Germany has celebrated the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall

Germany has celebrated the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall that divided East and West Germany, with President Frank-Walter Steinmeier thanking Eastern European neighbours for spurring on the peaceful revolution.

The toppling of the wall, which separated the Communist-ruled East from the capitalist West in Berlin for nearly three decades and became a potent symbol of the Cold War, was followed a year later by the reunification of Germany in 1990.

"Together with our friends, we remember with deep gratitude the events 30 years ago," Mr Steinmeier said during a ceremony at the Berlin Wall Memorial.