one year later, east and west germany were unified. next, a portion of the television series "the big picture" from 1962. of thees the history conflict between the soviet union and western democracies that eventually led to the construction of the berlin wall in 1961. this torsion of the film begins in the 1950's, just after the berlin airlift of 1948-1949. >> in the 1950's, the united states army in berlin, as in all of western germany, had a steady , constructive influence, restoring dignity to the people and helping build a free german nation. with american aid, west germany attains prosperity and a dynamic economy, a vivid example of growth that could only be accomplished under the protection of sympathetic military forces. cooperation of our soldiers in local product -- projects encouraged the united states army and the german people to create an atmosphere of goodwill and friendship. youth activities became an important part of the army participation in the life of west germany. across the border, east berlin reflects the influen

the family had emigrated to munich in west germany. but djuro wasn't ready to give up on his home country. he became politically active in the opposition to the yugoslav socialist regime. robert zagajski soon concluded that the yugoslav secret service had murdered his father -- one of 29 dissidents killed in the largest unsolved killing spree in german history. these men may have known something about it -- former elite yugoslav agents for controlling dissidents abroad. one of them has now broken his silence. bozidar spasic was in charge of the so-called psychological subversion -- a division responsible for character assassination. >> we organized everything, and then we assigned criminals to carry out the deed itself. we gave them false passports, obtained weapons for them and provided logistical support. they were allowed across the border with no problems. >> the targets were mainly croats who had taken up the cause of independence for croatia, still part of yugoslavia at the time. yugoslav president josip broz tito pursued them al

before, i hads flown in an airplane for the first time, traveling from the united states to west germany. just that i before, i had made a trip in an overnight sleeper on a train, traveling from frankfurt to west berlin. but by far the greatest --ression made upon me then greatest impression made upon me then was coming face-to-face for the first time with the difference between democracy and totalitarianism. between freedom and communism. shortly after arriving in west berlin, i went to a large refugee center operated by the united states army to receive thousands of refugees fleeing ,ommunism in east germany poland, and czechoslovakia. during my time there, that's number reached over 3000 persons per week. those brave east germans, cze poles, all were demonstrating that the appeal of democracy was and is universal. in response to that human time, withast german government, the help of the soviet allies, built the infamous wall. i believe then -- believed then is believe now that the wall the most tangible symbol of the failure of communism that exists. for a devon -- for it demonstrate

germany. thousands died trying to cross the border. events are underway to mark the university. this is the scene live now from berlin. >> nick spicer has more. ♪ >> german chancellor angela merkel started the day by remembering the people killed by trying to esc ate to west german. she grew up in east germany. like almost everyone could never have thought the berlin wall would come down. the former soviet leader credited with helping pave the way for its fall casts a pall warning of new east/west tensions, notably over ukraine. >> the middle east against the backdrop of a breakdown in the dye log between major powers is of enormous concern. the world is on the brink of a new coraled on war. some are saying it's begun. we don't see the united states security council playing any role or taking concrete action. >> a million, maybe more people are expected to take part in celebrations here at the bran n brandenburg gate. the berlin wall used to run right in front of it, dividing a city, a count

here's germany, and it's divided in half, roughly, and this is west germany and here's east germany, and berlin, which was divided, is right in the middle of east germany. so, you know, there's hundreds of miles between the east german border and berlin. and they cut off all rail travel. they cut off all travel on the ground. and the only way that the allies and primarily the americans, but the brits helped, too, could get from west, you know, supply, from west germany into -- into berlin was by plane. c-span: and you're talking -- i mean, you start out by saying that there was what -- 10, 15 minutes before each flight, and at one point i think you got down to where was a minute between each flight? >> guest: yes, i mean i forget the exact thing, but they were just -- i mean, they literally would -- would come in, land, fly back out, land in west germany, and as quickly as they could reload the plane. and i think at some point -- it was months before they -- they had a certain amount that they had to be able to bring in. i think it was 4,000 tons a day, to be able to feed these 2. 5

