GERMANY WALL REMEMBERED

SOURCE: AP TELEVISION

RESTRICTIONS: HORIZONS CLIENTS AND AP LIFESTYLE, HEALTH AND TECHNOLOGY CLIENTS ONLY

LENGTH: 7.22

SHOTLIST:

4:3

AP Television

Berlin, Germany - November 9, 1989

1. Wide of piece of wall being lifted by mechanical digger

2. Chunk of wall coming down

16:9

AP Television

Berlin - 25 October 2014

3. Wide of Harald Jaeger, the East German colonel in charge of the Bornholmerstrasse border crossing on November 9, 1989 walking along the wall by Bornholmerstrasse

4. Tilt from memorial sign at Bornholmerstrasse to Jager

5. Wide of Jaeger

6. Close of Jaeger

7. SOUNDBITE: (German) Harald Jaeger, former Lt. colonel in charge of the Bornholmerstrasse border crossing on November 9, 1989:

"I tried to get some sort of instruction from a superior but they did not know what to do. They did not believe what was happening at Bornholmerstrasse. It was unimaginable for that military leadership at the time but also for the political leadership, the government. It was unimaginable that around 20,000 GDR citizens were at the border crossing. I tried to get a directive from a superior so I could start letting the GDR citizens through but there was simply no superiors around this night. So I had to act myself and gave the order myself that the wall should be opened."

8. Wide of photo near wall from November 9, 1989 at the Bornholmerstrasse crossing (PHOTO: Wolfgang Sunderhauft)

9. Close of photo from November 9, 1989 at the Bornholmerstrasse crossing (PHOTO: Wolfgang Sunderhauft)

10. Jager looking at photo

11. SOUNDBITE: (German), Harald Jaeger, former colonel in charge of the Bornholmerstrasse border crossing on November 9, 1989

"I have since described it as a horrible situation for us. But when the GDR citizens in euphoria started to run in the direction of West Berlin, cheering with bottles of Champagne and other things, then we were also happy. Happy because it had all happened without weapons and violence, that no drop of blood had been spilt in this night, only tears of joy and a bit of cold sweat running down my back."

12. Various of Jager looking at photograph

13. Wide of wall with street sign reading: (German) "Square of the 9th of November 1989"

14. Close of street sign

15. SOUNDBITE: (German), Harald Jaeger, former colonel in charge of the Bornholmer strasse border crossing on November 9, 1989

"When I look back, this night caused me personal and financial problems. But one person� I mean, I'm happy to give that. The more important things are the greater good for the majority of the German people and what they gained. And I think it is clear that they did gain."

16. Jager walking away along wall

4:3

AP Television

Berlin, Germany - November 9, 1989

17. Close of Checkpoint Charlie, pan to crowds gathering

18. Close of woman crossing, and hugging man behind her

19. Close of guard

20. Mid of guard, zoom out to people at Checkpoint Charlie

16:9

AP Television

Berlin - 29 October 2014

21. Wide of Checkpoint Charlie in central Berlin

22. Close of actors posing as American soldiers

23. Close of sign for checkpoint

4:3

AP Television

West Berlin, Germany - June 1961

24. Various of people escaping through barbed wire

25. Various of people escaping jumping from buildings

16:9

AP Television

Berlin - 29 October 2014

26. Wide of the former Stasi prison, now memorial, Hohenschonhausen

27. Cliewe Juritza, former Stasi prisoner after attempting to escape to West, walking along prison corridor, opens cell door, tracking shot to wide of prison cell

28. Juritza sitting in interrogation room

29. Close of Juritza

30. Wide of interrogation room with Juritza at back

31. SOUNDBITE: (German), Cliewe Juritza, former Stasi prisoner after attempting to escape to West

"I could simply not imagine spending the rest of my life in this walled-in country. You have to remember that no one foresaw the fall of the wall. No one foresaw the reunification of Germany. We were set with two countries."

32. Wide of Juritza in interrogation room

33. Prison cell door closes

34. SOUNDBITE: (German), Cliewe Juritza, former Stasi prisoner after attempting to escape to West

"I was arrested and sentenced because I wanted to get to West Germany. And exactly that is what I got in the end. I was punished for something that I got in the end."

AP Television

Berlin - 31 October 2014

35. Tilt along marking on street showing where wall stood to remnants of Berlin Wall at "Topography of Terror" exhibition in central Berlin

36. Various wide of Berlin Wall

37. Close of Berlin Wall

38. Interior of DDR Museum in Berlin, collection manager Soren Marotz walks in to exhibition showing living room in DDR, sits down on sofa

39. Wide of Marotz watching television in DDR exhibition space

40. SOUNDBITE: (German), Soren Marotz, DDR Museum collection manager

"After we had waited for about one hour in the cold the crowd started surging forward and everyone started running towards the checkpoint. Naturally I ran with like everyone else. And the border crossing was simply overran."

41. Wide of people looking at exhibition in DDR museum

42. Close of television in DDR museum showing former East German Leader Erich Honecker

43. SOUNDBITE: (German), Soren Marotz, DDR Museum collection manager

"You have to look at what Ostalgie (Nostalgia for East Germany) really is. My impression is that is certain form of longing for predictability. The world is much faster now and much more unpredictable. You don't have the security that you think you had in the GDR. So people look back at a level of predictability."

44. Wide of Berlin Wall

45. Close of Berlin Wall

LEADIN:

The Berlin Wall divided the German Capital for 28 years.

Now, 25 years after the fall of the Wall, Berliners share their stories of the East German state, living with the wall and the night when the wall fell.

STORYLINE:

Almost 25 years ago, the wall that divided East and West Berlin came down.

This is one of a few bits of the original Berlin Wall that is still standing in the German capital.

But this area of the wall has extra significance because of what happened here 25 years ago.

This was the site of the Bornholmerstrasse (Bornholmer street) border crossing; one of several crossings along the wall.

Normally the heavily guarded border crossing would work with very clear directives from superiors in the Stasi, the military and the political committees.

But in the night of November 9, 1989, confusion reigned.

