How the Wall Came Down: An Eyewitness Report 10 Years After the Fall
Last Cold-War-Era German Ambassador to East Germany to Offer Insights on the Fall of the Berlin Wall During Lecture At York U.'S Centre for German and European Studies

TORONTO, September 24, 1999 -- As the first chunk of the Berlin Wall separating Western from Eastern Germany came down Nov. 9, 1989, it signalled the fall of communism and the rise of democratic reform across much of Central and Eastern Europe.

Retired German Ambassador Dr. Franz Bertele was there, and he will give a first-hand account of these events and what has happened since, on the eve of the 10th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, during a lecture at York University's Canadian Centre for German and European Studies (CCGES) entitled How the Wall came down: An eyewitness report, Mon., Sept. 27, 1999, 12 noon - 1:30 p.m., room 214 Calumet College, York University.

Bertele served as the last permanent representative of the Federal Republic of Germany to the Government of the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) 1989 - 1990. He also served as German Ambassador to Poland, 1992-1993, and to Israel, 1993-1996.

"The problems of German unification following the collapse of the Berlin Wall have been more difficult than expected," said Bertele. "In spite of huge transfers from the western part of the country, industrial production in the East went down and the jobless rate went up to 30 per cent. Many people saw no future. I was always and I still am optimistic that we are going to make it. We have to work hard and we need patience," he said.

The Canadian Centre for German and European Studies is a Canada-wide research and teaching resource focussing on contemporary Germany in its European context. Established in 1997, the Centre is a cooperative initiative of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), l'UniversitÈ de MontrÈal, and York University.

WHO: Dr. Franz Bertele, last permanent representative of the Federal Republic of Germany to the Government of the German Democratic Republic 1989 - 1990

WHAT: Lecture, How The Wall Came Down; An Eyewitness Report

WHEN: Mon., Sept. 27, 1999, 12 noon - 1:30 p.m.

WHERE: Room 214 Calumet College, York University, 4700 Keele St.

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Limited seating, please RSVP. For more information, please contact:

Ute Reiss
Coordinator, CCGES
York University
(416) 736-5695
email: ccges@yorku.ca

Ken Turriff
Media Relations Officer
York University
(416) 736-2100, ext. 22086
email: kturriff@yorku.ca
YU/094/99