the federal republic of germany and west berlin -- it is under occupation. i do not see any possibility for uniting. >> you say you have two states that are divided militarily between the nato and warsaw pa c cts. isn't it possible that president bush and gorbachev will be deciding the future of germany? superpowers and small states. they have a right to live and decide on their destiny will bep it is not a matter to discussed by gorbachev and bush. it is a matter to be discussed on the basis of the right to self-determination and the people in the german democratic , again, i think this is a question that does not objective in central europe. we have to be very realistic. allow this event to get out of control by introducing things that are not ready for solutions. we should introduce things that are feasible. >> i know diplomats are not supposed to talk about their personal feelings. would you share your personal feelings? >> of course. i have always had my own feelings. 1968, having my apartment 100 yards from the border with mixed feelings. i would have

today, germany is united, its economy stronger than ever thanks to the people of both east and west germany and the allies who never backed down in their fight against communism. cnn berlin. >> that was great. fred joins us now live from berlin. first of all, you have to tell me about the car, that's pretty awesome. and also what a day that's coming up on sunday. >> absolutely, poppy. there's one thing that you can say and that is that i don't travel in style. we have the car right here. it's called the trabant which was the main car in communist east germany. it's called the trabant 601 and i managed to get my hand on the "s" model which means sport, which mean this is vehicle has 26 horsepower. i've been driving this around as part of this entire week, it doesn't have power steering, certainly doesn't have power brakes. in fact, this one barely has any brakes at all. it certainly catches people's eyes. it's been great to drive the car around but i won't be sad to not have to drive it around when the week is over and you're right. it will be big celebrations here in berlin. i don't know if

west germany's economy became strong. and people could afford cars like this mercedes. >> the east stagnated. people were lucky to get their hands on the unreliable car. the border between east and west berlin was sealed overnight on august 13th, 1961. some of the most dramatic secens happened right here. as the wall was fortified, thousands tried to flee to the west. guards were given order to shoot to kill anyone trying to get out. >> reporter: west berliners could do little as look on as families were tore apart. president john f. kennedy came to berlin in 1963 and delivered an unforgettable speech right here. hundreds of thousands gathered as a u.s. president vowed, america would not let berlin fall to communism. >> but the communists tightened their grip on east germany. the wall's death strip was upgraded and living conditions got worse. most people were forced to live a dull life with no chance of realizing their personal dreams. >> meantime, the west kept the pressure up. on june 12th, 1987, west berliners gathere

unemployment in east germany is a little higher than west germany. living standards are almost even if you go tobl berlin today, su you see some remnants of the old regime in east germany but living standards are very even and equal we are getting to a point where you have equal standards in both east and west. there is some nostalgia and some suffered from the lack of freedom. but we are getting there nobody really wants the old regime to come back and wants the wall to come back. >> that's over and we are looking for a new more european germany. >> why did the wall fall and why in 1989? >> well, that was a mix of necessity and accident. it was an accidental event. the soviet regime was unsustainable. the way it was constructed, it was not a coherent system. it clasped of its own weight. the soviet regime just couldn't continue. the weigh it ran the i am pioneer as a central command economy t that couldn't last. the lack of freedom. you had over years building up enormous pressure to get out of the system, change it, reform it. but it turned out it

. >> our top story, the iron curtain between east germany and west berlin has come tumbling down. east germany sal lauing its citizens to go anywhere they wish. >> east jer germany's leaders have taken a sledgehammer to the wall. there's no longer any point of it being there. a prospect that no one could have predicted a year ago or a month ago. >> this has been a city physically divided for 28 years, now come together east and west in a spontaneous outburst of emotion. >> reporter: this could be the first move to dismant telling berlin wall that has stood as the most painful symbol of a divided germany since it was built in 1961. >> reporter: one after another, drivers and passengers alike say they plan to use their new freedom to spend a weekend in west germany to take a look at how the other half live. >> reporter: every one coming here receives about $50. many west german businesses are staying open round the clock to pick up goods to take home. >> reporter: hundreds of thousands of east germans storm the streets of west berlin. it was like a sea of people. >> this morning a n

the american, british and french sectors became west germany. after the country was divided it was all-but impossible for germans in the east to seek freedom in the west. there was a loophole. berlin was divided. in agreements among the four powers promised freedom of movements among the four sectors. capitalist west berlin was stuck like a bone in the soviet throat. by the summer of 1961 us thousands fled to the west. embarrassing the russians, that the east german government was given a mission to close the border for good. >> the flow trying to reach freedom is 1500 a day. >> the next day the east german army and police force built a barbed wire and concrete barrier. east berliners were told to stay home. >> the east called it the antifascist protected bull work. the rest of the world called it the berlin wall. what were initially coils of barbed wire grew to a 100 mile double white concrete wall na snaked around west berlin, cutting off streaks. on the east german side was a death strip. soft sand to show foot prints, floodlights, trip wire

