What changed when the Wall came down? From a ride on the metro to peace in Europe, citizens from Germany, Poland, France, Italy and Spain share their points of view.

Viewpoint: Before and after the fall of the Berlin Wall

https://api.multimedia.europarl.europa.eu/documents/20125/14781943/I002-0001-EN.srt

I had a life-long dream   that for once in my life

I could enter the metro in East Berlin   and exit in the West.

We got on the metro at Jannowitzbruecke   and were stopped by the police.

Then the policeman said, 'come with me',   and gave me a special permit.

I really could get on the metro   in the East and get off in the West.

It was fantastic,   it hadn’t been possible before.

Except that since the fall of the Wall   and the German unification

I never wanted to go to a country   where I have to pay an entrance fee

and change my good Deutsche Marks to   Soviet Money, which I didn't want to do.

Nobody could imagine what   would follow,

the consequences that the fall of   the Berlin Wall would have for Europe.

Today it means there are no more   barriers, everyone is more free.

there have been major developments   in the East, more so than in the West.

For example there are more resources   in Poland, than before communism.

Before '89, Poland was a country where   people didn't have opportunities,

both personal growth and   going abroad were impossible.

After the fall of the Berlin Wall, after   1989, development began in Poland

From time to time you can see   the consequences of those times

but I think a lot has changed.   First of all,

the mentality and the feeling   of freedom and independence.

The fall of the Wall really was   the beginning of a new era for Europe.

We didn't realise it at first, but little by   little the entire system of walls collapsed,

the walls collapsed one after the other,   and suddenly Europe was reunited.

It allowed us to get closer to the East,   feeling more European,

to conjure a larger,   more positive image of Europe.

It gave rise to the desire   to broaden your horizons.

A vision of hope for the entire world,   and for us the Europeans.