Factsheet: 25 Years Fall of the Wall – Anniversary

I Press Release
25 Years Fall of the Wall – Anniversary Project
Key Facts (as of 15.09.2014)
I LICHTGRENZE
 The central event will be the light installation LICHTGRENZE ("border of light") where heliumfilled balloons will be illuminated along the former course of the Berlin Wall through the city
centre.
 Installation dates:
7–9 November 2014
 Length:
15.3 km
 Route:
Bornholmer Straße / Bösebrücke – Mauerpark – Bernauer Straße /
Gedenkstätte Berliner Mauer – Brandenburger Tor – Potsdamer
Platz – Checkpoint Charlie – East Side Gallery / Oberbaumbrücke.
These will also be the gathering spots for the public.
 Audience areas:
The seven central gathering spots (audience areas) for the
commemoration will offer information, guided tours, souvenirs,
viewpoints, catering and big video screens showing historical
footage from the Wall's initial construction to its eventual
demolition (Title: "Pieces of the Wall"). All of the audience areas
will be in operation throughout the weekend (with the exception
of Bornholmer Straße, which will operate only on Sunday, 9
November).
Live broadcasts on rbb radio stations.
 Number of balloons:
approx. 8,000
 Facts about the balloons: each balloon and the pole it will be attached to will stand 3.40m,
have a diameter of 60 cm and weigh 23 kg. They will be made of
100 per cent biodegradable material.
I Balloon Patrons
 Each balloon will have a patron. An initiative of the Robert-Havemann-Gesellschaft, circ and
Kulturprojekte. On-site patron support: SCC Events GmbH
 Balloon patrons are responsible for handling the balloons and ensuring their release between
approx. 5.00 and 8.00 pm.
 More than 100 non-profit organisations, associations, initiatives and companies will be
supplying the balloon patrons. The Protestant church will be the largest group with 3,000
patrons.
 Appeal on the radio programmes of Radio Berlin-Brandenburg (Inforadio, Radioeins, Fritz,
RadioBERLIN 88.8 und Antenne Brandenburg) around 3 October. Individuals can also apply to
serve as patrons.
 All of the names and personal stories of the balloon patrons will be published at
www.fallofthewall25.com, a website managed by Facebook. On the website, people from
around the world can leave messages and symbolically become balloon patrons.
visitBerlin / Berlin Tourismus & Kongress GmbH
Press Office
Am Karlsbad 11
10785 Berlin, Germany
Fax: +49 (0)30 26 47 48 – 983
visitBerlin.de
facebook.com/visitBerlin
Press Officers:
Björn Lisker
Tel.: +49 (0)30 26 47 48 – 956
[email protected]
Christian Tänzler
Tel.: +49 (0)30 26 47 48 – 912
[email protected]
I Press Release
I Open Air Exhibition of the Robert-Havemann-Gesellschaft
 Exhibition modules: 100, approx. every 150 metres along the LICHTGRENZE
 Title:
Mauergeschichten / Wall Stories
 Main topics:
Stories from the first years of Allied occupation, the construction of the
Wall, protests against the Wall, escape attempts, deaths at the Wall,
border installations and inspections, everyday life in the divided city,
stories of the peaceful revolution of 1989, the fall of the Wall, opening
the border crossings, souvenir hunters
 Guided tours:
every hour in German and English.
www.havemann-gesellschaft.de
I Programme for 9 November 2014
 10.00 am
Memorial service to mark the 25th anniversary of fall of the Berlin Wall
Worship: "Living on the border" with Bishop Dröge
Kapelle der Versöhnung, Bernauer Straße 4, 10115 Berlin
www.zionskirche-berlin.de
 11.30 am
Re-opening of the permanent exhibition "1961–1989: The Berlin Wall", exploring the context,
construction and fall of the Berlin Wall
Documentation Centre, Bernauer Straße 111, 13355 Berlin
 from 2.00 pm
Special programme (guided tours, eyewitness podiums, readings and music)
Berlin Wall Memorial, Bernauer Straße 119, 13355 Berlin
www.berliner-wall-gedenkstaette.de
 4.00 pm
Official opening ceremony of the State of Berlin
Speaker: Martin Schulz, President of the European Parliament
Other guests: Mikhail Gorbachev, Miklós Németh and Lech Wałęsa
Konzerthaus, Gendarmenmarkt, 10117 Berlin
 From afternoon through the evening
Federal Government's People's Festival
including a concert with the Staatskapelle and the Berlin Staatsoper Choir under the direction
of Daniel Barenboim featuring the final movement of Beethoven's 9th Symphony with Friedrich
Schiller's "Ode to Joy"
Brandenburg Gate, Pariser Platz, 10117 Berlin
visitBerlin / Berlin Tourismus & Kongress GmbH
Press Office
Am Karlsbad 11
10785 Berlin, Germany
Fax: +49 (0)30 26 47 48 – 983
visitBerlin.de
facebook.com/visitBerlin
Press Officers:
Björn Lisker
Tel.: +49 (0)30 26 47 48 – 956
[email protected]
Christian Tänzler
Tel.: +49 (0)30 26 47 48 – 912
[email protected]
I Press Release
 7.00 pm
Federal Government's People's Festival
Countdown to the balloon launch, signal to be given by the governing mayor of Berlin
Live TV and radio broadcast on ARD and Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg (rbb)
Brandenburg Gate, Pariser Platz, 10117 Berlin
The commemoration of the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall on 9 November 14 are an
initiative of the State of Berlin and are being realised by Kulturprojekte Berlin GmbH in
cooperation with the Stiftung Berliner Mauer and the Robert-Havemann-Gesellschaft. The project
has received support from the Stiftung Deutsche Klassenlotterie Berlin in the amount of
€1,938,000. Other supporters and sponsors include Sparkassen-Finanzgruppe, S-Bahn Berlin,
Deutsche Bahn, Facebook, Air Liquide, Duracell, visitBerlin, Berlin Partner, circ, Wall AG and SCC
Events GmbH. The light installation is based on an idea by Christopher and Marc Bauder
(WHITEvoid, bauderfilm).
For more information:
www.mauer.visitBerlin.de
www.berlin.de/mauerfall2014
Subject to change. Does not represent an exhaustive list of all events taking place.
visitBerlin
“We know Berlin”. This is the slogan that Berlin Tourismus & Kongress GmbH, operating under the trade name visitBerlin, has been
using since 1993 to advertise Berlin globally as a travel destination The visitBerlin Berlin Convention Office markets the German capital
as a convention destination. After London and Paris, Berlin is third-most popular European city for tourism, with 26.9 million overnight
stays in the German capital during 2013. Berlin has been among the top five most popular destinations for conventions and meetings
for the past ten years. As a tour operator, visitBerlin offers a wide range of travel packages and also issues the official tourist ticket,
the Berlin WelcomeCard. visitberlin operates five Berlin Tourist Info offices. The Berlin Service Center (Tel. +49(0)30-25 00 25) provides
information on the complete spectrum of tourist services in Berlin. Information on the capital city is available in 13 languages at
visitBerlin.de.
visitBerlin / Berlin Tourismus & Kongress GmbH
Press Office
Am Karlsbad 11
10785 Berlin, Germany
Fax: +49 (0)30 26 47 48 – 983
visitBerlin.de
facebook.com/visitBerlin
Press Officers:
Björn Lisker
Tel.: +49 (0)30 26 47 48 – 956
[email protected]
Christian Tänzler
Tel.: +49 (0)30 26 47 48 – 912
[email protected]