NOV 2009: From German-World Magazine: 20 Years Since Fall of Berlin Wall - News/Events in LA (Wall on Wilshire) & Beyond

Posted by Don Rose

November 9, 2009, marks 20 Years since the Fall of the Wall in Berlin. See below for more info about the anniversary, and to find out where celebrations and commemorations are taking place, in LA and beyond. The information is from a recent email sent out by German-World Magazine, an excellent source for info related to Germany and German news/events around the world. (You can read the full German-World Magazine email by going to the online version.)

German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Address at the US Congress On November 3, 2009, Angela Merkel became the first chancellor in 50 years to address the US Congress. Merkel followed a rare invitation by Nancy Pelosi to speak before the House of Representatives and the US Senate on November 3, 2009. Prior to her appearance in Congress, she met with US President Obama for talks about the upcoming United Nations summit in Copenhagen and various other topics concerning both nations. German journalist Lars Halter who witnessed Merkel's appearance in the US Congress told German World that she was greeted with a very warm welcome and that her address received much applause and standing ovations from the members of Congress. Please click here for the full speech of Chancellor Angela Merkel. More information provided by Deutsche Welle / DW-TV
Happy 20! Fall of the Wall Events Across North America The German Embassy in Washington reached out to students at 30 universities across the United States in 2009 with the Freedom Without Walls program. Sponsored by the Embassy's German Information Center USA, this initiative prompted numerous events and projects across North America. Click here for more information and a list of locations and events.
What’s Happening in Berlin this Weekend? Berlin will celebrate the day of the 20th Anniversary of the Fall of the Wall with the 'Festival of Freedom' which will begin at 7 pm (1pm EST) on November 9th, 2009, with an open-air concert at Pariser Platz by the Staatskapelle Berlin conducted by Daniel Barenboim. After the concert, the fall of the Berlin Wall will be symbolised by knocking over of 1000 oversized dominos, which have been put in place since November 7 and cover a route of around 1.5 kilometres from the Reichstagsufer via the Brandenburg Gate to Potsdamer Platz. They create unique images and impressions close to where the Berlin Wall once stood. These dominos have been designed by students from Berlin schools. On international level, the co-operation partner Goethe-Institut has sent several dominos into the world which are designed by students as well as artists and intellectuals. This 'Mauerreise – the wall in the world project' aims to raise awareness of walls around the world that continue to exist. The Festival of Freedom will be broadcast live on ZDF on November 9, 2009 from 7.25 (1.25 PM EST) until ca. 8.15 pm (2.15 PM EST). Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to attend this extraordinary event, among them the former German Foreign Minister, Hans-Dietrich Genscher, and the Nobel Peace Laureates Kofi Annan, Muhammad Yunus and Mikhail Gorbachev will be among the guests. We suggest you to watch Deutsche Welle or visit www.dw-world.de or tagesschau.de in order to catch a few memorable moments of the event. For more information, please visit www.mauerfall09.de More information about the Fall of the Wall The events that led to communist Europe – presented by DW-World.de
GW EVENT TIP: Nov 8 at 11 PM – 12.30 AM 20 Years of the Fall of the Wall Celebration in L.A.: Wall Across Wilshire Street Festival On August 13, 2009, Councilmember Tom LaBonge of L.A.’s 4th District, held a press conference announcing The Wall Project, presumably the largest and most ambitious celebration marking the 20th anniversary of the Fall of the Berlin Wall outside of Germany. L.A. has always enjoyed a special relationship with Berlin since 1967, when L.A. became Berlin's first Sister City. The project, conceived by The Wende Museum, in cooperation with the City of L.A. and supported by the German Consulate General in L.A., the GIC in Washington, D.C. and the Los Angeles Berlin Sister City Committee, will combine one mega street festival on November 8 at 11 PM and two art initiatives: The ''Wall Across Wilshire“ and the ''Wall Along Wilshire.“ Local artists and a Berlin-based French muralist will create a wall, symbolic of the one that once separated East and West Berlin, that will be erected across Wilshire Boulevard in front of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA). A public ceremony will feature an reenactment of actual events, with invited dignitaries breaking down segments of the wall, a live-feed of events between Los Angeles and Berlin, a video-montage presentation, speeches and live music. The second part of the art project, the ''Wall Along Wilshire“ features ten wall segments installed in front of 5900 Wilshire as an outdoor gallery exhibition on view from October 17 through November 14. Participating artists including Los Angeles' muralist Kent Twitchell, ' 'Obama Hope'' graphic artist Shepard Fairey and Berlin-based muralist Thierry Noir. www.wallproject.org OTHER IMPORTANT EVENTS THIS MONTH ARIZONA November 7, 2009 Ambassador Ball Honoring Germany & The Fall of the Wall. The Arizona Center for Germanic Cultures (AC4GC, Inc.) is proud to invite you to join the Ambassadors' Ball 2009. Location: Hyatt Regency Resort at Gainey Ranch, Scottsdale Information: www.consularcorpsfoundation.org or (480) 948 8348 CALIFORNIA November 9, 2009 – 7 PM 71ST ANNIVERSARY OF KRISTALLNACHT COMMEMORATION Author Daniel Jonah Goldhagen will discuss his latest book - Worse than War: Genocide, Eliminationism, and the Ongoing Assault on Humanity . A screening of excerpts from the new PBS documentary, based on his book, will also be shown. Goldhagen, a former Associate Professor at Harvard University, is also the author of the #1 international bestseller. Hitler's Willing Executioners. Book signing to follow program. Location: Simon Wiesenthal Center's Museum of Tolerance, 9786 West Pico Boulevard Information: 310-772-2527. D.C. October 5 – November 30, 2009 Wende Flicks: Last Films from East Germany ”Wende Flicks” showcases six feature and two documentary films made by East German filmmakers from 1988-1994. Most of these films were made by the last generation of East German filmmakers, many of whom had not been allowed to make their own films before, and all of whom trained at DEFA (Deutsche Film Aktiengesellschaft), the state-run film production studio. All films are in German with English subtitles. Location: Goethe Instiut Washington DC www.goethe.de/washingtondc October 15 – November 10, 2009 Kids Euro Festival This fall Washington once again hosts one of the country's largest performing arts festivals for children, with more than 150 free events around the city. A project of the 27 Washington-based European Union embassies and more than a dozen major local cultural institutions. For more information, click here Link setzen zu: http://www.goethe.de/ins/us/was/ver/en5027582v.htm Tuesday, November 10, 12 – 1:15 PM Deutsch am Mittag (German at noon) Sprechen Sie Deutsch? Join us for monthly lunchtime gatherings of those interested in hearing and speaking German. Each month, a special guest will speak on a topic. Participants can bring their lunch and join in the ensuing conversation. Led by Irmgard Wagner, professor emeritus of German at George Mason University. Sebastian Graefe (Heinrich Böll Foundation) will speak in German on Leipzig Wendestadt: Before and After the Fall of the Wall. Beverages and sweets are provided. Tickets: $6/$4 RSVP to Irmgard Wagner at iwagner@gmu.edu Location: Goethe Institut, 812 Seventh St. NW, Washington, DC