The Fall of the Wall

"The Wall will still be here in 50, or even 100 years"

Brandenburg Gate, John Waterman, 1966-05-01, From the collection of: Getty Images
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No-Man's Land, Waterman, 1966-05-01, From the collection of: Getty Images
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View from the West 'Death Strip' 

"From 13th August 1961 when East Berlin troops began building a wall separating the Soviet sector of occupied Berlin from the Allied sector, the city was divided into two unequal halves. The two were separated by a 'death strip' patrolled by armed East German border guards under orders to use lethal force if necessary to prevent their fellow citizens fleeing to the more affluent West.

East German leader Erich Honecker claimed responsibility for the Wall and boasted it would last a century if need be.

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"By early 1989, Mikhail Gorbachev's social and economic reforms in Moscow were starting to have a ripple effect across the Soviet Bloc with liberalisation in Hungary and free elections in Poland, in which the formerly banned Solidarity movement won a majority. In August East Germans holidaying in Hungary used an open border crossing to flee into Austria and claim West German citizenship. In the months that followed East Germans sought sanctuary in West German embassies in Prague and Warsaw, while back home protests calling for economic and social liberalisation were evolving rapidly. In Leipzig mass marches began taking place every Monday."

High Noon, June 4, 1989., Tomasz Sarnecki, 1945/1989, Original Source: Tomasz Wierzejski/FOTONOVA
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The Round Table talks., 1989-02-06/1989-04-05, Original Source: Wojtek Łaski/EAST NEWS
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For Solidarity elections represented 'High Noon' The Round Table talks in Warsaw that led to Polish reforms and a Solidarity government

Berlin Wall, Steve Eason, 1993-08-01, From the collection of: Getty Images
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Honecker's cosy relationship with former Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev, here parodied in graffiti on the western side of the Wall, was not paralleled in his relationship with the reformist Mikhail Gorbachev.

"Hungary was the first Warsaw Pact country to open its frontier to the West. Hundreds of East Germans holidaying in their 'socialist neighbour' took the opportunity to flee via Austria to West Germany. The Czechoslovak government close the frontier to Hungary only to have hundreds of East Germans take refuge in the West German embassy in Prague. The same happened in Warsaw until eventually the East Berlin government relented and allowed special sealed trains to take these 'traitors' to West Germany. The problem was that the trains were required to pass through East German territory. This was supposed to show that they were being 'expelled' from their country, but it led to public disorder as citizens flocked to stations in the cities they passed through, hoping to jump on board the passing trains."

Bericht der DDR-Transportpolizei, 1989-10-01, From the collection of: Robert Havemann Gesellschaft
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Report by East German transport police on trouble when refugee train stopped in Dresden and was stormed by people trying to climb on board.

Fackelzug der FDJ, 1989-10-06, From the collection of: Robert Havemann Gesellschaft
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Fastenaktion in der Gethsemanekirche, 1989-10, From the collection of: Robert Havemann Gesellschaft
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Volkspolizei vor der Gethsemanekirche während der Mahnwache, 1989-10, From the collection of: Robert Havemann Gesellschaft
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On 6th October, 1989, the eve of East Germany's 40th birthday, the communist party organised a parade of youth members as a show of loyalty, but the reality was different. The city's disaffected youth camped out in churches... ...heavily monitored by police and infiltrated by the Stasi.

Protestdemonstration, 1989-10-07, From the collection of: Robert Havemann Gesellschaft
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As Honecker hosted Warsaw Pact leaders in the Palast der Republic angry crowds gathered outside changing 'Gorbi, help us'

Protestdemonstration, 1989-10-07, From the collection of: Robert Havemann Gesellschaft
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The Soviet leader had told Honecker 'those who react too late will be overtaken by history. But Honecker wasn't listening.

Protestdemonstration, 1989-10-07, From the collection of: Robert Havemann Gesellschaft
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Police and Stasi reacted violently against the crowds.

Berliner Mauer, 1989, From the collection of: Robert Havemann Gesellschaft
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East Berliners saw Gorbachev as their potential saviour.