. >> remembering those who died trying to cross from east to west, germany marks 25 years from the fall of the berlin wall. >> anger in mexico after the government responds to the disappearance of college students. >> we begin this news hour in yemen where a new government has been sworn in but the political crisis is far from over. two major factions, the houthis and support is of the old regime rejected the government. the prime minister said his government has the support of the yemenis. >> yemen's prime minister looks confident. he's walking to address the nation with a message of hope. he faces a string of problems, including sectarian tension, violence, instability and the rise of al-qaeda. >> we'll deal with it. i know it's not an easy thing we can start in yemen, but with the support of the yemenis people, the brotherhood and all over the world, i think we'll tackle all those problems. >> this is the swearing in ceremony for the newly formed government. ministers loyal to the former president showed up and backed the current president. such moves had been warned against. this is

thanks to the people of both east and west germany, and the allies who never backed down in their fight against communism. >> i don't know. i kind of like fred's ride there. jim and fred will join cnn for special coverage the next few days. coverage of the anniversary of the fall of the berlin wall begins at 1700 central european time on friday. stay with us. the news continues here. goodnight. goodnight. for those kept awake by pain the night is anything but good. introducing new aleve pm. the first one with a safe sleep aid. plus the 12 hour strength of aleve for pain relief that can last until the am. now you can have a good night and a... good morning! new aleve pm for a better am. e financial noise financial noise financial noise financial noise i'm spending too much time hiring and not enough time in my kitchen. [ female announcer ] need to hire fast? go to ziprecruiter.com and post your job to over 30 of the web's leading job boards with a single click; then simply select the best candidates from one easy to review list. you put up one post and the next day you have all these can

east germany had to play catch up with west germany, east berlin and west berlin as well with industries, with the economy in both parts of the country sometimes going at two speeds. so this is obviously as well even a quarter century later something that is very much an issue for germany as it continues a quarter century on as a unified country. we are still following what's going on at the berlin wall memorial. the mayor of berlin, klau klaus voverite is addressing the assembled vips at the documentation center. a new permanent center is being opened by the chancellor, angela merkel. let's lis enfor a moment to the mayor of berlin. >> translator: interest is really good and we should focus on that. on the other hand, we know that there is very little known. we need those places in the open official spaces. we have to commemorate people who became victims, stones on the floor, show us where it went. the former prison tells about the treatment. with the permanent exhibition, it's the final stone of this commemoration. 850,000 people came -- visitors came to the berlin wall memorial. we u

. >> our top story, the iron curtain between east germany and west berlin has come tumbling down. east germany is opening the borders, allowing the citizens to go anywhere they wish. the future of the berlin wall is now up in the air. >> east germany's communist leaders have take a symbolic sledge hammer to the wall. it's conceivable that real sledge hammers will be brought out. there's no point of it being there. prospect that no one could have predicted a year or a month ago. >> this has been a city physically divided for 28 years, now coing together, east and west, in a spontaneous outburst of emotion. >> reporter: this could be the first move to dismantling the berlin wall that has stood as the most painful symbol of a divided germany since it was built in 1961. >> one after another, drivers and passengers alike plan to spend their new freedom to spend a weekend in west germany to take a look at how the other half lives. >> every east german coming to the west receive 100 marks, about $50. any west german businesses are giving them a chance to spend their money and pick up goo

the war after a quarter of its population fled to west germany. in a shining example of communist double speak, it said the barrier was to keep western fascists out. the east german people tore the wall down and the regime. what's called the peaceful revolution. now, days the wall is big business. trinkets and tour seem on offer everywhere. >> there is a checkpoint charlie site, the guard house isn't real. the soldiers are actors but tourists still pay $3 to get their picture taken. >> this is noire phony checkpoint located in the middle of a shopping mail in downtown berlin, proof if any was needed memories of the wall are good for business. the wall is a cause for retleks. if you are german, it's almost a place of pilgrimage. people had to live under the communist regime, essentially locked up. >> so when the wall fell, i was relieved that there was now finally, freedom for all germans. >> for some tourists, the wall is a cause for faith in the future because it's hopeful kong hong or china other parts of the world that are suffering such a syst

