Berlin Wall Falls: Cold War Division Ends
East German government spokesman Gunter Schabowski announced new travel regulations at a press conference on November 9, 1989, and when asked when they took effect, he shuffled his papers and said 'immediately, without delay.' He hadn't been properly briefed. Within hours, thousands of East Berliners flooded to the checkpoints. Overwhelmed guards, receiving no orders to shoot, opened the gates. Crowds from both sides climbed the wall, embracing, drinking champagne, and chipping away at the concrete with hammers. The wall had divided Berlin for 28 years. Over 100 people had been killed trying to cross it. The opening was not planned by any government; it happened because of a bureaucratic error at a press conference. Within 11 months, Germany was reunified. Within two years, the Soviet Union collapsed. The Cold War ended with a misread memo.
November 9, 1989
37 years ago
Key Figures & Places
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