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People walk next to giant brightly coloured dominos, which have been placed along a stretch of the Berln Wall's original path - Source: Reuters -
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For generations old enough to have lived through it, the opening
of the Berlin Wall will be the iconic image of our time - an
enduring memory that marked the beginning of the end of the Cold
War.
But to many Europeans born around 1989, the far more enduring image
is the destruction of the World Trade Centre on September 11, 2001,
ushering in the age of global terrorism and wars in Afghanistan and
Iraq.
Acutely aware of the interconnectedness of modern life, they worry
about their jobs, financial security and the burden of what they
see as ever-higher expectations - their own, their peers' and their
parents'.
Some see the consumerism of the west as too demanding.
Following are some of their comments to Reuters
correspondents:
Alex Beddoes, 23, client services co-ordinator,
London
"I will always remember what I was doing on September 11th. I was
sailing and when my sister called to tell me I thought it was a
prank call.
"(This is my generation's enduring image) I think probably because
of the people jumping out of the buildings, knowing that they
didn't stand a chance, and the bravery of the emergency services
putting themselves in so much danger. It led to the `War or Terror'
for almost this entire decade, an overwhelming effect on foreign
policy around the globe and has affected almost every facet of our
lives.
"The extra security means that travelling isn't the same, public
paranoia has led to the rise of the BNP and other far right parties
around Europe and two of my close friends are off to
Afghanistan.
"Our parents had fewer worries. They had no student loans, only
grants. No worries about buying a house, no difficulties in finding
a job, no worries about huge amounts of national debt."
Nicholas Peppiatt, 23, research executive, London
"Everyday life seems to be easier (for me than for my parents) for
example far more food, transport, entertainment options. However,
it seems more competitive in the long term. There are no
jobs-for-life, fixed retirement age, guaranteed pension
etc."
Julie Pirovani, French, 16, lycee student shopping at Uniqlo
clothes retailer in Paris:
"I see the fall of the Berlin wall as a revolution, the end of a
war, the end of separation. It divides two eras - before, it was
oppression, people did not have the means to express themselves;
afterwards, there was choice, freedom of expression. So yes, it was
a change that persisted.
"We haven't arrived at that era at school yet, so I don't know much
about what it was actually like before. But we talk about the fall
of the wall in my family and it's considered something really
joyful.
"I think the defining image of my generation is unemployment, the
difficulty of finding work, that's weighing really heavily on young
people."
Zsuzsanna Dorgo, 18, student in Hungary
"Some things have changed, some things are better, for sure, but
there is still room to improve the situation.
"For example, we could do away with corruption and give more
responsibility to the people, allow them to have a greater say in
matters, even directly - that is what democracy is about after
all.
"My mom gave birth to me when she was only 19, so every age has its
own benefits and drawbacks. My parents had to rely on themselves
much more, whereas today, there are obviously 18-year-olds who
still have their diapers changed by their parents.
"My parents were in a much more difficult situation, they had to
make a living of their own. My mom had to leave her parents' home
when she was pregnant with me at the age of 18.
"I was raised to be able to stand up for myself.
"But expectations have changed as well. Today, it is all about
learning and learning, whereas in their days work was much more
important.
"Today, one (university) degree almost counts for nothing.
Asked if anything sounded good about the old ways, she said: "Not
really, my way of thinking is that liberty is all-important. I
don't much like restraints, freedom is very important and being
able to travel freely, for example, must be given to all. People
should not be locked up in cages, we are not animals after all.
Freedom must be given to everyone."
Zsofia Kis, 23, student in Budapest
Asked about the enduring image of her generation, she said: "The
World Trade Center, no doubt about that. That's when the notion of
terrorism entered our world."
On whether the end of communism fulfilled its promise: "In the
West, it might be so. Here, I don't know. Our lives are different,
we can travel freely, and our opportunities, in the long term
anyway, are pretty good, but I think that's more of a consequence
of our membership in the European Union, not the fall of Communism.
Well, I guess so far as EU accession was possible because Communism
ended, then that is important.
"To our parents, consumer objects like jeans, Coca-Cola and such
things were the ultimate desire. Now all that is easily accessible.
In some sense, consumerism has reached a point when we resent
it.
"Our expectations are way higher than our parents' might have been.
You have to have the latest cell phones, the latest clothes... but
the expectations toward us are higher as well. We are expected to
finish university, get good jobs, make lots of money... There were
no expectations on our parents like that, not as heavy as that for
sure.
"Our parents' generation was much more satisfied with what they
had. Everybody just wants more of everything these days.
"(In the old days) there was no unemployment - which you might say
is good - but that was artificial. They kept it up at the expense
of going deeper and deeper in debt. So that looks good on the
surface, but I disagree that would be a good thing. Other than
that, not much, to be honest."