west germany's economy became strong and people could afford cars like this mercedes. people, the east stagnated. people were lucky to even get their hands on the unreliable trabanz. the border between east and west berlin was sealed overnight on august 13th, 1961. some of the most dramatic scenes happened right here. as the wall was increasingly fortified, thousands tried to flee to the west. very soon guard were given orders to shoot to kill anyone who tried to get out. west berliners could do little but look on as families were torn apart. but america took a stand. president john f. kennedy came to berlin in 1963 and delivered an unforgettable speech right here at the city hall. hundreds of thousands gathered as a u.s. president vowed america would not let berlin fall to communism. >> ich bin ein berliner. >> reporter: but the communists tightened their grip on east germany. the wall's death grip was upgraded and living conditions got worse. most people were forced to live a dull life in communist high-rise blocs with no chance of realizing their personal dreams. me

a quarter of the position bled to west germany. in a sheefrning example of communist double speak, it said the barrier was to keep western farbists out. east german people tore the wall down and the regime on what's called the peaceful revolution. >> trinketsets and tours seem on offer everywhere. >> there is a checkpoint charlie site. the guard house isn't real. the soldiers are actos but tourists still pay $3 to get their picture taken. >> this is another phony checkpoint located right in the middle of a shopping mall in downtown berlin, proof if any was needed that memories of the wall are good for business. the wall is a cause for reflex, of history, where the world is going now. if you are german, it's almost a place of pilgrimage. it was a wonderful thing when you are consider how long the wall has been standing. people will have to live under the communist regime, essentially locked up. so when the war fell, i was relieved that there was now finally freedom for all germans. >> for some tourists, the wall is a cause for faith

. >>> this weekend marks 25 years since the berlin wall came down, a reigniting east germany was west. as julie banderas reports, there were festivities, but amid the celebration came a warning. >> reporter: events happening across germany this weekend. to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the fall of the berlin wall, i9 .5 mile chain of balloons are being installed on the former walls path. they will be released sunday night a quarter century after the east german government announced it citizens could visit west germany for the first time since 1961. that set off the chain of events that are down the wall. >> this shows us that human yearnings for freedom cannot be suppressed forever. >> reporter: at an event called falling walls, the east germans cry for freedom resonated worldwide. >> it is thanks to their courage that the borders and german are -- germany were opened. >> reporter: gorbachev warned that the world is on the brink of a cold world -- war. >> there has been a breakdown in dialogue between major powers that is a concern right now. >> reporter: the airline mark the an

of its population fled to west germany. it said the barrier was to keep western fascists out. the east german people tour the wall down and the regime was called the peaceful revolution. nowadays the wall is big business in berlin, trinkets and tours seen on offer everywhere. there is a checkpoint charlie site. the guards sunday real they are actors but the tourists still paid $3 to get their picture taken. this is another phone iy checkpoint located in a shopping mall in downtown berlin, proof, if any is needed, that's wall is good for business. the wall is also a cause of reflection and history of where the world is going now, if you are german it's almost a place of pilgrimage. >> translator: it was a wonderful thing when you consider how long the wall had been standing. people had to live under the communist regime. essentially locked up. so when the wall fill, i was relieved that there was now finally freedom for all germans. >> reporter: for some tourists the wall say cause for faith in the few he should because so fe

. >>> 8,000 balloons have been released where the berlin wall once stood, dividing east and west germany. white balloons were released one by one to symbolize the braping of the wallaby crowds of protesters. more than 1 million people visited the capital for the 25th anniversary for the fall of the berlin wall. the fighting broke out a day after israeli police shot dead a man in the area. the shooters sparked riots. armed police officers tried to stop the demonstrators from reaching the main road. israeli police say they arrested three people. workers were holding a 24 hour strike. israel's prime minister warned against an escalation of the protest. >> translation: we will not tolerate people waving flags. we will not tolerate calls to redeem pal stan with fire calling for the destruction of israel. i instructed the interior minister to use all means, including those that called for the destruction of israel >>> in mexico police are guarding the national palace after protesters tried to break in during a demonstrations. activists are demanding answers, in relation to what happened to 43

