at the border of East Berlin to physically separate it from West Germany. Though initially only a barbed-wire barrier, within months a concrete wall was erected and armed guards were posted along the length of it. Called the “anti-fascist protection wall” by the East German government, West Berlin was officially sealed off from East Berlin, and in some cases the Wall literally separated families from one another.

While it was possible for Westerners to pass into East Berlin, permits were difficult to obtain, and entry was strictly controlled through checkpoints. Easterners, however, were forbidden to travel into West Germany, even into the western portion of their own city of Berlin. For more than two decades the wall in Berlin stood as a symbol of oppression, and U.S. Presidents often spoke out in support of West Berlin and in opposition to the East German government. But democracy did not come to Germany, and the people of East Berlin lived under Communist oppression. It wasn’t until late 1989 that the wall finally came tumbling down.

During the summer of 1989, growing numbers of East Germans were able to emigrate to the West via newly opened borders in Hungary and a peaceful revolution began to take place in East Germany that brought new demands for political change. On November 9, 1989, a misleading press statement announced that East German citizens were free to travel anywhere, and thousands of East Germans gathered at the Wall’s six checkpoints demanding that border guards immediately open the gates. With no one in authority willing to take responsibility for the announcement, the guards eventually relented in order to avoid mass hysteria and panic. Within just a few short hours, as hordes of East Germans poured through the Berlin Wall, a crowd of West Berliners climbed to the top of the Wall and were soon joined by East German young people, where they danced in celebration of their new freedom. The celebrations were broadcast around the world, and the Berlin Wall was never completely closed again. In the months that followed people came to the Wall with sledgehammers and chisels to chip off souvenirs, and eventually many new border crossings were officially opened to allow more travel between East and West. Reforms were quickly implemented in East Germany, and on October 3, 1990, Germany was officially a unified country once more, with Berlin its single capital city.

The world is now approaching the 25th anniversary of freedom in Berlin, and Joshua Expeditions will be there to celebrate. Contact us today to secure a place for your group to join the celebration and tour this historic city.