"General Secretary Gorbachev, if you seek peace, if you seek prosperity for the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, if you seek liberalization: Come here to this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!"
On this day 98 years ago, the 40th president of the United States of America was born in Tampico, Illinois. Ronald W. Reagan is a president remembered sometimes for his humor and also, unfortunately, for his Alzheimer's. He is remembered by some for the Iran-Contra affair and others for economic prosperity during his term. But in Germany, he is remembered as the man responsible for bringing down the wall.
On June 12, 1987, Reagan made his famous "Tear Down this Wall" speech to thousands of Germans standing at the Brandenburg gate in West Berlin. Two years later, on November 9, 1989, the Wall was torn down. Communism had come to an end and the people of East Germany ha
d to learn how to live in this new capitalistic world. They had new money, new jobs, a completely new culture. Goodbye Lenin! is one of my favorite German films which illustrates the complexity of becoming part of this new and different world, that some people were opposed to.Love him or hate him, Reagan's words at the Brandenburg gate will always be remembered by those who now live in a united Germany.
Video of Reagan's Speech
Complete transcript of Speech
Yep, a great speech!
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