By David Owen
November 11 – Hertha Berlin of the Bundesliga erected a wall in front of supporters ahead of their home match against RB Leipzig at the Olympic Stadium on Saturday.
The move was not some draconian new measure designed to deter pitch invaders, however. Rather it was the club’s unique way of marking the 30th anniversary of the destruction of the Berlin Wall, which divided the city – and, symbolically, the entire European Continent – for nearly three decades.
A further wall along the half-way line was dismantled just before kick-off of the game, won by high-flying Leipzig, 4-2.
The anniversary was a reminder of the 40 years of the Cold War, when Europe was the front-line for a sustained ideological – and nuclear – stand-off between the West and the Soviet Union and its Communist acolytes.
Erected in 1961, the sinister, 45-kilometre barrier was abruptly and joyously breached on the night of 9 November 1989, paving the way for German reunification.
Founded in 1892, Hertha traditionally drew supporters from all over the city. The wall’s construction made it completely impossible for those living in East Berlin to contemplate attending games. While the club’s base was in the district of Gesundbrunnen, however, the sound of the crowd was said to be audible on the eastern side.
“Today we play without walls, without borders,” said the club’s official Twitter feed ahead of the Leipzig game. “We play together for a unified Berlin and Germany.”
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