Crossing at Bornholmerstr., Wikipedia
Prelude to a Historic Night
The Berlin Wall was put up on August 13th 1961 and came to symbolize the divide between East and West during the Cold War. For 28 years, it imprinted itself deeply into Berlin's character and into the character of Berliners, who defied the Wall every chance they could. The defiance of the East Germans especially was putting heavy political pressure on the government by the late 1980's including that of reforms from the Soviet Union's leader Mikhail Gorbachev.
His policies of glasnost (openness) and perestroika (restructuring) in the Soviet Union encouraged a wave of change across Eastern Europe. In East Germany, public unrest was growing, with citizens demanding greater freedoms and the right to travel, represented weekly with the so-called Monday Demonstrations.
This build up lead to a chain of events leading resulting in the Wall's fall beginning with a somewhat muddled announcement. On the evening of November 9, 1989, Gunter Schabowski, an East German government official, held a press conference which was a rather dull affair made to announce varies projects and reforms in the GDR. This was not unexpected as a interem government had been announced after the ousting of the previous leader Erich Honecker.
At the very end of the conference, Gunter Schabowski announced that travel restrictions for East Germans would be lifted. This was true, but Schabowski was not personally at the meeting where this topic was discussed earlier in the day and so he mischaracterized - intentional or not - the announcement. This unclear communication, led to a follow-up question from a reporter asking if this was effective immediately, to which Schabowski replied, "...according to my understanding this would be immediately. forthwith."
The Scene at Bornholmer Strasse
After this exchange was broadcast in the West German nightly news - which East Berliners could also watch - Bornholmer Strasse, one of the main border crossings between East and West Berlin, quickly became the focal point of the night's dramatic events. Progressively over the next hours, thousands of East Berliners rushed to the border crossings, including Bornholmer Strasse, demanding passage to the West.
The situation was becoming very tense with the Stasi - the "State Security" police - unsure of how to handle the situation. Officers at each border crossing were repeatedly asking for commands and help. Major Harald Jager, the officer in charge at Bornholmer, thus faced an unprecedented crisis. He had no clear instructions from his superiors and was overwhelmed by the growing crowd. As the night wore on, the pressure mounted and East Berliners chanted for the gates to be opened, while the atmosphere grew increasingly volatile.
At around 11:30 PM though Jager made a momentous decision. With no guidance and fearing for the safety of his officers and the crowd, he ordered the gates to be opened. Knowingly or not, this marked the beginning of the end for the Berlin Wall. Thousands of jubilant East Berliners poured through the checkpoint, embraced by their Western counterparts in scenes of euphoria and disbelief, which were scenes then repeated at each border crossing.
Scene at Bornholmer Strasse, Tagesspiegel
The Fall of the Berlin Wall
The opening at Bornholmer Strasse set off a domino effect. Other border crossings soon followed suit, and by the next day, the Berlin Wall, which had divided the city for 28 years, was obsolete. People from both sides began dismantling the Wall, chipping away at the concrete barrier that had symbolized oppression and division.
The night of November 9, 1989, began a week-long celebration with Berliners and Germans from both sides gathered at the Wall, sharing in the joy of newfound freedom. It was a time of spontaneous parties, tears, and reunions, as families and friends long separated by the Wall were finally able to embrace.
This was a pivotal moment in the end of the Cold War and paved the way for German reunification, occurring less than a year later, on October 3, 1990.
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