9.11.89 Berlin

November 9th, 1989 saw the fall of the Berlin Wall that had divided Germany since 1961 – an epic event in both German and world history. The cold war was over and a new era of political and economical transformation and freedom began. Capitalism had “won” over communism, the US American political scientist Francis Fukuyama announced “The End of History”, and suddenly it seemed like there were no more borders.

Jürgen Pollak was a witness of November 9, 1989, capturing photos of the events that night. He documented the rapid transformation of Berlin's cityscape in the year during which the wall was dismantled, after having defined the city, people and country for 28 years.

Jürgen Pollak was born in Stuttgart. He studied visual communication at HdK Berlin, and lived in New York in 2001 and 2002. Since returning to Germany, he has been working as a free-lance photographer in Stuttgart.

Further information at: f75