. >> remembering those who died trying to cross from east to west, germany marks 25 years from the fall of the berlin wall. >> anger

germany's chancellor said the fall of the wall showed us that dreams can come true. [cheers and applause] and they did for thousands the night of november 9th, 1989 when crowds hearing the eastern government intended to loosen the border patrols poured on to the wall and gaveled. she was 15 at the time -- he was 15 at the time my was standing right there i remember sitting, there pulling someone up again and singing "give peace a chance". they run tours of berlin and of the wall. >> we are standinged in of no mand's land. >> reporter: in august 1961, east germany started building the 27 mile long wall. anyone who tried to escape risked everything to cross from east to west over the so-called death strip. today, this section is a park full of life. as for the wall itself, the actual barrier shrarpblgly gone. but the memories kept alive to remind -- barrier is gone but memories still remain. >>> the president is on his tour of asia following a sum nit china. he will head to miramar and then to the g-8 summit in australia. russian president is expected to attend the sum

the berlin wall was a physical barrier between east and west germany, it's proving more than that. why does the fall resonate strongly to this day? >> i think because it's driving current event to a certain extend. the fall of the wall put an end to the painful family situation for many millions of germans. families divided, to follow the wall, leading to a common currently -- currency, part of a wider structure, poland and hungary, in which communist dictatorships were overthrown. the end of the cold bar, of course, ended proxy wars around the world. notably in latin america and africa. it stopped a lot of support to right wing dictatorships in latin america, regime change there, democratisation, sweeping those continents. it was a significant event not just because of what it did for germany and europe, but what it spelt for millions around the world. >> given how significant it was, there has been several international dignitaries on hand. vladimir putin distant show up. any word on his absence? >> yes. that's correct, no serving heads of state or government have been invited. t

germany marks 25 years of the fall of the berlin wall. plus, catalans defy and vote on a referendum. and anger mounts in mexico after the government's response to a disappearance of 43 student teachers.

germany. white balloons were released one at a time, to symbolize the breaching of the war by crowds of protesters. filipino peacekeepers leading the west african nation will be shipped to an island off manila, where they'll be monitored for symptoms of ebola. troops will be monitored and spend 21 days in quarantine. a diplomatic editor reports. keeping the peace in liberia, but not for much longer. filipino troops have been in the country as part of the u.n. mission for over a decade. now because of the threat of ebola, they are pulling out. no other country is offering to take their place. liberia is the worst hit country. 6,500 cases of ebola, half the total of 1300 cases across the worst affected parts of west africa. for now, other countries with troops in liberia are staying put, but they are concerned. >> we have more than 500 troobs in liberia. we have a hospital here. so we ignore it. we are not alarmed or panicked. we have taken adequate measures to keep our troops. all the three cou

germany between 1961 and 1989. 6'61 was the year the wall was built in august overnight and a prize to the people of the city and the world the dividing line for the country, for europe and indeed for all of the world itself divided by the cold war. angela merkel will be joined by the former polish president in solidarity trade union leader. one of the leading lights of the movement that led to the end of the coal war as well as miguel gorbachov who was here last night and it will all come to a conclusion here where i am standing, you can see a line of balloons suspended in the air behind me, they line the path of the berlin wall. 15 kilometers of balloons, 7,000 of them will be released at 18 gmt as daniel the israeli argentine conductor leads the berlin state orchestra in playing beethoven's ninth symphony and the owed to joy. >> looking at pictures nick as you are speaking from the scene there and what's taking place, you mentioned gorbachov a moment ago interestingly he made comments saying that there was a new cold war. what is he talking about? what does he mean? >> reporter:

the wall divided the commune yist east germany and the west. it became a powerful symbol of the end of the cold war. >> mikhail gorbachev will attend the celebrations and says that the world is on the brink of a new cold war. >> translation: bloodshed in europe and the middle east against the backdrop between a breakdown of dialogue between major powers is of concern. the world is on the brink of a new cold war. some say it has begun. >> a symbol of the cold war may have begun. it is a tourist attraction. we'll cross to nick spicer in berlin, let's look at where the fall of wall was important. >> reporter: east germany built a wall after a quarter of its population fled to west germany. in an example of communist devil speak it said the barrier was to keep western fascists out. the east german people tore the wall down. the regime called it the peaceful revolution. >> nowadays the wall is big business. trinkets and tours on offer everywhere. and then there's a checkpoint charlie site. the guard house is not real. tourists pay $3 to get their pi

