Kai Wegner at Berlin Freedom Week 2025.
© dpa
For the second time, Berlin is hosting a "Freedom Week" to mark the anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall on November 9.
About 170 events are scheduled through next Saturday. These include a major conference, lectures, discussions, readings, guided tours and films. Numerous dissidents and opposition figures from many countries will be in attendance. One focus is on women who stand up against oppression and dictatorships.
The highlight of the week is the "Berlin Freedom Conference" on Tuesday at the Colosseum movie theater in Prenzlauer Berg. Experts will discuss freedom, democracy and the theme "Change is possible." Among them is Putin critic and former world chess champion Garry Kasparov. Prior to that, on Monday, the Bundestag will address women's rights and democratic culture. Bundestag President Julia Klöckner (CDU) will also participate in the "Freedom and Security Women’s Summit." Also expected to attend are female opposition politicians and human rights activists from countries such as Belarus, Iran, Afghanistan and Cuba.
On Monday morning, a commemorative event is planned at the Berlin Wall Memorial on Bernauer Straße to mark the 37th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, with Governing Mayor Kai Wegner (CDU) among those in attendance. In the evening, the organizers are hosting a "Freedom Dinner" with numerous guests in the ballroom of the Rotes Rathaus; Wegner will deliver one of the speeches.
On weekends and throughout the week, Berliners and visitors to the city are invited to attend numerous public events. There will be presentations on the history of underground escape tunnels from East Berlin to the free West. At the Stasi headquarters, a guided tour will focus on "Women in the Service of State Security." Berlin's Stasi prisons will also be featured. At the Spy Museum, a discussion is scheduled on the German Foreign Intelligence Service (BND) and its new powers.
On Wednesday, the Colosseum will host a full day of documentary screenings about courage and resistance under dictatorships. The theme is "Stories of Freedom." On Thursday, Markthalle Neun in Kreuzberg will host a "Taiwanese Night Market." The event will highlight Taiwan's role as a modern democracy under pressure from China. On Friday, there will be a Taiwanese club night in Friedrichshain.
Patron Wegner emphasized: "Berlin can be the city that gives hope." Freedom, he said, is the foundation for a self-determined life. Wegner recalled the day and evening of the fall of the Wall in 1989 and said: "I stood on the Wall. It was the best day of my life." People should know that miracles can happen and that freedom will ultimately prevail. He very much hopes that this conference will continue in the coming years.