Germany marks 30th anniversary of the fall of Berlin Wall, but post-Cold War gains are under threat
BERLIN - Tens of thousands of Germans and visitors from around the world converged Saturday at this once-divided city's iconic Brandenburg Gate to celebrate the fall 30 years ago of the Berlin Wall and the end of the Cold War, even as many gains since then are today under threat.
"The Berlin Wall is now history and the lesson learned is that there are no walls high enough or wide enough to keep people out or limit freedom that cannot be torn down," German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who grew up on the Communist eastern side of the divide, said at the gate where the 100-mile long barrier once ringed West Berlin.
Even though the 12-foot-high wall and the accompanying "death strip" - where East Germans attempting to escape the Communist side were killed by border guards - has been mostly dismantled for a
