On Berlin Wall anniversary, Merkel urges Europe to defend freedom

Chancellor Angela Merkel on Saturday urged Europe to defend democracy and freedom as Germany marked 30 years since the fall of the Berlin Wall, warning that such gains must not be taken for granted.

At a solemn ceremony in a church standing on the former "death strip" that divided East and West, Merkel said the Berlin Wall reminds "us that we have to do our part for freedom and democracy".

"The values upon which Europe is founded ... they are anything but self-evident. And they must always be lived out and defended anew," she told guests from across the continent.

On November 9, 1989, East German border guards, overwhelmed by large crowds, threw open the gates to West Berlin, allowing free passage for the first time since the Berlin Wall was built.