The Berlin Wall (1961-1989) - Simple > .
Communist Hungary had opened its border with Austria in September, and this had encouraged East Germans to push for reform in their own country. Weekly ‘Monday protests’ attracted hundreds of thousands of people and eventually forced the government to prepare a new travel policy.
Although the new policy had been agreed by the Politburo on the afternoon of 9 November, their intention was to implement it the next day so that border guards could be briefed and crossings managed in a controlled manner. However, Schabowski had not been at the Politburo meeting and so was only able to base his announcement on notes from a piece of paper handed to him shortly before the press conference. This explains his mistake over the timing of its introduction.
The announcement led huge crowds to begin gathering at the checkpoints. Surprised border guards, who had been given no information about the new rules, were overwhelmed by the appearance of thousands of East Germans who wanted to cross. Although the border remained closed for around three hours, by 11pm the checkpoint at Bornholmer Strasse had been opened. Others followed soon after.
West Berliners still had to have a visa in order to cross to the East. Therefore, for a few weeks after the Wall was opened, East Berliners actually had greater freedom of movement than their West German counterparts.
Large cracks had begun to show in East Germany’s communist regime from the middle of 1989 and eventually led to the fall of the Berlin Wall in November 1989. This encouraged the ongoing Peaceful Revolution in the East, which succeeded in bringing about free elections in March the following year.
The West German Chancellor, Helmut Kohl, had already called for greater cooperation between West and East in November 1989. Furthermore the election of the new East German parliament, known as the Volkskammer, in March 1990 ensured that both sides now had governments who were considering reunification.
The GDR’s economy had begun to collapse as the structures of communist control were removed. The replacement of the East German Mark with West Germany’s Deutsche Mark as the official currency in June ensured a secure economic framework for political union.
By the end of August the Volkskammer had passed a resolution in favour of reunification and signed the German Reunification Treaty. This was approved by large majorities in the legislative chambers of each country on 20 September, and at midnight on 3 October the black, red and gold flag of West Germany was raised above the Brandenburg Gate which had previously divided the two sides.
3 October is now an official public holiday in Germany, and is known as The Day of German Unity.
Although the new policy had been agreed by the Politburo on the afternoon of 9 November, their intention was to implement it the next day so that border guards could be briefed and crossings managed in a controlled manner. However, Schabowski had not been at the Politburo meeting and so was only able to base his announcement on notes from a piece of paper handed to him shortly before the press conference. This explains his mistake over the timing of its introduction.
The announcement led huge crowds to begin gathering at the checkpoints. Surprised border guards, who had been given no information about the new rules, were overwhelmed by the appearance of thousands of East Germans who wanted to cross. Although the border remained closed for around three hours, by 11pm the checkpoint at Bornholmer Strasse had been opened. Others followed soon after.
West Berliners still had to have a visa in order to cross to the East. Therefore, for a few weeks after the Wall was opened, East Berliners actually had greater freedom of movement than their West German counterparts.
The West German Chancellor, Helmut Kohl, had already called for greater cooperation between West and East in November 1989. Furthermore the election of the new East German parliament, known as the Volkskammer, in March 1990 ensured that both sides now had governments who were considering reunification.
The GDR’s economy had begun to collapse as the structures of communist control were removed. The replacement of the East German Mark with West Germany’s Deutsche Mark as the official currency in June ensured a secure economic framework for political union.
By the end of August the Volkskammer had passed a resolution in favour of reunification and signed the German Reunification Treaty. This was approved by large majorities in the legislative chambers of each country on 20 September, and at midnight on 3 October the black, red and gold flag of West Germany was raised above the Brandenburg Gate which had previously divided the two sides.
3 October is now an official public holiday in Germany, and is known as The Day of German Unity.
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