The Berlin Wall, which separated East and West Berlin, stood for nearly 30 years. It was a powerful symbol of the Cold War and the division between communist and democratic countries. On November 9, 1989, the East German government unexpectedly announced that citizens could freely cross the border. Thousands of people gathered at the wall that night, and some even began to break it down with hammers and chisels. The event was broadcast around the world, and it became a symbol of freedom and the end of communist rule in Eastern Europe. The fall of the Berlin Wall led to the reunification of Germany and major political changes across Europe.