Earlier in the evening, East German politburo member Gunter Schabowski had held his regular press conference.

After months of unrest in the country, a decision had been made to allow East German citizens to cross in to the West as long as they had special permission.

The order would take effect in the coming days.

But Schabowski was unclear about the details of the new directive.

So when asked when it would take place he simply said "immediately."

Once the press conference was shown on the television news, East Germans started to gather at the border crossings around Berlin to demand that they would be allowed to cross in to the West.

Harald Jaeger was the colonel in charge of the Bornholmerstrasse crossing.

By the early evening thousands of people had gathered in front of his crossing.

He started calling his superiors to get instructions of how to handle the situation, but he could not get a clear answer.

In the end he took a decision himself.

"I tried to get some sort of instruction from a superior but they did not know what to do. They did not believe what was happening at Bornholmerstrasse. It was unimaginable for that military leadership at the time but also for the political leadership, the government. It was unimaginable that around 20,000 GDR citizens were at the border crossing. I tried to get a directive from a superior so I could start letting the GDR citizens through but there was simply no superiors around this night. So I had to act myself and give the order myself that the wall should be opened."

Figures are difficult to verify, but according to most estimates, some 20,000 people crossed over the Bosebruck in to West Berlin at the Bornholmerstrasse crossing that night.

Other border crossings soon followed suit and the fall of the wall became inevitable.

Jaeger was himself no dissident or rebel.

He had served as a border guard loyally for 25 years, always following the rules and protocols.

It was not an easy decision to throw all of that away.

At the start of the evening the border guards tried to maintain some order, they stamped the passports of those leaving as invalid, meaning they would not be able to return.

But soon that also became impossible and Jaeger ordered the guards to simply open the gates.

"I have since described it as a horrible situation for us," he says

"But when the GDR citizens in euphoria started run in the direction of West Berlin, cheering with bottles of Champagne and other things, then we were also happy. Happy because it had all happened without weapons and violence, that no drop of blood had been spilt in this night, only tears of joy and a bit of cold sweat running down my back."

The fall of the Berlin wall set Germany on the path of reunification.

On October 3, 1990 the country was united and Berlin was officially one city again.

But for Jaeger reunification meant the end of his career and years of financial hardship.

He became unemployed for two years, and then started selling newspapers for a living.

Like many East Germans he struggled to come to terms with the new capitalist Germany.

But now, 25 years later, he says that the fall of the wall and the reunification of Germany was undoubtedly the best outcome for the people of Germany.

"When I look back, this night caused me personal and financial problems. But one person� I mean, I'm happy to give that. The more important things are the greater good for the majority of the German people what they gained. And I think it is clear that they did gain," he says.

The Wall divided the capital for 28 years, on 9 November people queued across Berlin to cross through the checkpoints to travel to the West.

Checkpoint Charlie was perhaps the most famous crossing into the US-controlled zone in Berlin.

Nowadays actors guard the Checkpoint for tourists. A poignant reminder of the past.

Over the years thousands of East Germans dissented and tried to escape through the barbed wire temporary fence, or by jumping out of the windows into West Berlin below.

According to the Germany Federal Commission dealing with the documents and records of the former East German State, at least 136 people died trying to cross the Berlin wall between 1961 and 1989.

Thousands others died or were imprisoned after failed attempts to escape to the west at other locations, such as by boat or through other communist states.

Others were imprisoned for dissent, protest and fighting against the regime.

Many ended up here, at the Hohenschonhausen Stasi prison in Berlin.

Between 1951 and 1989 thousands of prisoners were interrogated and held in the small cells at the prison.

Today it is museum and memorial.

Cliewe Juritza spent 10 months in four different prisons in East Germany for a failed attempt to escape to the West.

For him escaping was a personal quest.

He always wanted to join the East German merchant navy, but because he had a grandmother living in the West he was considered unsuitable and was rejected.

That is when he decided to escape:

"I could simply not imagine spending the rest of my life in this walled-in country. You have to remember that no one foresaw the fall of the wall. No one foresaw the reunification of Germany. We were set with two countries," he says.

He first tried to escape through Hungary but raised the suspicion of the Hungarian police and was sent back.

In 1984 he then tried to cross the border within Germany, but was caught and sent to prison.

After ten months of imprisonment he was sent to West Germany under a programme where the West German government would pay the Stasi to secure the release of dissident prisoners.

The irony is not lost on Juritza.

"I was arrested and sentenced because I wanted to get to West Germany. And exactly that is what I got in the end. I was punished for something that I got in the end."

Today the Berlin Wall is a tourist attraction.

Thousands of people visit what is left of the Wall every day.

But when Soren Marotz grew up in East Berlin it was far from an attraction.

He was 16-years-old on November 9, 1989, and he was certain the wall would stand there for his whole life.

But when he woke up on November 10 and heard that thousands of people had crossed in to the West he went to the closest border crossing to his school, the Henrich-Heine crossing in Kreuzberg.

At that time the guards at that crossing had regained some order, asking people for their passports and documents before they crossed.

But suddenly the crowd had enough of waiting.

"After we had waited for about one hour in the cold the crowd started surging forward and everyone started running towards the checkpoint. Naturally I ran with like everyone else. And the border crossing was simply overran," he says.

For Marotz life changed that day.

He became a part of the new unified Germany.

He studied in the West and worked in the West.

But in the end, his old life as a East German citizen caught up with him, albeit in a positive way.

He is now the collections manager at the DDR museum that shows what life was like in the East.

Each year over half a million people visit the Museum to learn about everything from the mundane of life in the East to how the political system worked and how the regime eventually crumbled.

Many of the visitors are East Germans, and some come with a certain level of nostalgia for the East German state, according to Marotz.

This so-called "Ostalgie" is understandable according to Marotz, eventhough that it doesn't necessarily mean that people want to return to the past.

"You have to look at what Ostalgie (Nostalgia for East Germany) really is. My impression is that is certain form of longing for predictability. The world is much faster now and much more unpredictable. You don't have the security that you think you had in the GDR. So people look back at a level of predictability," he says.

