Brandenburg Gate August 1961. West Berliners gathered on the western side of the gate to demonstrate against the Berlin Wall, among them West Berlin's governing Mayor Willy Brandt, who had spontaneously returned from a federal election campaigning tour in West Germany earlier on the same day. It was closed throughout the Berlin Wall period until 22 December 1989. When the Revolutions of 1989 occurred and the wall was demolished, the gate symbolized freedom and the desire to unify the city of Berlin. Thousands of people gathered at the wall to celebrate its fall on 9 November 1989. On 22 December 1989, the
Gate City, Virginia 1960s, the town's momentum was slowing. As industry in Kingsport, Tennessee (6 miles to the south) attracted Gate City residents, several local businesses and small manufacturing companies shut down. By 2010, many former commercial buildings stood vacant, but the Gate City Historic District was newly listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Gate City is located at (36.638325, −82.580659). According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which is land and , or 0.97%, is water. The town has expanded its boundaries since the 2000 census via a boundary adjustment agreement