Germany, Berlin

1989 - The end of the Cold War: the coming down of the Berlin wall

On June 27, 1989, Hungary removed its border restrictions with Austria, and in September more than 13,000 East Germans escaped through Hungary . Mass demonstrations against the government in East Germany began in the fall of 1989. The leader of East Germany , Erich Honecker, resigned on October 18, 1989. He was replaced by a short-lived successor, Egon Krenz, a few days later. The travel restrictions for East Germans were lifted somewhat by the new government on November 9, 1989. After a misunderstanding, Günter Schabowski announced in a press conference, televised live on East German state TV, that all restrictions had been abandoned. Upon this news spreading, tens of thousands of people immediately went to the Wall, where they quickly became a major crowd control problem for the surprised and overwhelmed border guards. Many hectic telephone calls and much to and fro with the guards superiors ensued while still more people kept converging on the major crossing points. It eventually became clear that there was little way to hold back these huge numbers of East German citizens as the vastly outnumbered border guards had only been equipped for another day of regular duty. The masses could also not be convinced to turn back or calm down — they had heard of Mr. Schabowskis statement and they wanted it to be acted upon. Probably the only way to hold the crowds back would have been use of lethal force, but this would have meant massacring the countrys own citizens in huge numbers — which at that point the guards and authorities were simply not willing to do. In face of the escalating crowd safety situation the guards eventually just yielded, opening the access points and allowing people through with (at most) minimal identity verification checks. The ecstatic East Berliners were soon greeted by jubilant West Berliners on the other side in an all-out party atmosphere. November 9 is thus considered the date the Wall fell.

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08:14

Germany, Berlin

1989 - The end of the Cold War: the coming down of the Berlin wall

On June 27, 1989, Hungary removed its border restrictions with Austria, and in September more than 13,000 East Germans escaped through Hungary . Mass demonstrations against the government in East Germany began in the fall of 1989. The leader of East Germany , Erich Honecker, resigned on October 18, 1989. He was replaced by a short-lived successor, Egon Krenz, a few days later. The travel restrictions for East Germans were lifted somewhat by the new government on November 9, 1989. After a misunderstanding, Günter Schabowski announced in a press conference, televised live on East German state TV, that all restrictions had been abandoned. Upon this news spreading, tens of thousands of people immediately went to the Wall, where they quickly became a major crowd control problem for the surprised and overwhelmed border guards. Many hectic telephone calls and much to and fro with the guards superiors ensued while still more people kept converging on the major crossing points. It eventually became clear that there was little way to hold back these huge numbers of East German citizens as the vastly outnumbered border guards had only been equipped for another day of regular duty. The masses could also not be convinced to turn back or calm down — they had heard of Mr. Schabowskis statement and they wanted it to be acted upon. Probably the only way to hold the crowds back would have been use of lethal force, but this would have meant massacring the countrys own citizens in huge numbers — which at that point the guards and authorities were simply not willing to do. In face of the escalating crowd safety situation the guards eventually just yielded, opening the access points and allowing people through with (at most) minimal identity verification checks. The ecstatic East Berliners were soon greeted by jubilant West Berliners on the other side in an all-out party atmosphere. November 9 is thus considered the date the Wall fell.

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09:10

Germany, Berlin

1989 - The end of the Cold War: the coming down of the Berlin wall

On June 27, 1989, Hungary removed its border restrictions with Austria, and in September more than 13,000 East Germans escaped through Hungary . Mass demonstrations against the government in East Germany began in the fall of 1989. The leader of East Germany , Erich Honecker, resigned on October 18, 1989. He was replaced by a short-lived successor, Egon Krenz, a few days later. The travel restrictions for East Germans were lifted somewhat by the new government on November 9, 1989. After a misunderstanding, Günter Schabowski announced in a press conference, televised live on East German state TV, that all restrictions had been abandoned. Upon this news spreading, tens of thousands of people immediately went to the Wall, where they quickly became a major crowd control problem for the surprised and overwhelmed border guards. Many hectic telephone calls and much to and fro with the guards superiors ensued while still more people kept converging on the major crossing points. It eventually became clear that there was little way to hold back these huge numbers of East German citizens as the vastly outnumbered border guards had only been equipped for another day of regular duty. The masses could also not be convinced to turn back or calm down — they had heard of Mr. Schabowskis statement and they wanted it to be acted upon. Probably the only way to hold the crowds back would have been use of lethal force, but this would have meant massacring the countrys own citizens in huge numbers — which at that point the guards and authorities were simply not willing to do. In face of the escalating crowd safety situation the guards eventually just yielded, opening the access points and allowing people through with (at most) minimal identity verification checks. The ecstatic East Berliners were soon greeted by jubilant West Berliners on the other side in an all-out party atmosphere. November 9 is thus considered the date the Wall fell.

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40 Years of the GDR: Military Parade Celebrating the 40th Anniversary of the GDR - Jaruzelski, Gorbachev, Willi Stoph, Erich Honecker, torch journey

01:00

East-Germany, East-Berlin

40 Years of the GDR: Military Parade Celebrating the 40th Anniversary of the GDR - Jaruzelski, Gorbachev, Willi Stoph, Erich Honecker, torch journey

As signs of the decline of the SED dictatorship became ever clearer over the spring and summer of 1989, SED leaders stubbornly adhered to distant, unrealistic slogans about a victorious socialism. They chose to ignore the growing political opposition, mass demonstrations, and demands for political reform and free elections. Peaceful demonstrators in East Berlin even dared to take to the streets during the regime's official celebration of the 40th anniversary of the founding of the GDR on October 6 and 7, 1989. These demonstrations were immediately suppressed and more than a thousand people were arrested. This photo shows the VIP-grandstand on Karl-Marx Allee during the official military parade in East Berlin on October 7, 1989. Soviet head of state and party leader Mikhail Gorbachev, East German head of state and SED general secretary Erich Honecker, Raisa Gorbacheva, and Willi Stoph, prime minister of the German Democratic Republic can be seen in the middle of the grandstand, among others. The banner in the background reads, "40 Years of the GDR."

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