On November 9, 1989, East German authorities opened the border between East and West Germany, allowing East Germans to freely travel to West Germany. This marked the fall of the Berlin Wall, which had divided Germany for 28 years. Thousands of Germans and world leaders gathered on the 20th anniversary in 2009 to celebrate German reunification and remember the approximately 100-200 who died trying to cross the border over the years. Events were held along the former route of the Berlin Wall to commemorate its fall and the end of Communist rule in Eastern Europe.