If you were around in the 1980s, you likely remember the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. You might also remember Bruce Springsteen’s legendary performance in Berlin on July 19, 1988.
Some believe that the concert played a role in bringing down the Berlin Wall. Obviously, it would take more than a killer Bruce Springsteen concert to take down the symbolic and physical Berlin Wall. However, Springsteen’s concert could have very well been one factor in the eventual destruction of the wall a little over a year later.
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The Iconic Bruce Springsteen Performance in Berlin, 1988
To start, we should probably mention that we don’t think Bruce Springsteen tore down the Berlin Wall himself. The strong-willed citizens of eastern Germany should get credit for that, along with some help from West. That being said, music is an important part of revolution and peace.
Springsteen kicked off his concert in East Berlin on the night of July 19, 1988. It was an incredible performance, to say the least. And it may have provided the citizens of Berlin with the inspiration they needed to finally bring down the wall. For many of the 300,000 people in attendance, it was likely the first time they had seen a Western musician perform live.
During his four-hour performance, Springsteen delivered quite an impassioned speech to his audience. The speech was notably shorter than his setlist; but it didn’t need to be long to be powerful.
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“I am not for or against a government,” Springsteen said in German. “I’ve come to play rock and roll for you, in the hope that one day all barriers will be torn down.”
Upon finishing his short speech, he and his band descended into Bob Dylan’s “Chimes Of Freedom”. The audience was delighted. Even if you aren’t a fan, you have to admit that it was an incredible display.
“I think it really contributed to fuelling the sentiment in East Germany for change,” said Erik Kirschbaum, author of Rocking The Wall. “They were unhappy in East Germany. A lot of reforms were going on in other Eastern European countries in ’88, but in East Germany it was a very stagnant situation. Springsteen came there and spoke to their hearts. He got them enthusiastic about change, and in the next 16 months we all know what happened.”
If you need some inspiration, Bruce Springsteen is pretty good at making a crowd feel powerful.
Photo by Call/Mediapunch/Shutterstock
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