La detecci´ on del problema a trav´ es del an´ alisis de datos sobre las personas

This section compares the 2009 and 2014 commemorative events, seeking for any commonalities or differences.

The celebrations in 2014 were of a much smaller scale than 2009. Whereas the 20^th anniversary was staged as a theme year with three events, the celebrations for the 25^th anniversary took place over three days and focused on one main element. This has a variety of implications for the commemorative narrative, as throughout 2009 there was more scope for communicating a variety of messages. In contrast to that, in 2014 main messages had to be condensed into one event. The shared major themes primarily relate to the following:

1. Berlin as a city of historical importance

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2. Berlin as a modern metropolis

3. The European Union/Western world as a community of values

4. A reaffirmation of Western values of democracy, freedom and human rights

5. The people as powerful actors for overcoming injustice 6. The fall of the Wall as a universal moral message

In both years there are emerging themes relating to the portrayal of two different elements of Berlin’s local identity. The first one relates to the idea that Berlin was home to many key recent historical events, in particular the fall of the Wall which ended the Cold War. On the other hand, Berlin is also portrayed as modern and progressive. Whereas it used to be on the front line of the Cold War, it is now a modern capital with high living standards and an attractive location for businesses, where times of division are being commemorated and function as a tourist attraction.

The third theme relates to the portrayal of the European Union and broader Western world as a community of values which is present in both anniversary years. Although in 2009 the international political dimension of the fall of the Wall is more strongly emphasised through the presence of and speeches by politicians, this is still evident in 2014 as well, for example through the attendance of Martin Schulz (President of the European Parliament) and a performance of the anthem of the European Union. In both years the European Union is depicted in connection with ideals and values such as freedom, democracy and human rights and is thus portrayed as a positive development which was made possible through the fall of the Wall.

Furthermore, its member states are portrayed as champions of internationally applicable values and ideals. Generally, however, in 2014 this community is extended beyond political frameworks. By using the social media campaign, for example, a more abstract and geographically dispersed international community based on Western values and ideals is constructed. In both years, people from around the world were able to take part in the events in celebration of these shared values.

Related to this theme is the general affirmation of ideals and values such as freedom, democracy and human rights. These are the ideals and values that

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the citizens in the GDR fought for and which they achieved through the fall of the Wall and German unification. A celebration and recognition of these movements thus advocates these values and ideals. These values and ideals are generally seen as worth striving for globally.

In both years the people behind the Peaceful Revolution are acknowledged for their important role for the fall of the Wall, although this is done most directly in the open-air exhibition in 2009. Although the reasons behind the political change in 1989 are complicated and multifaceted, the role of the East German activists in bringing about this change is emphasised.

Additionally, the movement is interpreted as a message that is still of value nowadays in that the power of the people for overcoming injustice more generally is emphasised and thus a message of hope and encouragement is sent.

The final theme relates to the overall moral message of the fall of the Wall that resonates universally and is of permanent relevance. This includes a message that the fight for Western values and ideals is a worthy cause, that political change can come peacefully and that unnatural division and injustice cannot be permanent.

There are several key differences between the celebrations in the two anniversary years. The first major difference is that the 2009 theme year and in particular the ‘Festival of Freedom’ portrayed political communities such as the European Union as communities of values. Transatlantic relations and a friendship with Russia were part of this community which was primarily expressed through the involvement of Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and Dmitry Medvedev. More generally, the political dimension of the fall of the Wall remained a lot more subtle in the 2014 celebrations, thus not necessarily focusing on political communities, but broader, more abstract ones based on shared values and ideals communicated through participation of the general public from around the world rather than foreign dignitaries.

Another key difference relates to the depiction of contemporary Berlin. The difference between the two years in this respect is that the focus in 2009 was on commercial developments whereas the portrayal of modern Berlin throughout the decentralised events in 2014 allowed for more alternative and

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diverse spaces to be included. Overall, in 2014 there was a stronger focus on a people’s celebration with higher levels of involvement of the general public and less focus on international politics. Thus, the 2014 events gave more opportunity for individual narratives to emerge, emphasised by the social media campaign and the ‘100 Wall Stories’. Nevertheless, the same values were being communicated in both anniversary years.