and west germany. >> the germans that are born and raised in the western part, there is a difference between east and the west? >> i do. living through repression of the communist east germany have wounds that are difficult to heal. the younger germans did not live with that but the opportunities are clearly in the west and that is considering unemployment in germany and the economic issues, that is important. >> well, 25 years ago seems like a long time but it really is a flash in history. 25 years since the fall of that wall. professor rosemary wakeman, appreciate you coming in. >> thank you. >> what has happened since this historic moment? join us at 8:00 p.m. eastern, 5:00 pacific. >>> a woman who held the secret how bad the j.p. morgan toxic mortgages were, really. she's speaking to al jazeera america. >>> and typhoon hynan how much needs to be done to help the people of the fip peens. philippines. >> welcome back to al jazeera america. i'm jonathan betz. john siegenthaler has the night off. coming up in this half hour, tough talk, we'll talk to the central witness in one of the

>> west germany. >> jimmy: okay, it seems like you're having fun. say hello to everyone back in bonn for us. f.njour, ever anyway, the survey was based on more than 20,000 people in 20 countries. but is it a little bit unfair that they did this before the mcrib came back? congratulations to germany. last night on this program, we had the honor of "people" magazine's sexiest man alive. chris hemsworth. i was but on "good morning america" -- >> he's in a group of guys that went from geekiest to gorgeous. these guys, they were just horrible looking. >> jimmy: horrible-looking? it's not like we had horns coming out of our foreheads. what's going on "good morning america"? last week i was a bad dancer. now i'm horrible looking. well, starbucks has announced they'll be open on thanksgiving day. they've chosen to keep their doors open on thanksgiving. that's nice, when your drunk uncle passes outh-ç in your bathroom, you can go there and use their bathroom. and this video, two young boys, brothers, it's very popular online. listen very closely. the best m

germany. she grew up in east germany and never thought the berlin wall would come down through people power. the former soviet leaders cast a pal over the celebrations by warning of new east-west tensions, notably over ukraine. translation: bloodshed in europe and the middle east in the backdrop of a break down of dialogue between the major powers. the world is on the brink of a cold war, some say it has begun. we don't see the u.n. security council taking any role or taking action. >> a million, maybe more, are expected to take part in celebrations here at the brandenburg gate. the berlin wall ran in front of it, dividing a city, country, continent, the world in a standoff. the world didn't come down because of decisions at the top, but because of tens of thousands taking to the streets. this dissident was one of them, and oversees the files kept by the stasi secret police and says the fall of the wall has a message for the world. what can you learn, resistance is worth it. speaking truth to

the border of lights project will run across the wall that divided east and west germany. it will be on display until sunday, the actual day the wall fell allowing east germans to cross freely to the west for the first time since 1961. the debate is raging as to whether that was the launch of the euro. >>> speaking of germany last week we told you about grocery chain aldi expanding right here in this country. the discount supermarket operator purchasing bottom dollar real estate including 66 bottom dollar food stores in the philadelphia, southeast new jersey and greater pittsburgh area. shares of the retailer are trading at 1%. >> got some momentum plans to open 1,300 stores in 32 states. >>> for years we have been using robots to help us with dangerous jobs like diffusing jobs, repairing international space station and now robots may have a role in solving the ebola crisis. josh lipton has that story. >> reporter: specialists in robotics are gathering at the white house and at three universities including the one i'm at here, uc berkeley. their mission is to figure out wa

because there was competition between east germany and west germany. >> reporter: we went back to our old house together. to talk about the old days that i can barely remember, but that were among the most challenging of his career. this video was provided to cnn by the west german broadcasting company. it shows my dad and his crew getting harassed by east german agents while trying to interview the author and opposition figure, stephan hime in 1979. >> they wanted to stop our contacts with the east german population. that was a nightmare. that it could be an alliance of west german correspondents with the people of east germany. >> reporter: many who talked to western media were jailed. the reporters constantly observed. on videos like this one, the east german secret police showed their spying methods. they did the same to us. their code name for my father was "the tiger." >> they broke in to our flat, but also in our office they took pictures and sometimes they wanted to show me, i got the impression, well, i'm observed. >> reporter: imagine trying to raise a family first with thre