The fall of the Berlin wall will be celebrated on November 9 in Berlin, culminating ion a ceremony where 8,000 helium balloons will be released at around 18:00 GMT.

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SHOTLIST

1. Travelling along the east side gallery

2. Various of damaged illustrations on East Side gallery

3. Head of East Side gallery artists, Kani Alavi, checking his painting

4. Wide of Alavi walking by his painting

5. SOUNDBITE: (German) Kani Alavi, head of East Side gallery artists:

"If the politicians do not start to act soon we won't have the East Side gallery in its authentic form any longer. We have to act now and we have to use the finances we have received from several sources; the government, the city of Berlin, private sponsors and Lotto."

6. Close of gap in a wall

7. Med of split wall

8. Med of damaged wall and illustration

9. Wide of tourists walking along the East Side gallery

10. SOUNDBITE: (German) Manfred K�hne, Berlin city official:

"We have to coordinate the construction of a park, the reconstruction of the wall and the repainting of the paintings at the wall. The reconstruction of the wall and the repainting is delayed because we had to move some old houses from the park area."

11. Wide of Berlin wall

12. Various of East Side gallery illustrations

STORYLINE

Seventeen years on from the fall of the Berlin Wall, city officials and artists are locked in a battle to save one of the largest remaining sections of the historic monument from property developers, pollution, and vandalism.

The East Side Gallery, a three-quarter-mile stretch in Berlin's Friedrichshain neighbourhood, features the work of over a hundred international artists and includes iconic images like the embrace between East German leader Erich Honecker and Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev.

This popular tourist spot is in danger of disappearing altogether because of deteriorating walls, pollution, and tourists who like to pick-off pieces for souvenirs.

September's planned restoration is put at 1.8 (m) million US dollars, a figure that will increase depending on how much of the wall and its artwork can be saved.

Kani Alavi, heads up the East Side Gallery's Artists' association who fight to preserve the wall.

Alavi, an Iranian-born artist who contributed a mural in the 1990s says that politicians have to "act soon" to keep the Gallery "authentic".

"We have to act now and we have to use the finances we have received from several sources; the government, the city of Berlin, private sponsors and Lotto."

Another obstacle to restoration is property development planned for the area.

Manfred K�hne, a city official says: "We have to coordinate the construction of a park, the reconstruction of the wall and the repainting of the paintings at the wall. The reconstruction of the wall and the repainting is delayed because we had to move some old houses from the park area."

The wall's western side was covered in graffiti during the decades after the barrier was erected on Aug. 13, 1961. Parts of the eastern side, to which the East Side Gallery belongs, were painted only after communism collapsed.

Berlin's Mayor Klaus Wowereit illuminated a chain of balloons symbolising the Berlin Wall on Friday.

In a speech to Berliners and tourists, he said Wowereit said the light installation offered "the possibility to tear down the wall for a second time."

"This time people from around the world will send off messages, which are fixed to the balloons, messages for peace and hope that all the walls in the world will fall, concrete walls and the walls in peoples heads," he said.

The 15-kilometre (nine-mile) chain of illuminated balloons along the former path of the Berlin Wall will be released into the air early Sunday evening, around the time on 9 November 1989 when an announcement by a senior communist official set off the chain of events that brought down the Cold War's most potent symbol.

Germany is celebrating the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, a pivotal moment in the collapse of European communism and the start of the country's emergence as the major power at the heart of a reunited continent.

AP TELEVISION

Berlin - 7 November 2014

1. Berlin Mayor Klaus Wowereit and other officials switching on light installation

2. Various of balloon chain along the river Spree

3. Balloon chain

4. SOUNDBITE (German) Klaus Wowereit, Berlin mayor:

"The 15 kilometre (nine-mile) light balloons go along the former border and symbolise the wall. This is one thing. But they also offer the possibility to tear down the wall for a second time. This time people from around the world will send off messages, which are fixed at the balloons, messages for peace and hope that all the walls in the world will fall, concrete walls and the walls in peoples heads."

5. Balloon chain

6. Public screen showing GDR police officers arresting people who are fighting the regime

7. Man watching documentary

8. Balloon chain

9. People watching video

10. Various balloon chain

11. Balloon chain in front of German Parliament

SHOTLIST

AP Television

August 13, 2007

1. Pan down of people gathered at the memorial of Bernauer Strasse (which is one of the streets which separates two Berlin's districts: Mitte in the East and Wedding in the West)

2. Close up of memorial wall (part of the original Berlin wall)

3. Wreathes at memorial wall

4. Various of people standing near Berlin wall

5. Close of Berlin wall

6. Marianne Birthler, Head of the Stasi archives speaking with reporters

7. SOUNDBITE (German) Marianne Birthler, Head of the Stasi archives:

"I know from the victims of the GDR (German Democratic Republic) regime that they want to have a clear statement about what was just and unjust. They want people to hear their stories.They want to make clear who carries the political responsibility for this crime. The degree of the penalty does not play such a big role."

8. Wide shot of Berlin wall

9. Various of gaps in the Berlin wall

10. SOUNDBITE (German) Guenter Nooke, German government representative for human rights:

"The document is not new, but I think it's good that people here in Germany are again disgusted about the GDR system. For most of the people it is not normal that the GDR gave orders to kill people, even women and children at the border. And I think it is a positive thing that people in Germany and the world hear this again or some of them for the first time."

11. People gathered around crosses reminding them of the wall victims

12. Close up of visitor

13. Close up cross

14. People paying their respects

15. Wide of crosses near German Parliament

16. SOUNDBITE (German) Richard Buchner, Member of the Association of the Victims of the Communist Regime:

"Twenty years later an order exists to kill women and children (referring to the discovery of the Stasi orders). This is incredible and I think there are legal consequences necessary. And if possible, people who are responsible for it have to be impeached for it. This is the opinion I can represent in the name of two million (m) victims of the SED (East German Socialist Party) regime."

