GRAND RAPIDS, MICH.–November 9, 1989 the Cold War came to an end with the fall of the Berlin Wall. Helene Werner owns a piece of that wall. It was a gift from a family friend who was studying abroad when the wall came down. It’s an artifact she treasures as a symbol of international freedom.
“It’s a piece of history that I have,” Werner said. “Even though I don’t know where the piece came from, whether it was at the gates or what part it was on. It has graffiti on it.”
Quintin Slovacek says his grandfather helped bring down the wall.
“It’s good to see it here, not in Berlin,” Slovacek said.
He was shocked Sunday when he spotted a section of the wall as he walked into the Gerald R Ford Museum.
“We had just talked about today’s the 25th anniversary of it,” said his mother, Rachelle Rice.
They weren’t the only ones admiring the history right here in Grand Rapids. A Boy Scout troop made the trip from Lansing. They didn’t realize today was the anniversary, but their leaders took the chance to teach their scouts life lessons.
“The expression, the graffiti, and that’s the human spirit right? That is saying no matter what wall or how strong it is, you really can’t restrain what my expression is which I thought was very powerful.”
The section of wall is a permanent exhibit in the lobby.
