The fall of the Berlin Wall unlocked half a continent

Foreign correspondents rarely have the opportunity to report on stories that are indisputably positive. Wars, disasters and political disputes tend dominate the news we cover. But when the Berlin Wall was suddenly flung open 25 years ago, the news was so good that I cheered as I sat in the Reuters East Berlin bureau and repeatedly updated our story through the long night. Looking back over a quarter of a century, it’s tempting to talk in terms of the big picture – the end of the Cold War, collapse of communism, reunification of Germany and Europe. But what sticks in my mind is the effect of this stunning event had on the normal people who had long suffered under the communist system. Until only a few months before the Wall opened, few dared to speak out against the Government