. >>> 25 years ago today, the world watched as the berlin wall fell bringing together east and west germany after 45 years apart. nbc tom brokaw was there bringing it to the world live here on nbc. tom is with us this morning. talk about being in the right place at the right time. what an incredible moment. >> i'd like to say we were pressing. when we went, we had no idea the wall would fall on our watch. we were prepared with a satellite ordered up which you had to do those days. our competitor didn't have that not cnn. it was the time in our life where everything broke the right i way. >> it was never expected to happen. >> good evening. live from the berlin wall on the most historic night in this wall's history. >> at least not this way. 25 years ago today, my colleagues and i were in the right place at the right time to see one of the ugliest symbols of communist rule crumble before our eyes. >> for 30 years now, these people have been living in a prison like state. they have effectively taken down the wall. >> until that morning, the east german government had been trying to suppress t

>> west germany. >> jimmy: it seems like you're having fun. [ laughter ] say hello to everyone back in bonn for us. bonn is name of the place? >> yes. >> reporter: bonjour, everyone. anyway, the survey was based on more than 20,000 people in 20 countries. the u.s. had been number one. we've been number one since 2009. is it make, or does it seem a little bit unfair that they did this survey before the mcrib came back? but congratulations to germany. i guess that's what happens when you get the world drunk for a whole month. last night on this program, we had the honor of unvaming "people" magazine's sexiest man alive. chris hem shemsworth was the recipient. i did not win this year, because of racism. but i was included in the sexiest man alive issue. i think i was on page 89, which happened to be a topic this morning on "good morning america." >> jimmy kimmel who made the official announcement last night made the list, as well. >> he did. he's in a group of guys that are called geeky to gorgeous. apparently he -- he went ahead and did this thing. ryan seacrest, all these guys, they wer

and were being attended to by american military doctors. >> president carter is flying to west germany tomorrow to greet the 52 freed americans. [ cheers and applause ] >> we were told that president carter wanted to meet us. president reagan gave president carter the keys to air force one. so he flew to germany as the former president and he talked with us. and the hostages were split in their thinking. we were left hanging out there by our fingernails when the shaw came in. we could have closed in and sent people home could not have let the shaw in for treatment. >> it was not a warm welcome. i'm sure mr. carter felt the sentiment that had been expressed with "we told you this was going to happen." >> within of the colonels, one of the military attaches, he said, this is the president. he said, go out there and show respect. and so we all did. >> jimmy carter, by the time this was over knew all the names, their family histories, he met many of the family members, he was an expert on those hostages. had really, it had become part of him. >> americans in iran were mistreated, much wors

. >> a quarter of east german's population fled to west germany. the barrier was to keep western fascists out. the east german people tore the war down for what they call the peaceful revolution. now trinkets and tours are on offer everywhere. and then there is a checkpoint charlie site. the guard house is not real. the soldiers are actors and tourists still pay $3 to get their pictures taken. >> this is another funny checkpoint located in a shopping mall in downtown berlin. proof that memories are needed for business. but the wall is a cause of reflection, history of where the world is going now. if you're german it's almost a place of pilgrimage. >> it was a wonderful thing when you consider how long the wall has-standing. people who had to live under the communist regime essentially locked up. when the wall fell i believed there was finally freedom for all germanys. >> for some tourists, the wall is cause for faith in the future because so few thought a quarter of a century ago that it would come down. >> then it came down, and now it's hopeful

chancellor kohl of west germany didn't have any idea what was happening. every day running up to the fall of the wall, the west germans briefed us on events. by the same evening every single day, by the same evening everything they said had been overtaken by the time of the evening news. the swaying was quite extraordinarily fluid and fast moving. >> when we come back, more with these two great statesmen on foreign policy today, russia, china, iran, much more. big day? ah, the usual. moved some new cars. hauled a bunch of steel. kept the supermarket shelves stocked. made sure everyone got their latest gadgets. what's up for the next shift? ah, nothing much. just keeping the lights on. (laugh) nice. doing the big things that move an economy. see you tomorrow, mac. see you tomorrow, sam. just another day at norfolk southern. for over 19 million people. [ mom ] with life insurance, we're not just insuring our lives... we're helping protect his. [ female announcer ] everyone has a moment when tomorrow becomes real. transamerica. transform tomorrow. >>> and we

