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
City Gate (Valletta) "Porta Reale". In the late 16th century, a smaller outer gate was built and a triumphal arch was added above the original gate. Little else is known about the gate. The second city gate was built in 1633, during the magistracy of Grand Master Antoine de Paule. This gate was more ornate than its predecessor "Porta San Giorgio", and it consisted of a central archway with a smaller arch at each side, and a wooden drawbridge across the deep, dry ditch that lies immediately outside the city walls. This gate is often attributed to the Maltese architect Tommaso Dingli, although