17. Various of Berlin Wall

18. Pan from wall to wooden cross

NATO TV

FILE: 1961

19. Various construction of Berlin Wall (++black and white pictures++)

20. Various soldiers at wall

AP Television

FILE: 1971

21. Various of look out towers and barbed wire

FILE: 1989

22. Pan from Checkpoint Charlie to crowd at crossing point

FILE: November 9, 1989

23. People climbing over the wall

24. Crane beginning to dismantle the wall

25. Man using stone cutter to dismantle the wall

STORYLINE

Germany marked the 46th anniversary of the construction of the Berlin Wall on Monday- a remembrance given added poignancy by the emergence from the files of East Germany's dreaded secret police of an unusually explicit order to shoot at citizens fleeing the communist country.

Though the official East German border regulations said use of a firearm was to be considered an "extreme measure in the use of force," the October 1,1973 order to border guards from the Ministry for State Security, or Stasi, is much less reserved, Magdeburg's Volksstimme newspaper reported on Saturday.

"Do not hesitate with the use of a firearm, including when the border breakouts involve women and children, which the traitors have already frequently taken advantage of," the order reads.

Marianne Birthler, Head of the Stasi archives said the documents showed a willingness to commit brutality that have rarely been seen otherwise.

She spoke at a memorial service for those who lost their lives as they attempted East Germany after the barrier was erected on August 13, 1961.

"I know from victims of the GDR (German Democratic Republic) regime that they want to have a clear statement about what was just and unjust. They want people to hear their stories.They want to make clear who carries the political responsibility for this crime," Birthler said.

Before the 1990 reunification of Germany, more than one thousand people were killed on the eastern side of the highly fortified border as they tried to escape to the West, including more than 125 at the Berlin Wall.

Some politicians on Monday pointed out that the document had already been published years ago, and criticised the Stasi archives for taking advantage of the Berlin Wall anniversary to call attention to their cause and alleged they were using the documents to justify their work.

However, the German government representative for human rights, Guenter Nooke, applauded the release of the documents saying that is is good to bring the world's attention to the "disgusting" regime of the GDR.

"For most of the people it is not normal that the GDR gave orders to kill people, even women and children at the border. And I think it is a positive thing that people in Germany and the world hear this again or some of them for the first time," he added.

Richard Buchner, Member of the Association of the Victims of the Communist Regime said that the fact that these documents were around 17 years after the fall of the Wall was "incredible" and said that legal action was required.

"If possible, people who are responsible for it have to be impeached for it. This is the opinion I can represent in the name of two million (m) victims of the SED (East German Socialist Party) regime," he told the Associated Press.

Germany had been divided after the end of World War II in 1945 into communist East Germany and democratic West Germany.

The Stasi, founded in the 1950s, had 91,000 full-time employees and 180,000 undercover informers.

They kept the population of 18 (m) million under blanket surveillance while the regime built the Berlin Wall and a border bristling with mines, barbed wire, dogs and self-activating machine guns.

After the Soviet Union collapsed, the border came down, the Stasi was disbanded and East and West Germany were united in 1990.

Hundreds of former East German border guards and officials have since been convicted for border shootings. Most received suspended sentences, though a few former leaders went to jail.

Philipp Lengsfeld was 16-years-old when his fellow students put him on trial.

On that early autumn day in 1988, pupils stood up to denounce Lengsfeld and seven other troublemakers as "traitors" and "pacifists."

Then the class voted to expel Lengsfeld from the official youth movement, membership of which was compulsory for anyone with ambition in communist East Germany.

Before the mass protests that led to the fall of the Berlin Wall, a group of teenagers dared to challenge the system and paid a hefty price.

Yet they made their mark on history - inspiring many others, including of their parents' generation, to follow their example in questioning authority.

In the Kafka-esque world of East Germany, the students were punished for doing precisely what they were told to do: post their views on the bulletin board of a new "Speakers' Corner", set up near the entrance of the elite Carl-von-Ossietzky high school in east Berlin.

"I think our Speakers' Corner was unique in the GDR (German Democratic Republic, or East Germany). We were told that we could freely express our opinions - like anyone could do at the original place in London," said Lengsfeld.

The current director of the Ossietzky school, Bernd Schonenberger, has spent a lot of time talking to colleagues who taught at the school in 1989.

He recalled that the political school climate was open and progressive in 1988 but not society as a whole.

"Here at this school things were possible to do, things which needed to stay secret. They were the precursors of the revolution in 1989," he told The Associated Press.

"The Speakers' Corner here was officially approved. What the pupils didn't understand at the time was that it had to be secret and couldn't be official. As soon as it went public it was a problem" he added.

The eight students used the bulletin board to praise labour strikes in neighbouring Poland, to call attention to a growing neo-Nazi movement, and to air an ironic poem about an East German soldier's love for his Kalashnikov rifle.

Lengsfeld, and seven others seen as ringleaders, refused to back down their protest, even after authorities gave them a chance to repent.

The mock trials - watched by adults standing silently at the back of the classrooms - had been carefully orchestrated to give the official punishment an air of democratic legitimacy.

Alexander Krohn, one of the few who refused to denounce his fellow pupils, described the proceedings as a "kangaroo court."

Krohn, who was suspended for refusing to take part in denunciations, said it was a matter of honour for him to support his classmates, some of whom also belonged to a loose group of punk music fans.

"We didn't want to say the opposite of what we thought, which for the majority of the other students was normal," he said.

A few days later, the eight students were summoned to an assembly and, one by one, expelled.

"Simply put, it was the end of the world for us - from one day to another. In the morning you are a normal pupil, maybe a bit different from the average pupils but someone who lives a normal life of a high school student," said Lengsfeld.

"And all of a sudden you are confronted with the fact that you have no future in your own country anymore" he added.

But it was also a hard decision for the teachers at the time. Schonenberger, who has run the school since 1991, remembers what his former colleagues told him about the incident.

"The teachers walked unprepared into the conference. They had no chance to talk to each other before they had to vote," he said.

"A lot of things crossed their minds. If I say 'no,' what would the consequences be? Only a few people are courageous enough to vote 'no'. That's how innocent people are turned into perpetrators against their will," he added.

After their expulsion, the eight were treated like outcasts. Four faced a life-long ban from all schools in East Germany.

