- East Berliners get helping hands from West Berliners as they climb the Berlin Wall, which divided the city since the end of World War II, near the Brandenburger Tor (Brandenburg Gate), Nov. 10, 1989.

Germany marked 35 years since the Berlin Wall fell with festivities on Saturday under the theme "Preserve Freedom!", against the somber backdrop of war in Gaza and Ukraine, and fears that democracy is under attack around the world.

Like many other young women living in communist East Germany, Solveig Leo thought nothing about juggling work and motherhood. The mother of two was able to preside over a large state-owned farm in the northeastern village of Banzkow because childcare was widely available.

Most of communist East Germany’s heavily fortified border was torn down quickly after it was opened in 1989, but there are still places where visitors can see the remains of the Berlin Wall and other sections of the frontier.

Germany is celebrating the 35th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall and the country’s reunification less than a year later

Germany marked the 35th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall on Saturday, a pivotal moment in the collapse of communism in Europe.