Freedom Without Walls

For citizens of Germany, there are few events in modern history as significant as the fall of the Berlin Wall. On November 9, 1989, the physical symbol of the political and emotional divisions of Germany was removed almost overnight. Twenty years on, this historical milestone is still very much present in the minds of countless Germans, many of whom suffered directly as a result of the divide.

 

But for those who don’t call Germany home, grasping the magnitude of this event may not be so simple. This is especially the case for young people – those who had yet to be born or were too young to remember just how much the world was affected by the Wall. In the United States, the German Embassy is tackling this dilemma head on through the “Freedom Without Walls” campaign.

Freedom Without Walls campaign, Photo: (C) German Information Centre, USA

Campaign origins

As Director of the German Information Center USA, Dr. Bern von Muenchow-Pohl is the man responsible for all public relations and outreach efforts of the German Embassy in the United States. When it came time to decide what the Embassy would do to commemorate the 20 year anniversary of the fall of the Wall, Dr. Muenchow-Pohl quickly realized the opportunity he had on his hands. “We want to use this anniversary to explain why this event is still meaningful for youngsters today,” he said, “We decided to concentrate on young adults, current college students who have no memories of the Wall.”

And why exactly should young Americans concern themselves with something that happened 20 years ago on the other side of the Atlantic? According to Dr. Muenchow-Pohl, “It is important because it sends a universal message of hope and freedom to everyone, wherever they may be located. Days like this remind us of what we stand for and that we all have common ground.”

So, the decision was made and “Freedom Without Walls” was launched. Targeting college students, the German Embassy set up partner agreements with over 35 institutions of higher education. Included on the list are Brown, University of Virginia, University of California San Diego, as well as many others located all across the country. By signing onto the campaign, each college agreed to host a week long series of events focusing on the Berlin Wall and its fall.

Activities

Although each college has the freedom to execute their respective weeks of commemoration as they please, the German Embassy provided a list of optional activities to be conducted. Such activities include participation in a national speech competition where the winner receives a trip to Berlin including free airfare for two, as well as a free hotel stay. Additionally, the Embassy also created a “do-it-yourself” Wall building kit which can be used to construct various replicas of the Wall.

While the assistance from the Embassy is helpful in laying a foundation, there have been many other creative ways employed to raise awareness. At George Mason University, located just outside of Washington D.C., a group of students in a dance class participated in a 15 minute interpretive dance representing the effects of the Wall. The video can be seen on the campaign’s page on Facebook (www.facebook.com/freedomwithoutwalls).

Originally from Munich, Katharina von Faber-Castell is a 21-year-old student of Foreign Culture and Politics at Georgetown University in Washington D.C. A “Freedom Without Walls” project leader for her campus, Katharina is one of 10 students responsible for planning, organizing, and executing various activities at Georgetown. “We are going to build a huge wall in our main campus hall during the week of November 9-13,” said Katharina.

Katharina is also working on a photography exhibition, numerous speaker events – including Peter Schneider, author of Wall Jumper and LENZ, as well as an authentic Berlin Club night. When asked why she thought American students should care about the fall of the Wall, Katharina replied, “It really shows the importance of freedom and democracy in this world and how people managed to overcome and build new, better lives – it showed how the people managed to take over and reunite.”

More information:

The “Freedom Without Walls” campaign has been a success thus far. All across America students are finding ways to incorporate the significance of the Berlin Wall into their lives. If you want more information on the campaign, as well as information on the Berlin Wall itself, visit www.germany.info/withoutwalls .