Eric Westervelt archive

November 12, 2009 Communist rule of Romania ended 20 years ago in a bloody revolt that killed more than 1,000 people. The country is now a member of the EU, with a solid economy and a passionate, if hectic, democratic life. But some believe Romania's rampant corruption is threatening its future.

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November 11, 2009 Prague is brimming with commerce, optimism and tourists two decades after the Velvet Revolution overthrew the communist government and brought dissident poet Vaclav Havel into the presidential palace. But some Czechs worry their once dynamic political culture is declining and active citizenship waning.

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• After The Fall: 20 Years After The Berlin Wall

November 10, 2009 Two decades after striking shipyard workers in Poland helped to spark the end of communism, many Poles today — especially the young — are enjoying the fruits of capitalism. Since joining the EU in 2004, Poland has developed the most dynamic economy in Eastern Europe.

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November 9, 2009 Thousands of joyous Germans and foreign visitors to Berlin crowded into the city to remember the night 20 years ago that the Berlin Wall fell, an event that has come to symbolize the end of communism in Europe. The celebrations included fireworks, concerts and the toppling of a row of giant dominoes to mark the anniversary.

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November 9, 2009 Twenty years ago, the Berlin Wall that divided the city and served as the symbol of a Europe divided between communist East and democratic West fell. For one young German, that momentous day held both political and personal significance.

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September 27, 2009 German voters handed conservative Chancellor Angela Merkel a second term and a chance to create a new center-right government Sunday, while her center-left rivals suffered a historic defeat in the national election.

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September 12, 2009 German voters go to the polls in national elections at the end of September. But so far, it has been a lackluster race. Despite recent pressure on Chancellor Angela Merkel over German troops in Afghanistan and smaller parties' electoral gains, most Germans seem content with the status quo.

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