Andras Magyar, 22, student, Pecs, Hungary
"The World Trade Center terrorist attacks (is my enduring image). I
also remember the wars in Iraq and Yugoslavia, but the World Trade
Center is the single iconic event that I can recall.
"Yes, I think our generation has a more negative view because of
that. At the outset there was a fearsome event. It's something we
will have to forget, not remember. We have to move on from
it.
"Partly, I guess, it (the fall of the Wall) fulfilled its promise
because the system is different, and we can get rid of our leaders
if we dislike them.
"That said, the situation right now is very similar to the
Communist times. Politicians still don't do what they
promised.
"Only part of that has to do with politics, the biggest difference
(from our parents' generation) is probably technology. The
internet, the way we communicate and the way our world has shrunk
so much.
"Our parents lived in a much more limited world. Both physically,
because they were not allowed to travel freely, and considering
information. We can talk to anyone for no money, we can find out
about anything in a matter of minutes.
"The world now is much less personal, there is much less direct
contact among people. I mean, we don't really talk on the phone any
more. We just talk online. But mostly we chat, online. I mean, I
can't remember the last time I sent a proper email.
"My mom keeps telling me: 'son, there was a time before phones and
the internet and all that stuff, when we met in person with our
friends.' Well, yeah, whatever.
"It was much safer (in my parents' time), they tell me. There was
less crime, and streets were safer. There was a certain kind of
freedom in that, a different kind of freedom.
"People stuck together more, there was a tighter community. Part of
that was because they had a common enemy - the Communists. But the
mandatory state celebrations and workers' union dances, and all
that, I mean, that also created a community. Today's corporate
Christmas parties can't make up for that."
Barbara Regulska, 24, who has recently started her PhD in
foreign affairs at Warsaw University:
"It has always been upsetting my parents - most Poles of that
generation I guess - that the whole world celebrates the
anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, not the events related
to the Solidarity trade union in Poland in 1989. Everybody seems to
be missing the fact that the Wall would not have fallen if it
wasn't for what happened in here earlier in the year.
"In a sense everyday life was easier under communism especially for
those social groups like workers, peasants and so on who were
getting special treatment from the regime. These people found
themselves worse off after the transformation, but of course, in
the global scheme of things, the toppling of communism has been an
overwhelmingly positive development. We live now with wider
perspectives, we travel with no barriers, we have a free market and
free media and free elections.
"I don't really think my generation is too much worried with the
fall of the Wall. We hardly remember communism and what the living
was before 1989. We get the importance of the event from history
lessons, just as we learn about World War Two. But for the
generation of my brother - people who are now in their thirties -
it remains a vivid recollection that is actively shaping their
views of the world until now.
"They've been through this more consciously, they have some
memories and because of that, they are now able to appreciate
democracy, freedom of speech or free elections much more.
"In some ways Europe continues to be divided into 'old' and 'new',
'better' and 'worse'. That has much to do with economic
development, as rich and well-developed countries run the European
Union. Of course Poland and the whole region sometimes get worse
treatment because of weaker economy and that is in large part due
to years spent under the communist rule.
"But this can only be seen from the inside. Globally, central and
eastern Europe has made an amazing progress both in terms of
politics and economy over those 20 years, which is not that much
time in fact. So even though there are some rifts within the bloc,
Poland is in the world's first league now as an EU member. We are
being treated as a regular EU member, not as some bizarre, third
world country."
Jakub Golicki, 20, second-year student at a private
business school in Warsaw:
"The first thing that comes to my mind when I think of images
representative of nowadays is the World Trade Centre attacks I'm
afraid, though there must have been so many better things in the
meantime.
"For us the heyday of Solidarity will remain the most important
sign of the end of communism, much more than the fall of the Berlin
Wall. The fall of the Wall has been a spectacular image and maybe
that's why this anniversary is being celebrated much more
abroad.
"Older people sometimes tend to miss the 'good old times', but it's
probably just because they were young back then, with no pain in
the back or heart diseases. I don't think it was better under
Communism in any way. You couldn't get basic goods, you couldn't
really decide for yourself and so on. I can't think of any
positives of living on this side of the Iron Curtain really.
"The European Union is an amazing experiment. Of course it's not
perfect, but the fact that Poland joined the bloc in 2004 has been
like a civilisation-jump to a much more advanced group with higher
standards, level of living and stability.
"It's clearly visible that not all of our region's countries are at
the same development level as western democracies, but we just had
less time to work it all out.
"My parents were mostly partying during their studies and when they
finished it was work looking for them, rather than the other way
around. I have started working at the first year of my studies. Not
because I had to make money, but because experience is valuable. On
the other hand I can go for holidays wherever, they couldn't. You
can't have everything I guess."
