Mixed feelings over Berlin Wall commemoration
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The fall of the Berlin Wall is an event etched into the collective conciousness of most Europeans. Yet a whole generation of Germans, from East and West, have been born and grown up since that day. As Berlin gears up to mark this anniversary, what relevance do the celebrations have for them?
Berlin has big plans for the celebrations tonight. European leaders and figures who played a key role in the events of 20 years ago, such as then-Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev and Polish Solidarity leader Lech Wales, will join German Chancellor Angela Merkel at a series of commemorative events.
The €5.1m Festival of Freedom will kick off in earnest tonight at the Brandenburg Gate - which has become the symbol of the reunification of Germany. Conductor Daniel Barenboim will lead the Staatskapelle orchestra, the US band Bon Jovi will play their latest single and DJ Paul Van Dyk will unveil a new hymn composed specially for the occasion, entitled We are One.
As a representation of the chain of events leading to the fall of the wall and the collapse of Communism across Eastern Europe, a row of 1,000 giant foam dominos running across the city will be toppled.
While politicians, tourists and the world press are flocking to tonight's events, some Germans are less than impressed. As our correspondent Neale Lytollis found out, while young Germans largely agree it is important to remember their past, they see the current festivities as a "nostalgia fest" aimed at the older generation.