chancellor kohl of west germany didn't have any idea what was happening. every day running up to the fall of the wall, the west germans briefed us on events. by the same evening every single day, by the same evening everything they said had been overtaken by the time of the evening news. the situation was quite extraordinarily fluid and fast-moving. >> when we come back, more with these two great statesmen on foreign policy today, russia, china, iran, much more. we asked people a question how much money do you think you'll need when you retire? then we gave each person a ribbon to show how many years that amount might last. i was trying to like, pull it a little further got me to 70 years old i'm going to have to rethink this thing it's hard to imagine how much we'll need for a retirement that could last 30 years or more. so maybe we need to approach things differently, if we want to be ready for a longer retirement. ♪ having a perfectly nice day, when out of nowhere a pick-up truck slams into your brand new car. one second it wasn't there and the next s

. >> the city has changed so much since the days of the division between east and west germany and our jim clancy who's also changed so much is there. >> workers were working overtime to prefair for sunday's commemoration for the fall of the wall. all around this city, the pieces to a so-called border of light were being set in place. and visitors from around the world were right where they wanted to be. >> hi opinion i'm haley. >> we're at the berlin wall today. >> the german capital was engaged in a united effort that will reflect on the courage it took to win freedom a quarter century ago. huge scaffold willing allow hundreds of journals across the globe to cover the event and shelter the berlin philharmonic orchestra as well as guests and dignitaries. it is a monumental job in itself. there are thousands of illumination stands being set on the path the wall once took as it divided not only a nation but a once entirely surrounded west end. thousands of people have timed their visit to berlin to coin side with the answer verry and witness it for themselves. chinese, italians, america

my parents worked as west germans in east germany, and it really wasn't very nice at all. my family was speed on by the secret police. they use listening devices. there were spies that tapped into my parents and tried to spy on my dad. both of his office as well as our home was broken into. certainly not very good memories of the wall itself. the wall came down, and it was really a special time. there was a time of great celebration for many people, and one of the things that i always say is that it really is remarkable to what extent the people of germany have come together because there were a lot of difficulties at the beginning. there were a lot of people in the east of germany who lost their jobs. there were a lot of people in the west of germany that weren't happy with the amount that unity was cost, but if you look back at it now 25 years later, the vast majority of germans will tell you that every single penny they paid was worth it, pamela. >> frederick, thank you so much. >>> a lot of memories of a very pivotal time in history, and joining us now francis, a senio

. >> reporter: 8,000 balloons released where the berlin wall once stood between east and west germany. ♪ the balloons were released one by one to symbolize the war by crowds of protesters back in 1989, more than one million visitors descended on the german capitol for the 25th anniversary of the fall of the wall. and despite the berlin wall being removed there remains many more separation barriers in other parts of the world and we report from bethlehem in the occupied west bank. >> reporter: to israel this is the security barrier. to palestinians it's an apartheid wall and this to many has become a new symbol of oppression. the berlin wall was 3.6 meters high and over 155 kilometers long and this is 8 meters high and stretches more than 700 kilometers. a former palestinian diplomate and part of the wall was constructed a few steps from her home and tells me it over shadowed nearly aspect of her life. >> and the wall is not only what you see as the visible, the fact the invisible is even harder because basically we are denied mobility of what is behind the wall. >> reporter: they pl

germany in 1990. thousands of balloons illuminating a nine-mile stretch of the former cold war barrier, the brandenburg gate, will be released later today. >>> and also happening in the uk, britain's queen elizabeth is carrying on with tradition after a foiled terror plot in that country. her majesty was front and center during a remembrance day ceremony today at a monument honoring britain's war dead and marking the 100th anniversary of the start of world war i. the annual event took place amid heightened security, four suspects are being interrogated accused of hatching a terror attack on british soil. scotland yard is investigating whether the queen herself was possibly a target. >>> and you can add nissan to the growing list of automakers recalling vehicles because of faulty air bags that could send shrapnel flying when they open. several infiniti models, 2003 through 2006, are part of that recall so are some nissan pathfinders and sentras. the cars were sold in 12 high humidity states and territo