Fall of the Berlin Wall 1989

     The film, When the Wall Came Tumbling Down: 50 Hours that Changed the World details the events of the fall of the Berlin wall from November 9-11, 1989 which led to the fall of the Berlin Wall. The documentary is unique in that it allows the viewer to see interviews of some of the most influential people at the time, such as Mikhail Gorbachev, George Bush, Egon Krenz, and many more.

     One of the critical events leading to the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 started four years prior when Mikhail Gorbachev attained control of the Soviet Union.  Realizing a need for change in Soviet policies, Gorbachev instituted a series of policies intended to stimulate economic reform. Glasnost was one such policy, which allowed all Soviet citizens more freedom to voice discontent with their government.

     In August of 1989 Hungary disabled the borders between itself and Austria allowing for many East Germans to escape. The government reacted by prohibiting East German travel into Hungary, soon after protests broke out all across Germany, increasing in size to the November 4 Alexanderplatz Demonstration in a large square and transportation hub in East Berlin.

     Egon Krenz was appointed the Chairman of the Council of State in 1989 in a non-unanimous vote. Krenz promised to issue democratic reform, however many East Germans did not believe him. Evidence of Krenz’s appeal to communism can be seen shortly after the Tiananmen Square massacre, where he visited Deng Xiaoping as a way of commending him on his actions on behalf of East Berlin. Soon after Krenz’s coming into power many East Germans began to take to the streets in order to demand his resignation.

     (This photo shows East German protestors shortly after the election of Egon Krenz, the sign they are holding discusses the monopoly on power and unfair elections.)

     In August of 1989 Hungary disabled the borders between itself and Austria allowing for many East Germans to escape. The government reacted by prohibiting East German travel into Hungary, soon after protests broke out all across Germany, increasing in size to the November 4 Alexanderplatz Demonstration in a large square and transportation hub in East Berlin. Notable speakers such as Gregor Marianne Birthler (of the Initiative for Peace and Human Rights), writers Stefan Heym and Christa Wolf, and many more were present. People in the crowd held signs with slogans such as "40 years are enough” and "Change without ifs and buts" 

     On November 9, 1989 an official East German announcement stated that citizens were allowed to get passports or exit visas freely, though it was not clear exactly what this meant. Thousands of citizens appeared at the wall following the report moving forward as their numbers grew. Finally, more so to prevent a riot, crowds gathered at the gates were allowed to move and cross the wall freely into West Berlin for the first time in nearly thirty years.

     For many, the reaction from leader Mikhail Gorbachev was not surprising. Considering the policy changes implemented during his time in office, such as Glasnost and Perestroika (a restructuring of the Soviet economy), many saw the changes occurring in Germany as a result of these policies. Gorbachev also announced in 1985 that Moscow would not interfere with the domestic affairs of its subsidiaries. 

     November 9^th is considered to be the official day that the Berlin Wall fell, yet it was not torn down in its entirety. On that evening, and for many weeks following, people came to the wall with sledgehammers or hammers and chisels in order to both demolish large parts of the wall and create several unofficial border crossings. East Germans who entered the West was given a "welcome gift" of 100 marks -- about 800,000 of them crossed over on the first day.

     Many foreigners believed that the destruction of the wall began on the evening of the 9^th due to its television coverage and that it was removed quickly; however this was not the exact case. The official dismantling of the Berlin Wall began on June 13, 1990.  On July 1 East Germany adopted the West German currency and border controls ceased (though they had been considered meaningless for some time). Destruction of the wall lasted until November the next year, only a few sections of the wall and watchtowers remain as memorials.

 

     Today, sections of the Berlin Wall still exist, brought out occasionally as art exhibits or museum pieces.