Word: dresden
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Dates: during 2000-2009
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With the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall being commemorated on Nov. 9, Germany is in a celebratory mood. The once divided city of Berlin and the former East German cities of Leipzig and Dresden, among others, are staging events to mark their key roles in the peaceful revolution that swept away the old Deutsche Demokratische Republik, or D.D.R...
...Obama praised Merkel's leadership, calling her "my friend." The two national leaders met privately for roughly an hour at Dresden Castle, a Thirteenth Century building that has been rebuilt since the 1945 bombing, discussing a wide range of issues, from Iran, to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, to issues of global warming and the economic downturn. (See pictures of heartbreak in the Middle East...
...Back in the United States, Obama's decision to stay in Dresden has sparked protests from some of Obama's conservative political critics, who have argued that the visit demonstrates his willingness to highlight America's lesser historical moments. "Dresden: Next Stop on Obama's Apology Tour," ran one headline on the conservative Powerline blog. Obama's aides rejected those suggestions, pointing to the same logistical issues that the president had mentioned, and a desire to find a location that was convenient for Merkel. (See pictures of people around the world watching Obama's inauguration...
...While in Dresden, Obama took time to visit Frauenkirche Dresden, a church that was destroyed during the firebombing and recently rebuilt. During a tour of the church, Obama lit a candle and signed a book at a memorial to the firebombing. He stood a moment before the church's old tower cross that was retrieved from the rubble of the church in 1993, 48 years after the building was destroyed. The rebuilt church has a new tower cross, which was paid for by the people of Great Britain and crafted by the son of one of the British pilots...
...During the joint press conference with Merkel, Obama noted that Dresden had overcome "great tragedies and is now this beautiful city full of hope." Merkel called Obama's second visit to Germany as president "a trip of a highly symbolic nature." "It is just so important that President Barack Obama makes his first stop here in Dresden," said the German chancellor...