Their case was initially taken up by East Germany's tiny opposition movement, estimated at the time to number just a few hundred people.

Then it hit West German news broadcasts, bouncing back across the Iron Curtain as many ordinary East Germans tuned in to forbidden western channels.

Anger about the case also fuelled widespread dissatisfaction with the education system and the person who ran it, Margot Honecker, the wife of East German leader Erich Honecker.

She was one of the most hated people in the country for making political propaganda a core part of the curriculum at the expense of more useful lessons.

Historical documents show that Honecker - nicknamed "the purple dragon" and now living out her days in Chile - personally intervened to push for the crackdown on the Ossietzky students, even though many had been promising pupils and none had called outright for the fall of the Wall.

Unaware the Berlin Wall would crumble just a year later, Lengsfeld obtained permission to leave the country and go to England, where his mother lived in exile.

Lengsfeld told The Associated Press that the experience prompted him to go into politics.

The 42-year-old is now a national lawmaker. His office is situated on the same spot where Margot Honecker's Ministry of Education once stood.

"The minister's office was "Unter den Linden 71". Here was her main office where she signed our verdict. Today it belongs to the German Bundestag and my office is in the building. You can say we have come full circle" said Lengsfeld.

AP TELEVISION

Berlin - 4 November, 2014

1. Philipp Lengsfeld, who was expelled from Carl von Ossietzky Gymnasium - a Berlin secondary school - walking along street

2. Pan from cafe on street to close of Lengsfeld

3. Exterior of Carl von Ossietzky Gymnasium, a secondary school in Berlin

4. Close of sign reading (German) "Carl von Ossietzky Gymnasium"

5. Pupils walking towards school entrance

6. Tilt up on column used as Speakers' Corner

7. Tilt up on photograph of Speakers' Corner in 1989

8. Close of photograph showing message posted on column in 1989 reading (German) "Speakers' Corner should be a place to speak freely again"

9. SOUNDBITE (German) Philipp Lengsfeld, former pupil of Carl von Ossietzky Gymnasium, who was expelled from the school:

"I think our Speakers' Corner was unique in the GDR (German Democratic Republic, or East Germany). We were told that we could freely express our opinions - like anyone could do at the original place in London."

10. Tilt down from ceiling to Bernd Schonenberger, Director of Carl von Ossietzky Gymnasium, holding booklet open at photograph of Speakers' Corner

11. SOUNDBITE (German) Bernd Schonenberger, Director of Carl von Ossietzky Gymnasium:

"Here, at this school, it was possible to do things; things which needed to stay secret. They were the precursors of the revolution in 1989. The Speakers' Corner here was officially approved. What the pupils didn't understand at the time was that it had to stay secret and couldn't be official. As soon as it went public it was a problem."

12. Alexander Krohn, former pupil of Carl von Ossietzky Gymnasium, walking down street (walking towards camera)

13. Krohn standing in front of TV tower in Berlin

14. Photograph of Krohn as a teenager

15. SOUNDBITE (German) Alexander Krohn, former pupil of Carl von Ossietzky Gymnasium, who was temporarily suspended from the school:

"We didn't want to say the opposite of what we thought, which for the majority of the other students was normal."

16. Schonenberger opening door into school assembly hall, pan of tables and chairs

17. Low shot of tables and chairs, Schonenberger standing in doorway to assembly hall

18. Copy of relegation paper issued by Margot Honecker, GDR Minister of Education

19. SOUNDBITE (German) Philipp Lengsfeld, former pupil of Carl von Ossietzky Gymnasium, who was expelled from the school:

"Simply put, it was the end of the world for us - from one day to another. In the morning you are a normal pupil, maybe a bit different from the average pupils but someone who lives a normal life of a high school student. And all of a sudden you are confronted with the fact that you have no future in your own country anymore."

20. Print of paper issued by Honecker

21. Schoenenberger explaining what happened at the school assembly hall in 1988

22. SOUNDBITE (German) Bernd Schonenberger, Director of Carl von Ossietzky Gymnasium:

"The teachers walked unprepared into the conference. They had no chance to talk to each other before they had to vote. A lot of things crossed their minds. If I say 'no,' what would the consequences be? Only a few people are courageous enough to vote 'no'. That's how innocent people are turned into perpetrators against their will."

23. Tilt up on Lengsfeld walking towards Brandenburg Gate

24. Zoom into picture of Honecker

25. SOUNDBITE (German) Philipp Lengsfeld, former pupil of Carl von Ossietzky Gymnasium, who was expelled from the school:

"The minister's office was "Unter den Linden 71". Here was her main office where she signed our verdict. Today it belongs to the German Bundestag and my office is in this building. You can say we have come full circle."

26. Tilt down from Berlin TV tower to mural on wall

27. Wide of Berlin street scene

Thousands of people gathered on Sunday evening in front of Berlin's Brandenburg Gate for an open air event held as part of celebrations marking the 25th anniversary of the night the Berlin Wall fell.

Almost 7,000 balloons were released into the sky, many carrying messages of hope.

The balloons were released from poles that formed a line illuminating a 15 kilometre stretch of the former border between East and West Berlin.

The symbolic act recalled the night of November 9, 1989, when thousands of people from the communist East streamed through gaps in the Berlin Wall to celebrate freedom with their brethren in the West.

"Our family was separated. One part was in the former GDR (German Democratic Republic), even imprisoned," said one spectator, Rose Krueger.

Ana Pereira from Portugal said even the intense cold did not spoil her enjoyment of the spectacle.

"I just texted a friend saying I might have lost some toes and something because it is very cold," she said, adding "It was worth it."

And Berlin citizen Christine Belz said she was asleep when the wall fell 25 years ago, "but today, I wanted to be here."

Among the dignitaries attending was Mayor of Berlin, Klaus Wowereit.

"Nothing and no one may deny the wish for freedom," he said.

"We hope that all the people who are having to suffer from the walls of our times will experience something like we experienced. New courage, upheaval, change to overcome injustice and suffering," he said.

The night was capped with a huge firework display that lit up the night sky over the Brandenburg Gate.

