Escape tunnel under Berlin Wall opens to public for the first time
An escape tunnel underneath the Berlin Wall in Germany opened to the public for the first time on Thursday, amid celebrations of the 30th anniversary of the fall of the wall. /VCG Photo

An escape tunnel underneath the Berlin Wall in Germany opened to the public for the first time on Thursday, amid celebrations of the 30th anniversary of the fall of the wall. /VCG Photo

Berlin Mayor Michael Mueller officially opened the 100 meter tunnel and thanked those who built it. /VCG Photo

Berlin Mayor Michael Mueller officially opened the 100 meter tunnel and thanked those who built it. /VCG Photo

Located near Berlin's main wall memorial at Bernauer Strasse, the tunnel was built by a group of people who had escaped from East Germany to the West. /VCG Photo

Located near Berlin's main wall memorial at Bernauer Strasse, the tunnel was built by a group of people who had escaped from East Germany to the West. /VCG Photo

They planned to help friends and families follow them and escape to West Berlin. However, the tunnel was discovered by the East German authorities using ultrasound technology days before it was completed. The authorities then partially destroyed the tunnel. /VCG Photo

They planned to help friends and families follow them and escape to West Berlin. However, the tunnel was discovered by the East German authorities using ultrasound technology days before it was completed. The authorities then partially destroyed the tunnel. /VCG Photo

Built in 1961, Berlin Wall stood at the front line of the Cold War. The wall fell on November 9, 1989, and the former Soviet Union announced that it would not interfere with the issue, paving the way for the reunification of the two Germanies on October 3, 1990. /VCG Photo

Built in 1961, Berlin Wall stood at the front line of the Cold War. The wall fell on November 9, 1989, and the former Soviet Union announced that it would not interfere with the issue, paving the way for the reunification of the two Germanies on October 3, 1990. /VCG Photo