The Fall of the Berlin Wall
The opening of border crossings and lifting of travel restrictions in the GDR (German Democratic Republic) after November 9, 1989
Ergebnisse der Grenzsicherung an der Staatsgrenze der DDR im Novmeber 1989 (1989)German Federal Archives
November 1989: it was 28 years since the Berlin Wall was built, separating east from west. People still kept trying to escape, despite the enormous risks. Even after nearly three decades that had not changed—on the contrary. As both resentment among the GDR's citizens and the GDR government's problems grew, it became clear that change was inevitable. The fact that the number of escape attempts had fallen by 85.7% in two months was due to something that had so far only happened once since the founding of the GDR: new travel regulations for the GDR had been announced. Whereas, in October 1989, the number of escape attempts from the GDR was still 182, in the following month, November, the number of people trying to cross the border fell to 26.
"And so we have decided to introduce a rule today that enables any citizen of the GDR to leave the GDR via a border crossing point... This means that private individuals can apply to travel abroad without having to comply with special conditions, be traveling to a particular event, or have family reasons. Permits will be issued promptly... So far as I know this is coming into effect… immediately, without delay." With these historic words, member of the SED (Socialist Unity Party of Germany) Politbüro Günter Schabowski announced the new travel regulations on the evening of November 9, 1989. Many people could hardly believe what the statement really meant: with immediate effect, all GDR citizens were free to leave the country at any time.
Grenzverkehr nach dem Mauerfall (1989-10-11) by Klaus LehnartzGerman Federal Archives
Hardly had the population heard the news, from the live broadcast of the press conference and the subsequent reporting on radio and television, than more and more people poured on to the streets. Thousands of East and West Berliners gathered by the Berlin Wall and demanded to be allowed through. Because the introduction of the new travel regulations had actually only been planned for the next day, the border guards on duty had not yet received any orders to open the border. The crowds gathered by the border crossings demanded the opening of the border, ever more loudly and clearly. Then, about three hours after the announcement of the new regulations, the first citizens of the GDR did indeed cross the border and travel into West Berlin and the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG).
Befehl des Ministers für Nationale Verteidigung vom 11.11.1989 zur Eröffnung weiterer Grenzübergangsstellen nach Berlin (West) Rückseite (1989)German Federal Archives
However, just opening the existing border crossings was not enough to cope with the huge crowds of people who wanted to leave the country. All the border crossings were besieged by crowds and the border soldiers were overwhelmed.
It presented the government with an organizational and logistical challenge. Ministers and border commanders tried to minimize the chaos, but could only set up additional border crossings slowly. On November 15, 1989, the Minister for National Defense, Heinz Kessler, wrote in a letter to the General Secretary of the Central Committee of the SED, Egon Krenz: "It has been established that if more border crossings are set up [...] they cannot be secured." However, just one day later, even he had to admit that the situation on the border was "extremely serious" and he suggested opening more border crossings.
At other crossing points along the border between East and West Germany, thousands more GDR citizens wanted to travel to the Federal Republic. People and vehicles waited for hours in queues miles long, their discontent growing all the time. Between November 9 and 18 alone, the Ministry for the Interior issued well over 10 million visas for private travel.
A growing number of demands for more crossing points, not just from individuals but also from whole cities and districts, reached the ministers every day. On November 15, the Minister for National Defense said: "A further increase in the number of border crossing points should not be made dependent on demands from the people living in areas close to the border [...]." Yet at the same time, crossing points were being opened up under pressure from the people, without the orders from the Council of Ministers that were technically required.
Whereas, when the Berlin Wall was built on August 13, 1961, there were 13 border crossing points, by April 20, 1990 there were 51 crossing points on the border with West Berlin (and 193 on the border with the Federal Republic).
The new travel regulations on November 9, 1989 paved the way for a common policy on visas in the FRG and the GDR.
Susanne Meinicke, Federal Archive
Sources:
DVW 1 - Ministerium für Nationale Verteidigung der DDR
Bild 183 - Allgemeiner Deutscher Nachrichtendienst - Zentralbild" und "Alltagsfotos"
B 145 Bild - Presse- und Informationsamt der Bundesregierung (Bildbestand)
