Twenty years ago, on the night of November 9, 1989, following weeks of pro-democracy protests, East German authorities suddenly opened their border to West Germany. After 28 years as prisoners of their own country, euphoric East Germans streamed to checkpoints and rushed past bewildered guards, many falling tearfully into the arms of West Germans welcoming them on the other side. Thousands of Germ
![The Berlin Wall, 20 years gone](https://cdn-ak-scissors.b.st-hatena.com/image/square/ba2a883c960ea17a1a2634c5b20da6f68b8ab476/height=288;version=1;width=512/http%3A%2F%2Finapcache.boston.com%2Funiversal%2Fsite_graphics%2Fblogs%2Fbigpicture%2Farchive%2F127153.jpg)