AP TELEVISION

Berlin, Germany - 9 November 2014

++NIGHT SHOTS++

1. Balloons being released at Brandenburg Gate

2. Crowds waiting for release of balloons on poles at Bernauer Strasse that form a line illuminating a 15 kilometre stretch of the Berlin Wall, the former border between East and West Berlin

3. Balloons being released at Bernauer Strasse

4. SOUNDBITE (German) vox pop, Rose Krueger, Berlin resident:

"Our family was separated. One part was in the former GDR (German Democratic Republic), even imprisoned. Now, for the last 25 years, we have a united Germany and this is the greatest joy for us."

5. People taking photos of balloon chain

6. Balloons being released at Bernauer Strasse

7. SOUNDBITE (English) vox pop, Ana Pereira, tourist from Portugal:

"It was very moving, very touching, and I just texted a friend saying I might have lost some toes and something because it is very cold. But it was worth it. It is a moment in time, you know."

8. People taking photos of light installation

9. Balloons being released at Bernauer Strasse

10. SOUNDBITE (German) vox pop, Christine Belz, Berlin resident:

"It was wonderful today. Twenty-five years ago I missed the fall of the wall because I was asleep but today I wanted to be here."

11. Celebrations at Brandenburg gate

AGENCY POOL - AP CLIENTS ONLY

Berlin, Germany - 9 November 2014

++NIGHT SHOTS++

12. Klaus Wowereit, Mayor of Berlin, addressing crowds in front of Brandenburg Gate

13. SOUNDBITE (German) Klaus Wowereit, Mayor of Berlin:

"Nothing and no one may deny the wish for freedom and self-determination, nowhere. And nothing will protect authoritarian regimes from the call for democracy and justice in the long run. So we hope that all the people who are having to suffer from the walls of our times will experience something like we experienced. New courage, upheaval, change to overcome injustice and suffering. This is the message which we are sending together today from the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin."

14. Various of firework display at Brandenburg Gate

LEAD IN:

An exhibition tracing dissident art created when East Germany was under Soviet rule is opening in Berlin.

The exhibition 'Voices of Dissent: Art in the GDR 1976-1989' traces the subtle - and sometimes obvious - ways artists tried to show their opposition to the Communist state.

STORY-LINE:

It was a time of the Berlin Wall, constant state surveillance and a suffocating lack of democracy.

The German Democratic Republic (GDR) was established in Soviet-occupied parts of Germany after the Second World War and continued until after the fall of the Berlin Wall.

Most parts of a citizens' life were controlled by the state and the communist party – and art was no exception.

Artists were required to create works which suited the ideology of the communist system, preferably with motives that showed the heroism of the working class.

But a number of artists in the GDR refused to conform and created pieces which ignored the required propaganda, or was even blatantly opposed to the regime.

An exhibition showcasing the works by leading oppositional artists is now opening in Berlin.

Hans-Hendrik Grimmling is one such dissident artist included in the exhibit.

After refusing to adapt his paintings to state standards and participating in several artist actions, he came to the attention of the secret police - the Stasi.

"I was not allowed to travel, not even in the Eastern Bloc. My exhibitions were closed down," says Grimmling.

"The seal around me was getting very close, very present. The flow of information stopped. I had a lot of invitations to go to France, but I was not allowed. The feeling of tightness was getting very close and schizophrenic. It was like an infection in us all. And as an artist you are always looking for ways the get healthy and whole again."

Art played an important role in the GDR.

Social realist paintings depicting the glory of the state, the heroism of workers and the enlightenment of the leaders hung in every state building.

Many artists made a good living creating such pictures, others stayed apolitical and kept their head down, some challenged the regime and its artistic norms.

"Of course, many of the artists just painted still life pictures and landscapes and stayed out of politics," explains co-curator Christoph Tannert.

"But on the other side, there were the subculture artists that used a very clear language, either against the aesthetic norms of the artists union, with art that used crazy forms and expressive touches or by using realism and depicting themes that were considered taboo."

The German Democratic Republic (GDR) was established in Soviet-occupied parts of Germany in 1959.

The state was modeled on the Soviet Union with an all-powerful politburo and secret police.

Showing signs of dissent was not easy.

Many dissident artists had to spend time in jail, others were forbidden to travel outside their home cities and most were under constant surveillance.

Instead of creating obviously dissenting art, many painted pictures with codes and hints, or focused on the inner life of the citizens, instead of the politics of the state.

"When you walk through the exhibition you will not see many works that are obviously political," says co-curator, Eugen Blume.

"Most of them are using symbolism and are more concerned with existential questions as with the politics of the GDR. That is what distinguishes the quality of this art, that is concerned with the state of the soul."

Grimmling was finally allowed to emigate to West Germany in 1986 under a program where the west paid to have dissidents released and deported.

He says he still carries his time behind the 'Iron Curtain' with him.

"Life continues. Is something wasted in us? Can we use that experience when starting something new today? I think so," says Grimmling.

"I think that even though the time was horrible I cannot pretend it did not happen. I think that I get the force in my pictures from that time."

The 'Voices of Dissent: Art in the GDR 1976-1989', opens 16 July at the Martin Gropius Bau Museum in Berlin and runs till 26 September.

LEAD IN:

An exhibition tracing dissident art created when East Germany was under Soviet rule is opening in Berlin.

The exhibition 'Voices of Dissent: Art in the GDR 1976-1989' traces the subtle - and sometimes obvious - ways artists tried to show their opposition to the Communist state.

STORY-LINE:

It was a time of the Berlin Wall, constant state surveillance and a suffocating lack of democracy.

The German Democratic Republic (GDR) was established in Soviet-occupied parts of Germany after the Second World War and continued until after the fall of the Berlin Wall.

Most parts of a citizens' life were controlled by the state and the communist party – and art was no exception.

Artists were required to create works which suited the ideology of the communist system, preferably with motives that showed the heroism of the working class.

But a number of artists in the GDR refused to conform and created pieces which ignored the required propaganda, or was even blatantly opposed to the regime.

An exhibition showcasing the works by leading oppositional artists is now opening in Berlin.

Hans-Hendrik Grimmling is one such dissident artist included in the exhibit.

After refusing to adapt his paintings to state standards and participating in several artist actions, he came to the attention of the secret police - the Stasi.

"I was not allowed to travel, not even in the Eastern Bloc. My exhibitions were closed down," says Grimmling.

"The seal around me was getting very close, very present. The flow of information stopped. I had a lot of invitations to go to France, but I was not allowed. The feeling of tightness was getting very close and schizophrenic. It was like an infection in us all. And as an artist you are always looking for ways the get healthy and whole again."

Art played an important role in the GDR.

Social realist paintings depicting the glory of the state, the heroism of workers and the enlightenment of the leaders hung in every state building.

Many artists made a good living creating such pictures, others stayed apolitical and kept their head down, some challenged the regime and its artistic norms.

"Of course, many of the artists just painted still life pictures and landscapes and stayed out of politics," explains co-curator Christoph Tannert.

"But on the other side, there were the subculture artists that used a very clear language, either against the aesthetic norms of the artists union, with art that used crazy forms and expressive touches or by using realism and depicting themes that were considered taboo."

The German Democratic Republic (GDR) was established in Soviet-occupied parts of Germany in 1959.

The state was modeled on the Soviet Union with an all-powerful politburo and secret police.

Showing signs of dissent was not easy.

Many dissident artists had to spend time in jail, others were forbidden to travel outside their home cities and most were under constant surveillance.

Instead of creating obviously dissenting art, many painted pictures with codes and hints, or focused on the inner life of the citizens, instead of the politics of the state.

"When you walk through the exhibition you will not see many works that are obviously political," says co-curator, Eugen Blume.

"Most of them are using symbolism and are more concerned with existential questions as with the politics of the GDR. That is what distinguishes the quality of this art, that is concerned with the state of the soul."

Grimmling was finally allowed to emigate to West Germany in 1986 under a program where the west paid to have dissidents released and deported.

He says he still carries his time behind the 'Iron Curtain' with him.

"Life continues. Is something wasted in us? Can we use that experience when starting something new today? I think so," says Grimmling.

"I think that even though the time was horrible I cannot pretend it did not happen. I think that I get the force in my pictures from that time."

The 'Voices of Dissent: Art in the GDR 1976-1989', opens 16 July at the Martin Gropius Bau Museum in Berlin and runs till 26 September.

Berlin, Germany - 15 July 2016

1. Wide of "Das Gespraech" (The Talk) by Reinhard Stangl (1987)

2. Various close shots of "Das Gespraech" (The Talk) by Reinhard Stangl (1987)

3. Various wide shots of exhibition

4. Wide of "Figure" by Mark Lammert (1988)

5. Close tilt up of "Figure" by Mark Lammert (1988)

6. Setup shot of Hans-Hendrik Grimmling, Artist featured in exhibition, standing in front of his work "Die umerziehung der voegel" (The Reeducation of the Bird, 1977) ( Editors please note: the plaster is the result of a minor, unrelated accident at home).

7. Close of Grimmling

8. Various close shots of "Die umerziehung der voegel" (The Reeducation of the Bird, 1977)

9. SOUNDBITE (German) Hans-Hendrik Grimmling, Artist featured in exhibition:

"I was not allowed to travel, not even in the Eastern Bloc. My exhibitions were closed down. The seal around me was getting very close, very present. The flow of information stopped. I had a lot of invitations to go to France, but I was not allowed. The feeling of tightness was getting very close and schizophrenic. It was like an infection in us all. And as an artist you are always looking for ways the get healthy and whole again."

Berlin, Germany - 13 August 1976

10. Pan left along metal barrier on top of wall to East Berlin

11. Wide of red writing on wall, reading: "SUPERMACHTE RAUS AUS DEUTSCHLAND"

12. Close of sign, reading: "You are leaving the American sector." pull out

13. Mid of soldiers behind metal fence

14. Pan right from people to wall and barrier

15. Wide of children playing behind wall, pull out

Berlin, Germany - 15 July 2016

16. Various of remnants of the Berlin Wall standing outside the Martin Gropius Bau Museum where exhibit is taking place

17. Wide of "Der Zugriff" (Access) by Helge Leiberg (1990)

18. Various close shots of "Der Zugriff" (Access) by Helge Leiberg (1990)

19. Close tilt down of "Mann mit Koffer" (Man with Suitcase) by Trak Wendisch (1983)

20. SOUNDBITE (German) Christoph Tannert, Co-Curator of Exhibit:

"Of course, many of the artists just painted still life pictures and landscapes and stayed out of politics. But on the other side, there were the subculture artists that used a very clear language, either against the aesthetic norms of the artists union, with art that used crazy forms and expressive touches or by using realism and depicting themes that were considered taboo."

21. Wide of "Der Buerokrat" (The Bureaucrat) by Frank Maasdorf (1980)

22. Close of "Der Buerokrat" (The Bureaucrat) by Frank Maasdorf (1980)

23. Various pan shots of "Der Buerokrat" (The Bureaucrat) by Frank Maasdorf (1980)

24. Wide of "Ohne titel" (No Title) by A.R. Penck (1974)

25. Various close shots of "Ohne titel" (No Title) by A.R. Penck (1974)

26. SOUNDBITE (German) Eugen Blume, Co-Curator of Exhibit:

"When you walk through the exhibition you will not see many works that are obviously political. Most of them are using symbolism and are more concerned with existential questions as with the politics of the GDR. That is what distinguishes the quality of this art, that is concerned with the state of the soul."

27. Wide of woman looking at various paintings

28. Close of "Weisse Bildnis" (White portrait) by Strawlade (1984)

29. Wide of "Animateur - Auch ein Kunstleben - Arschloch" by Hans Scheib (1986)

30. Various of "Animateur - Auch ein Kunstleben - Arschloch" by Hans Scheib (1986)

31. SOUNDBITE (German) Hans-Hendrik Grimmling, Artist featured in exhibition:

"Life continues. Is something wasted in us? Can we use that experience when starting something new today? I think so. I think that even though the time was horrible (Note: Grimmling uses an expletive here) I cannot pretend it did not happen. I think that I get the force in my pictures from that time."

32. Pull out of "Der ewige Soldat" (The Eternal Solider) by Peter Herrmann (1969-1970)

33. Wide of "Der ewige Soldat" (The Eternal Solider) by Peter Herrmann (1969-1970)

34. Close of "Der ewige Soldat" (The Eternal Solider) by Peter Herrmann (1969-1970)

Former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev and former French Foreign Minister Roland Dumas warned of the threat of a new Cold War during speeches at an event on Saturday to mark the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall.

"Bloodshed in Europe and the Middle East against the backdrop of a breakdown in dialogue between major powers is of enormous concern right now," Gorbachev said.

He also called for renewed trust to be built through dialogue with Moscow, and suggested the West should lift sanctions imposed against senior Russian officials over its actions in eastern Ukraine.

Dumas stressed the importance of peace, respect and "a strong and brave disarmament policy", without which, he said, "everything could start over again tomorrow."

Meanwhile, preparations for the anniversary celebration were in full swing.

Choir rehearsals were taking place and workers were setting up cables for a live transmission of the event near the city's Brandenburg Gate.

A 15 kilometre (9.5 mile) chain of light balloons was set along the former wall path near the German parliament and river Spree.

The balloons will be released into the air early Sunday evening, around the same time that, on 9 November 1989, an announcement by a senior government official set off the chain of events that brought down the Berlin Wall.

AP TELEVISION

Berlin, Germany - 8 November 2014

1. Various of choir rehearsal on stage Brandenburg gate

2. Staff talking on stage

3. Zoom out of light balloon installation

4. Man preparing light balloon

5. Balloon installation, crowd watching

6. Various of staff setting up stage

7. Various of newsgathering satellite vans

8. Former French Foreign Minister Roland Dumas (standing up with walking stick) and former Russian President Mikhail Gorbachev (seated) attending symposium

9. Cameraman

10. SOUNDBITE (Russian) Mikhail Gorbachev, Former Russian President:

"Bloodshed in Europe and the Middle East against the backdrop of a breakdown in dialogue between major powers is of enormous concern right now."

11. Cutaway of people attending symposium

12. SOUNDBITE (Russian) Mikhail Gorbachev, Former Russian President:

"The world is on the brink of a new Cold War. Some people are even saying that it's already begun."

13. Dumas and Gorbachev at symposium

14. SOUNDBITE (French) Roland Dumas, Former French Foreign Minister:

"I tell you, my friends, without peace, without respect between nations, and without a strong and brave disarmament policy, everything could start over again tomorrow. Even everything we used to know, and what we named 'Cold War'."

15. Various of balloon installation close to German parliament

16. Various of people at memorial for victims of Berlin Wall

17. Various of balloon installation at river Spree marking former wall path along German parliament and river Spree

Former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev said on Friday the collapse of the Berlin Wall demonstrated how important good relations between Germany and Russia were for the entire world.

Gorbachev spoke to a crowd at the former site of Berlin's famous Checkpoint Charlie crossing point, two days before the 25th anniversary of the Wall's fall.

He was honoured by Cinema of Peace Foundation for his role in bringing down the Iron Curtain between East and West Europe.

The elder statesman, who kept Soviet troops stationed in East Germany in their barracks the night of 9 November 1989, said "as long as Russians and Germans understand each other, as long as our relationship is good, then everyone benefits."

Ties between Berlin and Moscow have been strained recently by the conflict in eastern Ukraine.

AP TELEVISION

++NIGHT SHOTS++

Berlin (at former site of Checkpoint Charlie) - 7 November 2014

1. Crowd at former border crossing known as Checkpoint Charlie

2. Original piece of the Berlin Wall being transported for official ceremony by Cinema for Peace for former Russian President Mikhail Gorbachev

3. Plaque with inscription reading (English) "25 Years of the Fall of the Berlin Wall Hero of Peace Mikhail Gorbachew"

4. Plaque with people in the background

5. Gorbachev arriving for ceremony

6. SOUNDBITE (Russian) Mikhail Gorbachev, Former Soviet Union President:

"We must always remember the lessons of the past and we must learn from the past and we have learnt from the past that as long as the Russians and Germans understand each other, as long as our relationship is good, then everyone benefits. This means we have to make sure that it stays so. I wish you all happiness, health and success and I am proud that I helped in some way, so that we can live the way we live today and that our relations are how they are. I wish you all well."

7. Cutaway of journalists

8. Gorbachev placing hands on part of the original Berlin Wall to create hand print

9. Close-up of Gorbachev's hands

10. Gorbachev leaving ceremony

11. Gorbachev's hand print on plaque

12. Hand print plaque surrounded by journalists

13. White balloons marking the place where the Berlin Wall formerly stood

14. Balloon structures

Manuel Valls made his first visit to Germany as France's prime minister on Monday, meeting German political leaders at an event to commemorate the centenary of the beginning of the First World War.

Speaking at the French Cathedral in Berlin, itself a symbol of Franco-German friendship, Valls said the two nations were working together to come up with a "firm and united response" to the ongoing crisis in Ukraine.

He said the crisis was the biggest risk to freedom and stability in Europe since the fall of the Berlin Wall.

He attended the event with German politician and European Parliament president Martin Schulz and German Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel.

AP TELEVISION

1. French prime minister Manuel Valls (centre) walking with European Parliament president Martin Schulz (left) and German Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel (right)

2. Cutaway audience

3. Media taking photographs of Valls, Schulz and Gabriel

4. Various of Valls, Schulz and Gabriel sitting

5. Zoom in of Valls on stage

6. Cutaway audience

7. SOUNDBITE (French) Manuel Valls, French prime minister:

"The Ukrainian crisis is without a doubt one of the biggest risks to freedom and stability in Europe since the fall of the Berlin Wall. Because these acts cannot be without consequence, Germany and France are once again working continuously towards a firm and united response."

8. Pan of audience

9. Exterior of the French Cathedral