November 9, 2024, marks 35 years since the fall of the Berlin Wall (Mauerfall). Here’s everything you need to know about celebrations planned in Berlin this weekend.
This weekend marks 35 years since SED Secretary Günter Schabowski didn’t do his homework on the way to a press conference and famously crumbled the Berlin Wall, “sofort…unverzüglich” (immediately…without hesitation). To recognise the anniversary in the capital, a three-day-long calendar of celebrations has been planned.
Exploring connections between the Mauerfall, Tiananmen Square and democratic dissidence in China today, a free exhibition titled “China is not far” will run from November 7 to 11 in the forecourt of the Berlin House of Representatives at Niederkirchnerstraße.
On November 8, an open-air exhibition showing impressions of the Mauerfall will be held along a 4-kilometre stretch of the 155-kilometre route that the Berlin Wall once ran. Between 8pm and 9pm on the following evening of November 9, the route will turn into a 4-kilometre stage dotted with performances from the city’s musicians.
As a finale to the celebrations, on the evening of November 10, Russian feminist protest group and punk band Pussy Riot will put on a free concert and performance art piece in front of the former Stasi headquarters in Friedrichshain.
The entire calendar of events to celebrate 35 years since the Mauerfall are free to enter.
With events dotted around the city, and particularly in Mitte, several traffic restrictions will be in place over the Mauerfall anniversary weekend.
Using the U-Bahn and S-Bahn will mean avoiding most restrictions but certain U-Bahn stations, including Brandenburger Tor, Potsdamer Platz and Kochstraße, may be closed due to overcrowding.
Drivers should be aware of the following major closures. From November 7 to 11 at 6am, Straße des 17. Juni between Großer Stern and Brandenburger Tor will be blocked off.
On November 9 between 6 am and 12 am, Charlottenstraße between Schützenstraße and Rudi-Dutschke-Straße will be closed, along with Hannah-Arendt-Straße between Cora-Berliner Straße and Ebertstraße.
For the complete description of which roads will be closed off, head to the Berlin Verkehrsinformationszentrale website.
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