"The protests of October 6 marked the beginning of the end for the Honecker regime. The tide had turned."

Gründungsaufruf des Neuen Forums Gründungsaufruf des Neuen Forums, 1989-09-10, From the collection of: Robert Havemann Gesellschaft
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On Octber 9 a group of dissidents got together at the home of Katje Havemann, widow of the human rights campaigner Robert, to pen the constituion of 'New Forum'  a mass citizens' movement for change.

Protestdemonstration gegen die Einsetzung von Egon Krenz als Staatschef der DDR, 1989-10-24, From the collection of: Robert Havemann Gesellschaft
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On October 17 Honecker stood down but the selection of his long-standing standing nominated successor Egon Krenz did little to assuage popular anger.

Demonstrationsaufruf, 1989, From the collection of: Robert Havemann Gesellschaft
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Protestdemonstration, 1989-11-04, From the collection of: Robert Havemann Gesellschaft
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Demonstration auf dem Alexanderplatz, 1989-11-04, From the collection of: Robert Havemann Gesellschaft
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Dissident group New Forum called for a mass protest  On 4th November thousands took to the streets In total more than half a million people protested in favour of greater civil liberties, but none of them believed the wall would ever fall

"Meanwhile in Leipzig, the protests continued every Monday with tens of thousands now taking to the streets to walk around the ring road circling the inner city. They chanted slogans against the hated Stasi and called for democratic change and an end to compulsory military service. A figure of major importance in the crowd was Kurt Masur, music director of the Gewandhaus, Leipzig's internationally famous concert hall. Honecker had in fact asked Mikhail Gorbachev to send in troops from the nearby Soviet base. Gorbachev declined."

The people take to the streets, Peter Millar, 1989-08, From the collection of: Peter Millar
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Up to 70,000 took to the streets each Monday in Leipzig urging reform yet fearful that at any moment they could be crushed by Soviet tanks

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Lothar Koenig, a member of the New Forum democratic protest movement reflects on the uncertainty as to wether or not armed force would be used against them

Protestdemonstration, 1989-11-04, From the collection of: Robert Havemann Gesellschaft
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On November 4 hundreds of thousands swamp the centre of East Berlin demanding reform, an end to the secret police and democratic elections. Yet nobody yet dares mention the Wall let alone the taboo of German unification.

"On the night of November 9, at a press conference in East Berlin,  politburo member Günther Schabowski misreads a decision taken to allow travel to the West. The intention is with visas and passports but he fluffs his words in confusion and the message that goes out to the world, relayed back into East Berlin by West Berlin television and radio, is that the borders are to be opened straight away, Hundreds, then thousands of East Berliners storm Bornholmer Strass checkpoint. The border guards, failing to receive orders to the contrary, let them through. The dam has broken."

"West Berliners climb the Wall and taunt East German border guards. Thousands flock west for the party of a lifetime."

Party On The Berlin Wall, Steve Eason, 1989-12-31, From the collection of: Getty Images
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The party on the Wall.

Menschenmenge am Checkpoint Charlie, 1989-11, From the collection of: Robert Havemann Gesellschaft
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West Berlin crowds welcome East Berliners at Checkpoint Charlie. Overnight it becomes clear that the breach in the Wall will never be sealed.

Berliners On The Wall, Steve Eason, 1989-12-31, From the collection of: Getty Images
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Berliner Mauer, 1989-12-21, From the collection of: Robert Havemann Gesellschaft
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Fotos "Silvester 1989", 1989-12-31, From the collection of: DDR Museum
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East Berliners take the future in their hands, literally, with chsels. East German border guards beign dismantling the Wall  Christmas 1989 saw a huge party on and around the Brandenburg Gate as Berliners from East and West celebrated the reunifcation of their city

Credits: Story

Curator—Peter Millar

Credits: All media
The story featured may in some cases have been created by an independent third party and may not always represent the views of the institutions, listed below, who have supplied the content.
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