Sketches in History | When the Walls Come Down

Hello, and welcome back to Sketches in History! I'm Lottie Archer, your guide. Every week, we sit in my grandfather's study and open my magical notebook to a sketch from history, letting it pull us into the past to experience a moment first-hand. Last time, we witnessed Alexander Graham Bell's revolutionary telephone call, changing communication forever. Today, we're exploring another moment that transformed our world - but first, let's take a closer look around my grandfather's study. Usually, we get right into the notebook to see where it’s taking us, but I think in our next few times together, I should show you around.

As you know, the study has always been my favorite room in the house. My grandfather was an avid collector, and everywhere you look, there's something interesting. The walls are lined with dark wooden bookshelves filled with leather-bound volumes. Maps from different eras hang in ornate frames. Glass cabinets display curious objects from around the world. Artifacts hang on all the walls, each one with its own story about where they were found and its role in shaping the world we know today. I am still finding new artifacts every time I come in here.

Let me show you around a bit. Over by the window, there's his old oak desk where I usually sit to open the notebook. Above the fireplace hangs his collection of ancient coins. And here, this cabinet contains some of his most treasured finds.

Look at all these remarkable items! There's a Roman oil lamp, a compass from the 1700s, and... wait, what's this?

It's a small piece of rock, smooth on one side but rough and blackened on the other. There's a handwritten note attached that reads "Berlin Wall, November 1989." Oh wow, I've heard Grandfather mention this before. He traveled extensively as a freelance journalist for a while in his life, and I believe he was actually there when this happened. The smooth side must have faced West Berlin, while the rough side faced East. I hope the notebook can teach us more about this event in history!

But first, our word of the day: unity.

Unity means joining together as one. When people who have been separated come together again, that's unity. Unity can happen in many ways. Sometimes, unity happens when a single belief or system of thought brings together many different people who believe the same thing. The belief overshadows all other possible differences between the people. It can happen between friends after an argument, between countries after a war, or - as we're seeing today - between the citizens of a divided city finally reunited after decades apart.

Let's see if the notebook knows something about this. I'll place the fragment on the desk and open to today's page.

Incredible! The sketch shows a massive concrete wall covered in colorful graffiti on one side, stretching as far as the eye can see. There are people gathered on top of it - some dancing, others using hammers and chisels. Guards stand nearby, looking uncertain. The image is beginning to move now, I can see people embracing across the wall, tears streaming down their faces. You know what that means!

Are you ready? Close your eyes, hold on tight, and let's go!

We made it! The air is cold and crisp - definitely November in Europe. All around us, people are cheering, singing, and even crying with joy. We're standing in a crowd near what appears to be a massive concrete barrier dividing a city - the Berlin Wall! Colorful graffiti covers the western side, while the eastern side is stark and gray. Based on the excitement and the people with hammers and chisels attacking the wall, this must be November 9th, 1989.

The atmosphere is electric! For almost thirty years, this 96-mile concrete wall has separated East Berlin from West Berlin, keeping families and friends apart. It was built in 1961 during what people called the Cold War - not a war with battles, but one with tensions and threats between countries with different ways of governing.

Look over there! People on both sides are climbing onto the wall. Some West Berliners are helping East Berliners climb across. Border guards who just yesterday might have arrested or even shot at anyone approaching the wall are now standing aside, looking just as surprised as everyone else.

A young man is using a sledgehammer to break off pieces of the wall, while others grab fragments as souvenirs - just like the piece in Grandfather's study! These are called "wall woodpeckers" in German, people pecking away at the concrete symbol of division.

Listen to them singing and chanting “The wall is gone!" in German.

This is more than just a wall coming down - it's the beginning of the end of the Cold War. Families who haven't seen each other for decades are reuniting. People from East Berlin are crossing into West Berlin, many for the first time in their lives, marveling at the differences between the two sides of the same city.

Look at that elderly couple embracing - they're holding each other so tightly, as if they can't believe this is real. The woman keeps touching the man's face, like she's making sure he's not a dream. These moments of human connection amidst historical change are what make events like this so powerful.

Let's head back to the study before we get caught up in the celebration.

We're back in the study, but I can still hear the echoes of those joyful cheers! Let's see what the notebook says about today's adventure.

We just witnessed the fall of the Berlin Wall on November 9, 1989. After decades of dividing East and West Berlin, the German Democratic Republic unexpectedly announced that citizens could cross the border freely. Berliners from both sides came together at the wall, celebrating their newfound unity and beginning to physically dismantle the barrier that had separated them for nearly thirty years.

The fall of the Berlin Wall marked the beginning of German reunification and symbolized the end of the Cold War.

Remember our word of the day? That's right - unity. The Berlin Wall's fall represents one of history's most powerful moments of unity, as families, friends, and an entire country divided by politics came back together. The small piece of concrete in Grandfather's collection isn't just a souvenir - it's a reminder that divisions between people, no matter how solid they seem, can always be overcome.

What an incredible moment! We saw how ordinary people can bring about extraordinary change when they stand together. Thanks for joining me in Sketches in History. Don't forget to subscribe to the 15-Minute History Podcast so you'll never miss an adventure. If you have a historical moment you'd like to visit, send your ideas to 15minutehistory@gmail.com.

Until next time, keep wondering, keep imagining, and remember - the past is just a page away.

Discussion Questions:

1.     Why do you think the Berlin Wall was important, and what did its fall symbolize?

2.     How do you think it felt for families and friends to be reunited after being separated for so many years?

3.     Can you think of other "walls" - physical or otherwise - that have divided people throughout history?

4.     What can we learn from moments when people come together to overcome division?

(Photo by Carol Guzy/The Washington Post/Getty Images)