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German chancellor thanks former Soviet leader on 20th anniversary of collapse of Berlin Wall as crowd chants ‘Gorby! Gorby!’

KIRSTEN GRIESHABER Associated Press Writer

BERLIN — Chancellor Angela Merkel and former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev crossed a former fortified border on Monday to cheers of “Gorby! Gorby!” as a throng of grateful Germans recalled the night 20 years ago that the Berlin Wall gave way to their desire for freedom and unity.

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Dominoes collapse along the former border in Berlin, Germany, Monday, during the commemorations of the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall on Nov. 9, 1989.

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Former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, left, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, center, and former Polish President Lech Walesa, right.

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Within hours of a confused announcement on Nov. 9, 1989 that East Germany was lifting travel restrictions, hundreds of people streamed into the enclave that was West Berlin, marking a pivotal moment in the collapse of communism in Europe.

Merkel, who grew up in East Germany and was one of thousands to cross that night, recalled that “before the joy of freedom came, many people suffered.”

She lauded Gorbachev, with whom she shared an umbrella amid a crush of hundreds, eager for a glimpse of the man many still consider a hero for his role in pushing reform in the Soviet Union.

“We always knew that something had to happen there so that more could change here,” she said.

“You made this possible — you courageously let things happen, and that was much more than we could expect,” she told Gorbachev in front of several hundred people gathered in light drizzle on the bridge over railway lines.

Hours later in a symbolic gesture, former 1980s pro-democracy leader Lech Welesa helped initiate a chain reaction that led to the toppling of 1,000 massive foam dominoes placed along the route of the now vanished wall. With Walesa was Miklos Meneth, Hungary’s last prime minister before communism collapsed.

The organizer of the dominoes, Moritz van Duelmen, director of Kulturprojekte Berlin, said the idea was to “make history according to the domino theory.”

Despite the passage of two decades, the day was filled with emotion.

Tears sprang to the eyes of Uwe Kross, a 65-year-old retiree, who recalled seeing the start of the drama on Nov. 9, 1989 from his home, a block away from the bridge.

“That night, you couldn’t stop people,” Kross said. “They lifted the barrier and everyone poured through.