Promotional Graphic for Timothy Riley's presentation "From Iron Curtain to Fallen Wall: Churchill’s Prophecy and the Cold War"

From Iron Curtain to Fallen Wall: Churchill’s Prophecy and the Cold War

Admission

  • Lecture Only $10
  • With purchase of exhibition ticket $5

October 3

  • Time 10 AM
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From Iron Curtain to Fallen Wall: Churchill’s Prophecy and the Cold War

Experience the remarkable story behind the Berlin Wall through the words of the man who first warned the world it was coming. In this richly illustrated lecture, Timothy Riley, the Sandra L. and Monroe E. Trout Director and Chief Curator of America’s National Churchill Museum, explores the direct connection between Winston Churchill’s historic 1946 “Iron Curtain” speech in nearby Fulton,Missouri, and the Berlin Wall now on display in Union Station’s Berlin Wall – A World Divided exhibition. Featuring powerful images, compelling stories, and fascinating historical insights, the lecture follows the Cold War from Churchill’s prophetic warning to the dramatic fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. Discover how a speech delivered just 100 miles from Kansas City helped define one of the twentieth century’s greatest global struggles and why the Wall standing at Union Station remains one of history’s most enduring symbols of the triumph of freedom over tyranny.

Location
Arthur Stillwell
Capacity
100

EXPERIENCE LIFE ON THE FRONT LINE OF THE COLD WAR

For nearly 30 years, a wall cut through the heart of Berlin — separating families, friends, freedom, and the world itself.

What began as a political divide became something deeply personal. Overnight, neighbors became enemies. Ordinary people lived under surveillance, fear, propaganda, and the constant threat of nuclear conflict. Children grew up wondering if war was coming. Families woke up to discover loved ones trapped on the other side.

This is not just the story of Germany. It is the story of a world divided — and the moments that shaped generations of Americans and people across the globe.

From the Berlin Airlift and Checkpoint Charlie to Kennedy’s “Ich bin ein Berliner” and Reagan’s “Tear down this wall,” the Cold War wasn’t distant history. It defined an era of fear, courage, sacrifice, and hope.

Today, as division continues to shape conversations around the world, the Berlin Wall stands as one of history’s most powerful reminders of what happens when fear overtakes freedom — and why humanity, connection, and democracy matter.

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