Syracuse Sun

Thirty-five years after East Germans breached the Berlin Wall, the once formidable structure is now a collection of remnants. The East Side Gallery, one of the few remaining sections, stretches for 1.3 kilometers along Muhlenstrasse. Despite its reduced physical presence, the fall of the Berlin Wall on November 9, 1989, remains a pivotal historical event.

Lauren Woodard, an assistant professor at the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, describes it as one among several events in communist Eastern Europe that demonstrated how solidarity could drive resistance and change. "After growing resistance across the region," she explains, "East Germans had mobilized throughout the summer and fall of 1989 to visit West Germany."

On November 9, during a press conference, an East German official mistakenly announced that new travel policies would take effect immediately without restrictions. This led tens of thousands to flock to checkpoints along the wall where they celebrated together as one opened.

Woodard notes that while the wall didn't physically fall that day, its symbolic collapse marked a period when Eastern European populations began breaking free from communism's grip. She uses this moment in her class as an example of euphoria and celebration marking the end of the Cold War but also highlights its destabilizing effects due to economic transformations in subsequent years.

In discussing why this event resonated globally, Woodard points out it was seen as a victory demonstrating cooperative resistance akin to movements earlier that year in Poland and other countries seeking independence from Soviet influence.

Reflecting on changes post-wall collapse for citizens behind what was known as Iron Curtain territories like Russia or Kazakhstan where she conducted research—she describes both euphoria at newfound political collaboration alongside profound socio-economic challenges during transition periods through 'shock therapy.'

She recounts personal experiences from studying abroad in Russia witnessing nostalgia towards Soviet times amid disenchantment with Western actions post-Cold War which left some feeling isolated especially following NATO's expansion excluding certain nations such as Russia itself despite hopes otherwise.

Woodard further comments on broader impacts noting Western Europe's overlooked experiences alongside those faced by Eastern counterparts post-communism’s end including identity struggles within America during this era eventually leading into global conflicts affecting international credibility today amidst reemerging geopolitical tensions involving Russia aligned against US interests worldwide.