Suche
Mein Konto
Schabowski's glitch: The moment that brought the wall down!
On November 9, 1989, Günter Schabowski surprisingly announced freedom of travel in the GDR, which led to the opening of the Wall.
Schabowski's glitch: The moment that brought the wall down!
On November 9, 1989, an evening that changed the world, Günter Schabowski, a newly appointed SED official, appeared before the press in East Berlin. With only rough notes in hand, he surprisingly announced that GDR citizens would be allowed to travel abroad without any preconditions. “Private travel can be requested,” he read, and the words “immediately” and “immediately” fell like a bolt from the blue. This announcement led to a historic moment: the wall that had divided Berlin for 28 years began to crumble.
The press conference was anything but usual for the GDR, where questions and inquiries were not part of the protocol. Schabowski, caught in the routine of “set piece communication,” had no intention of actually opening the borders. But the journalists were adamant. When they asked when it would be implemented, he hesitated and mumbled, “That’s what it says here.” These words were intended to bring down the Wall and plunge millions of people in East and West Berlin into a night of celebration.
The consequences of the announcement
The reactions didn't take long to arrive. At around 8:30 p.m., the first East Berliners streamed to the border crossings to demand the opening of the Wall. The border guards, without clear orders, finally opened the gates. What started as an orderly press conference turned into a chaotic night of freedom. People hugged, celebrated and stormed the wall while the world watched, transfixed. News of Schabowski's announcement spread like wildfire and led to an unforgettable moment in history.
The importance of this press conference cannot be overstated. Schabowski's note, which was intended as a note for a planned travel arrangement, became a symbol of the fall of the Wall. Historians and political linguists like Steffen Pappert emphasize that the uncertainty and unpreparedness of the GDR officials were decisive that evening. Schabowski himself was unprepared to take responsibility for the consequences of his words, which turned the opening of the Wall into a spontaneous revolution.