Berlin Wall Recreated In Lights For Anniversary

A nine-mile chain of lamps will light up along the former route of the Berlin Wall today ahead of the 25th anniversary of its fall.

The 8,000 lampposts will be topped by illuminated balloons that are set to be released on Sunday - a quarter of a century to the day since the wall began to come down.

The balloons will carry messages from the public with memories of the wall.

The Lichtgrenze - or light border - traces the former wall as accurately as possible past landmarks such as Brandenburg Gate, the Reichstag and Checkpoint Charlie.

However, new buildings have made it impossible to recreate the path perfectly.

Project chief Moritz van Duelmen said: "We want to show all Berliners, but especially young Berliners who haven't experienced the wall, where it was. We also want to give visitors the chance to experience it."

Tourists from around the world are expected in the city for the anniversary.

The wall, one of the most potent symbols of the Cold War, came down on 9 November, 1989 - a pivotal day in the collapse of European communism.

From there Germany re-emerged as a major power at the heart of a reunited continent.

Former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev - who played a key role in bringing down the wall - is among those travelling to Germany for the commemorations.

The 83-year-old will meet German Chancellor Angela Merkel and greet crowds at the former Checkpoint Charlie border crossing.

A museum dedicated to the Berlin Wall, which closed in October 2013, will reopen on Sunday to coincide with the anniversary.

The new Documentation Centre of the Berlin Wall Memorial shows 500 exhibits, photographs and videos illustrating Germany's separation from 1961 until 1989.