East Germany became communist state under the Soviet Union after World War II. Communism wants to have everyone work together with everyone having the same benefits and everyone being equal. However, over time with Communism, a small group of leaders end up making all the decisions, and no one else can vote or have their say. This is why people in communistic countries risk their lives trying to escape. People from East Germany tried escaping to West Germany where they would be free to live, work, and believe the way they wanted to, so East Germany built a wall called the Berlin Wall to keep the people from leaving.
On June 12, 1987, President Ronald Reagan tried to get Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev to break down the Berlin Wall. Over 2 years later, on November 9, 1989, the announcement was made that people from East Germany were free to cross the border into West Germany and into the rest of Europe. So that day the people began to tear the wall down! Freedom at last!! 
