The Federal Government is taking part in Berlin’s Festival of Lights from 11 to 20 October 2019.  Under this year’s motto “Lights of Freedom”, many buildings in the government district will be illuminated to commemorate the peaceful revolution which brought down the Berlin Wall and the Iron Curtain thirty years ago, paving the way for German unity and European integration.

A recurring motif of the festival is the Federal Government’s logo commemorating the “30th anniversary of the Peaceful Revolution and German Reunification”. As well as ministries and other government buildings, the Brandenburg Gate and the Television Tower will also display the heart-shaped logo in black, red and gold, with the message Deutschland ist eins: vieles  (which can be paraphrased in English as “Germany: coming together as one”). The illuminations on the government buildings interpret the festival’s motto “Lights of Freedom” from different perspectives. For instance, there are illuminations on the theme of European unity, freedom of the press, and the rights to freedom enshrined in the Basic Law (Grundgesetz), which was adopted 70 years ago this year.

The Tränenpalast museum, once the departure hall of Friedrichstraße station, a former border crossing, will feature a video show which was specially designed for the Festival of Lights. For the duration of the festival, the Tränenpalast will extend its opening hours, giving festival-goers the opportunity for a late-evening visit to its exhibition on the divided Germany of the Cold War.

During the festival, a free bus tour Bustour takes visitors to see the illuminations at government buildings. The tour starts every evening at 7:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. at the Television Tower and ends at the Tränenpalast.

The Federal Government wants to commemorate the fall of the Wall and Germany’s reunification as an anniversary that brings together the whole country, while reminding us that German reunification is a process which is still ongoing. We hope the anniversary will promote a sense of shared appreciation of the achievements that brought about German reunification and the integration of East and West.

More information on the anniversary is available www.deutschland-ist-eins-vieles.de

More information on the festival can be found at: https://festival-of-lights.de/