"Despite increased pressure on East German authorities to increase freedom of movement between East and West, no-one woke up on November 9th, 1989 expecting to see people tearing down the wall that evening. In fact, on that day the government had decided to placate protesters by announcing new, laxer travel regulations. But thanks to Günter Schabowski, the newly appointed government spokesman, history took a different turn."
"Schabowski had been put in charge of the press conference, but hadn't been properly briefed on what to say. Asked by a reporter when the regulations were to come into effect - officially on the following day, and the process would include a long visa-application process - he hesitated, before responding: "Ab sofort" - "Right away." Within hours, tens of thousands had gathered at the wall, and the rest is history."
Germany was divided for almost half a century after the Second World War, with the eastern part becoming a socialist ally of the USSR and the west becoming a democratic ally of the USA. On October 3, 1990, east and west were officially reunified. The fall of the Berlin Wall on November 9, 1989, followed a government announcement of laxer travel regulations and an unintended press statement by government spokesman Günter Schabowski that the new rules were effective "Ab sofort" ("Right away"). Tens of thousands gathered at the wall and crossings opened. In 2004, former Chancellor Gerhard Schröder proposed moving German Unity Day to the first Sunday in October for economic reasons, a proposal that proved unpopular.
Read at The Local Germany
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