The Fall of the Wall: The Berlin Wall 20 Years Later

Just before midnight on Nov. 9, 1989, the Berlin Wall — the concrete structure — that divided East and West Berlin started to crumble. The end of the Berlin Wall symbolized the end of communism and the Cold War.

Tell readers about the Berlin Wall -- what it was, how it came to be, and what it symbolizes now.

You are writing a news story about the event and why it still matters. Remember to answer the five W's to a newstory.

Also, look at the following sites for background. Consider linking to them from your story.

• The Fall of the Wall, The Cold War Files / Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars
• Freedom Without Walls: Fall of the Berlin Wall, German Missions in the United States
• A before-and-after look, from The New York Times
• Slideshow, from The New York Times
• History of the wall, from Wikipedia
  

Source material: The New York Times