On this day, November 9, 1989 shortly before 19.00 the secretary of the Central Committee of the SED (Socialist Unity Party of Germany) Gunter Schabowski announced at the end of a long and boring press conference new regulations for GDR citizens travelling to West Berlin and West Germany.
Having read a document and then after a few moments hesitation he said the new regulations came into effect 'immediately'.
When the evening ARD News at 20.00 ran a headline 'GDR opens the border', East Berliners headed towards border crossings in the city.
Because of the large crowds that stormed the crossing at Bornholmer Street, border guards eventually lifted the barrier at 21.20.
The Berlin Wall had been breached.
That happened 28 years ago today.
On another November 9 this time 1938, the Nazis smashed the windows of Jewish-owned shops and businesses, and synagogues.
The pogrom against the Jews is known as Kristallnacht, or the Night of the Broken Glass.
This is one of a number of reasons that Germany did not choose November 8 as a national holiday commemorating the unification of Germany.
That date is celebrated on October 3, which marks the day in 1990 when the two German States were united. On that day Germany also officially recognised its eastern borders.
No comments:
Post a Comment