The Prime Minister delivered a speech at the Brandenburg Gate at events commemorating the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, on 9 November 2009.
Read the transcript
President, Chancellor, Mayor, let me say first of all to the people of Berlin, the whole world is proud of you. You tore down the wall and you changed the world. You tore down the wall that for a third of a century had imprisoned half a city, half a country, half a continent and half the world, and because of your courage, two Berlins are one, two Germanies are one and now two Europes are one and no one can ever imprison a people who know what it is now to be free.
This wall was torn down not by leaders, not by from on high, not by military might; this wall was torn down by the greatest force of all, the unbreakable spirit of the men and women of Berlin. You dared to dream in the darkness. You know that while force has temporary power to dominate, it can never ultimately decide. You proved that there is nothing that cannot be achieved by people inspired by the power of common purpose, and let me thank you, the people of Berlin, for sending a message to every continent that no abuse, no crime, no injury need endure forever.
Let me thank you, the people of Berlin, for demonstrating that injustice is not the final word on the human condition. Let me thank you, the people of Berlin, for showing that in a troubled world, with an Africa in poverty, Darfur in agony, Zimbabwe in tears, Burma in chains, individuals, even when in pain, need not suffer forever without hope, and let your achievement, the achievement of the people of Berlin and Germany, inspire us that by the power of one united Europe working together, we can advance prosperity not just for some but for all.
And I pledge today that Britain will always be at the heart of Europe. We will never give succour to extremism that would drive us apart. And let the celebration of that historic night, and the celebration of this night, ring out across the world, that what seems impossible, an end to nuclear proliferation, an end to extreme poverty, an end to climate catastrophe, can become possible and be unstoppable thanks to the power of people united in common endeavour.
What has happened here in Berlin tells the world that the tides of history may ebb and flow, but that across the ages, history is moving towards our best hopes, not our worst fears, towards light and not darkness, towards the fulfilment of our humanity, not its denial, so as we stand here, as free people, gathered today in the shadow of history, let us pledge that we will work together to write the next chapter of the human story. Let us write a chapter of liberty, and of prosperity, and of peace.
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