The Government Office and the Museum of Occupations in cooperation with the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany opened today in Tallinn a display of original section of the Berlin Wall, commemorating the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall.
Original section of the Berlin Wall was presented to the Republic of Estonia by the Senate of Berlin and was placed next to the Museum of Occupations on the side facing Kaarli avenue.
Heiki Loot, the Secretary of State of Estonia thanked the Senate of Berlin and the German Embassy for the gift. "This piece of concrete resembles the horror that inhumane dictatorships have and will bring on the one hand, and the joy that accompanies with getting rid of them," Loot said.
"It is a great pleasure on this day to present this monument of peace and freedom to the government and people of Estonia at its new permanent location in front of the Museum of Occupations,“ said German Ambassador Christian Matthias Schlaga. „The section of wall is a symbol of closeness of Estonians and Germans and reminds us that this wall has not fallen, but was overthrown by brave people in the whole of Europe. It also is as a sign of warning that we should never forget that freedom and peace in Europe today are not self-evident," Schlaga added.
This specific section was originally located along the border on Leipziger Strasse, on the corner of Stresemannstrasse, at Potsdamer Platz in the district of Berlin Mitte in the centre of Berlin.
There are more than 240 displays of original fragments of the Berlin Wall around the world, e.g. in Brussels, Riga, London, Singapur, Los Angeles, New York, Ottawa and elsewhere.
The Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany also opened an exhibition “Dictatorship and Democracy in the Age of Extremes” in the Museum of Occupations, which will remain on display until 2 February 2015.
Additional information:
Kristiina Tiimus, Government Office of Estonia, phone +372 693 5605, mob +372 53 0304 53, e-mail [email protected]
Miriam Ströbel, Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany, phone +372 627 5312, mob +372 58 54 1311, e-mail [email protected]