UAB commemorates fall of Berlin Wall
Lindsey Little, Staff Writer
Published On: 11/ 3/2009
The Berlin Wall was erected in 1961 as a barrier by the Soviet Union to separate the U.S./French/British side in West Berlin from their side in East Berlin.
On Nov. 9, 1989, the Berlin Wall was torn down signifying that Communism was not dividing Berlin. Among many things, the fall of the Berlin Wall signified the end of the cold war.
The 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall is being commemorated right here on UAB’s campus for the first time.
“We’re not alone in celebration, either,” said Erika Rinker, instructor of German studies. “There are other campuses commemorating the event as well.”
While the main focus is to celebrate the fall of the wall, the event is about commemorating the “peaceful” revolution.
“What made the Berlin Wall fall remarkable was its nonviolence because the building of the wall certainly was violent. The fact that a bloodless revolution can happen, should be celebrated in itself,” said Rinker.
There will be a model of the Berlin Wall placed in the Heritage Hall Atrium. “The aim is to bring out a model of the wall — a small model — that students can mark, just like the Berlin Wall,” said Rinker. “Mark it, tag it, and use graffiti. Have something profound to say? Say it there.”
The Berlin Wall model is open for participation by anyone who walks past it.
“It’s not just for German students or for foreign culture students. It’s for any person who passes by it,” said Rinker.
Freedom of expression also poses a major factor in the event.
“For me, the Berlin Wall model is about the experience of the students to have a place to express themselves,” said Rinker.
Just like the Berlin Wall, what is drawn will not be monitored.
“You hope that students or anyone passing by will use the model as an opportunity to show their better side and the good of living without walls but they might not and plenty of people did not in Berlin,” said Rinker.
Any mode of nondestructive (not to be confused with unsavory) art is allowed to be used on the wall model.
“I suspect that everyone walks around with a pen or a pencil in their backpack or purse. So they should have something to write with,” said Rinker.
The wall model will be kept there from Monday evening, Nov. 2 until Wednesday night. The model will be moved to the Birmingham Civil Rights institute and displayed Nov. 9. Then the model will travel to the Alabama-Germany Partnership.
“To keep up with the event we’re commemorating, it should be destroyed. It should be brought down,” said Rinker.
She said that the rights to destroying or bringing down the wall are all up to the Alabama-Germany Partnership.
“Whether they destroy it or store it is not really up to me. The Marshall Construction Group will be constructing the model. For the sake of portability, the model will consist of dry wall and 2 x 4,” said Rinker.
The real wall materials will be discussed on a film provided by the German Embassy.
The German Embassy has provided films to be viewed for the celebration. One of the films, “The Fall of the Berlin Wall,” is a historical film that starts with the wall being built in 1961. The years in between now and then of life in Germany will be shown in the same film.
An interesting fact that Erica Rinker pointed out was that even though the wall did fall, there is still a mental wall dividing west Berliners and east Berliners.
“They call it Mauer in Kopf, meaning ‘the wall in the head,’” she said.
She also notes that not all Germans have a wall in their heads.
Email: lklittle@uab.edu
