Submitted by Eddy Adams on
Introduction:
For many of us, the collapse of Communism in Europe was the most significant historical moment in our lifetime. The crumbling of the Eastern Bloc and the subsequent implosion of the USSR led to the reunification of Europe. At the time, it seemed like the catalyst towards the inevitable spread of liberal democracy throughout the continent. The historian, Francis Fukuyama seemed to capture the mood when he spoke of ‘The End of History.
Europe’s cities were at the heart of this transformation, amongst them Budapest in 1956, Prague in 1968 and Gdansk in 1980. Each of them, historic pawns in Europe’s strategic power struggle, showed that the flicker of resistance remained alive in even the darkest times. And, of course Berlin. No other city embodies our continent’s unity and long journey to shared democracy than the, now, German capital. The sudden dramatic collapse of the Berlin Wall, electrified the world. A psycho-political breakthrough to an exciting new place.
Image:
