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"Exhibiting a segment of the Berlin
Wall in Sofia"
This is the text written on the Berlin Wall Memorial
(in Bulgarian and German):
"On 13 August 1961 a wall divided Berlin, Germany
and, along with them, Europe and the world into two parts.
Bulgaria was confined to the east side of the Wall - until
9 November 1989 when people destroyed it.
This large piece of the Berlin Wall is a gift from the citizens
of Berlin to the citizens of Sofia as a sign of the restored
unity of Europe and a piece of evidence that the Bulgarians
have already become free people."
About the Project
The initiative for delivering and exhibiting a piece of
the Berlin Wall in Sofia belongs to the Heritage Foundation,
which together with WAZ MEDIA GROUP - Bulgaria are the sponsors
of this project.
On the initiative of the Foundation, the previous year
the Municipality of Sofia sent an official request to the
Municipality of Berlin for granting a piece of the Berlin
Wall. On 1 March 2006 the Municipality of the city of Berlin
issued an act for granting a piece of the Wall in behalf
of the Bulgarian capital.
On 13 April 2006 Sofia Municipal Council took a decision
for exhibiting the piece of the Berlin Wall and building
a memorial in the park located in front of the National
Palace of Culture in Sofia. In accordance with the same
decision, the Sofia Municipal Council assigned the realization
of the project to the Heritage Foundation and WAZ Media
Group - Bulgaria LP.
The author of the architectural project of the Berlin Wall
Memorial is Arch. Boyko Kadinov. The fulfillment of the
project was carried out by Nivel LTD. The transportation
of the piece of the wall to Sofia was organized by the shipping
company of Militzer and Munch BG LTD.
About the Berlin Wall
On 13 August 1961, according to the decision of the Communist
Party of the German Democratic Republic (GDR) there started
the building of enclosing equipments, which separated West
Berlin from the territory of GDR hermetically. The officially
stated aim of the communist leaders of GDR was "the
prevention of the imperial diversions against the rural
working country". In fact the wall was necessary for
discontinuing the mass desertion of GDR citizens to West
Berlin and, from there, to the Federal Republic of Germany.
Being thus created in order to isolate West Berlin, the
Wall actually isolated the citizens of the whole East block
from the free world.
The Berlin Wall was 156 km and 400 m long - concrete blocks
/45 km/ and enclosures of barbed wire. It was guarded by
2000 soldiers of the GDR army, mine enclosures and automatic
shooting devices. It was the material symbol of the so-called
"iron curtain" and the most impressive military
device from the epoch of the Cold War. 75 000 attempts at
escaping from east to west were registered. 239 people were
shot.
The wall fell down on the night of 9-10 November 1989 when,
as a result of the wrong message of the press conference
about the forthcoming abolishment of travelling visas, thousands
of citizens went out in the streets and started climbing
over it. The Border armies of GDR rejected using weapons
and were swept down by the crowds, which opened the passages
between Eastern and Western Berlin.
The fall of the Berlin Wall finally opened the road of
the Eastern European countries towards democracy, including
the road of Bulgaria to NATO and the European Union. It
was not later than 18 hours after the fall of the Wall when
the communist regime in Bulgaria fell down as well.
Laudatio
Heritage Foundation gives its gratitude
to:
Mr. Stefan Sofiyanski;
Mr. Boyko Borissov;
Mr. Vladimir Kisyov;
The municipal councillors of Sofia Municipal Council (mandate
2003 - 2007);
Mrs. Yordanka Fandakova - Deputy Mayor of Sofia;
Mr. Tsvetan Tsvetanov - Deputy Mayor of Sofia;
Arch. Peter Dikov - Chief Architect of Sofia;
Mr. Peter Imberg - Chief Manager of WAZ Media Group - Bulgaria;
Ass. Prof. Dr. Arch. Boyko Kadinov;
Mrs. Sylvia Yordanova - Managing Director of NIVEL LTD;
Mr. Sasho Todorov - Managing Director of Militzer and Munch
BG LTD,
as well as to all people and organizations which have contributed
to the project.
At working stage:
"Balkan documentary forum: Balkan
cultural heritage"
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