Mette-Marit: Germany a guarantor of freedom after the fall of the Wall
The Norwegian Crown Princess Mette-Marit has emphasized the importance of Germany since the fall of the Berlin Wall. "Today, Germany is a guarantor of peace and freedom in Europe," said the 50-year-old on Thursday in Berlin during a commemorative event at the Berlin Wall Memorial. Her husband, Crown Prince Haakon (50), and Berlin's Governing Mayor Kai Wegner (CDU) were among those present.
"We admire Germany's willingness and ability to face up to the past and promote reconciliation in the name of the European and global community," said Mette-Marit. This was not a matter of course. "And it was not always easy".
Mette-Marit pointed out that walls could not only be made of stone or concrete. "They can also be built out of intolerance, lies and hostility." Humanity has a free choice. "We can choose to build walls and we can choose to tear them down."
Haakon is currently on a trip to Germany. After Munich and Hamburg, Berlin is the last stop on his state visit.
The memorial on Bernauer Strasse is a symbol of the division of Germany. When the Wall was built in 1961, the front of the street was to the east and the sidewalk to the west. The fall of the Wall on November 9, 1989 marked the end of the GDR, and Germany was reunited on October 3, 1990. The Berlin Wall stood for more than 28 years. Numerous commemorative events were held in Berlin and Brandenburg to mark the 34th anniversary of the opening of the border between East and West Berlin.
- The Berlin Wall Memorial, a testament to the division of Germany, serves as a prominent memorial for the conflicts and history of the past.
- Mette-Marit commended Germany's nobility in its ability to confront the past and foster reconciliation, a crucial step in overcoming the divisions caused by conflicts.
- Despite its status as a guarantor of peace and freedom, Germany has not forgotten its own role in conflicts and the Berlin Wall's 28-year existence as a harsh reminder.
- People from all over the world, including the Norwegian Crown Princess Mette-Marit, gathered at the Berlin Wall Memorial to commemorate the GDR's fall and celebrate the unity that was achieved after the fall of the Berlin Wall.
Source: www.dpa.com
