Tonight, Governing Mayor Klaus Wowereit, Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf's city councillor Klaus-Dieter Gröhler, and Daniel Wall, Chief Executive Officer of Wall AG, will inaugurate the Christmas illumination on Kurfürstendamm and Tauentzienstraße in the presence of numerous guests from politics, business, and culture. For the fifth time, Wall AG organises and funds the festive lightshow.

With an overall length of 4, 3 km, Berlin's Christmas illumination is the longest worldwide. From Rathenau- to Wittenbergplatz, the boulevard is illuminated by 1, 2 million light-spots. Until January 6, 2009, Christmas figures like Nutcracker, Buddy-Bear, Santa Claus, and reindeers are on display.

This year's highlights are the colourful fireworks which accompany the opening of the Christmas illumination, and will be repeated on the five following Saturdays. The fireworks display consists of up to 4.000 pyro-effects and 24 spotlights, projecting a Christmas tree of 80 m height into the Berlin evening sky.

"Kudamm and Tauentzien are Berlin's traditional flagship high-streets", Daniel Wall, Chief Executive Officer of Wall AG points out. "Our commitment enhances the attraction of the world-famous boulevard in the weeks before Christmas, thus contributing to the positive image of our city. We wish a merry Christmas to all citizens and visitors, and invite them to have a good time strolling down our high-streets."

This year, Wall AG for the first time provides the illumination on Reichsstraße. For a length of one kilometre from Theodor-Heuss-Platz to Steubenplatz, illuminated stars are mounted on street-lamps, spreading a seasonal splendour.

Proceeds from the sale of mulled wine and pretzels will be donated to the charity "Clown's Consulting Hour": at Charité-Clinics, Vivantes-Hospital in Neukölln, Carl-Thiem-Clinic in Cottbus, the Evangelic Hospital Ludwigsfelde in Potsam, and other hospitals, 20 professional clowns take care of critically ill children.

Wall Group: Key-Facts

• International street furniture supplier and outdoor advertiser in six countries and more than 50 cities, amongst others Berlin, Boston, Budapest, Düsseldorf, Istanbul and Sofia

• Innovative street furniture in highest-quality design; 28 different design-lines

• Made to measure solutions provided by in-house research and development unit

• Production, maintenance and cleaning from one single source ensure highest quality standards

• Intelligent outdoor advertising on 54.000 advertising spaces with highest frequencies of exposure, and on 3.110 means of transportation such as tramways, busses, underground trains and trucks

• National and international sales team with 10 sales-offices, providing outstanding marketing expertise

• Marketing-portfolio in Germany: 26 cities, AirportNet, ShoppingNet, Leipzig Central Station, Berlinale Film-Festival, bluespot, RollAd on highways, transit advertising in Berlin, including all underground stations

• Owner operated, medium sized enterprise; majority of shares family owned; turnover 2007: 152, 4 m. euro; number of employees: 691