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back about historic night 30 years ago. to the full. welcome to the program germany is marking the 30th anniversary of the fall of the burden of the main event is currently underway at the historic. heavily guarded border between east and west germany. 9989 communist east germany has lifted travel restrictions on its citizens and opened the border crossings to west bank. system live to the ballin.

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it's about a study conducted by daniel barenboim and those events so years ago marked the start of the fall off the boat and was d.w.i. chief political correspondent jim acosta is at the brandenburg gate and joins us now welcome because you are a whole what's the mood like that. well you're hearing that very dramatic music of beethoven's 5th symphony this into the face this exam for me and it's

a celebration mood of course but also a very reflective mood here this evening we've heard from the german president we've heard from manny and 1st who led the 1st stars e-file organization here commemorating also the victims of division not just victims who died because they tried to even see the thank also those who spy over fees were cut short too stupid and studied because they had the wrong parents and also also. having the responsibility for the future that's what the mayor of then said miss him experiencing freedom means having responsibility for freedom so very point poignant moment right now so it's clearly night for celebration so what else is on for this evening. yes we'll hear from more people whose lives have really been determined by division but also by german reunification. we heard speeches is also

though it's almost like a family celebration of east and west but also we heard from the lead singer of the so no it's an east german band a very well known across the east who said yeah that's what he hopes for he hopes for more east germans to take part so you can tell it's a big family celebration but there are issues that are still dividing east and west even 3 decades on also throughout this a commemoration of gratitude towards those eastern states poland the czech republic slovakia hungary who really created the mood and had the bravery to help bring this wall down. for now thank you. this evening's events of the brandenburg gate started after a more somber memorial a ceremony earlier at both ends but now a strong one of the few places where the war is still standing to have

a chance and i'm going to back on several eastern european leaders took part in a special gathering to remember those who died under east germany to shoot to kill orders against anyone trying to flee to the west. ceremonies in the heart of berlin commemorate the 30th anniversary of what's called the peaceful revolution. today this section of the wall is a memorial site but 3 decades ago it separated east and west germany and this symbolic location is where the official memorial celebrations are taking place. the iron curtain is now history that's what these young people say they are from the so-called visit grodd countries poland the czech republic slovakia and hungary their message 30 years after the fall of the wall europe stands united and in his

speech german president. emphasized the role of east european countries before the fall of the wall the openly demonstrated for more freedom. or not in fighting that's been born without the courage and desire for freedom that motivated the poles hungary ends czechs and slovaks the peaceful revolutions in eastern europe and german reunification would not have been possible. guns on its vote flooded this place and this day remind us of a great historical achievement. and they remind us today we europeans are united in joy you know both so and so i'm going to find the chapel of reconciliation was built on the former death strip where the east german government demolished a church 4 years before the wall fell this chapel host regular ceremonies in honor

of those who died during germany's hears of division. in the one he mentioned i pay tribute to those who were killed near the wall because they sought freedom and i pay tribute to the 75000 people who were imprisoned because they attempted to flee east germany and. the 9th of november is a day of destiny a day of horrible but also joyful moments in history that reminds us that hate racism and anti-semitism must be fought and chosen and given to the midst. then a moment of solemn thoughts for the victims of a divided germany. but today governor's chief political adviser talks by an event at the brandenburg gate so let's talk about the gates where you are now mikhail what does this iconic but

in lombok symbolize for germans. more than anything it symbolized the division when east and west was still divided as the war wound just along that it was actually the threat of a gate was on the eastern side looking towards the east and this is actually what nato and the warsaw pact were standing i to or i this was the front loyd of the cold war in this city was built as a triumph gate bridge the symbolizing the might of the cross and types but that's actually long forgotten by the nose and people. come here today it's symbolizes that those divisions can be overcome and that's also the message we heard from the german chancellor today and i see something she mentions rather often that things that you take as a given can be changed as unlikely as it looks and that's what thousands of people

here are celebrating this evening. brandenburg gate and i thank you. and i did 1st is also out and about on the streets about unwelcome. out of more than schloss in the center of the lane and because in this building behind me all the building that stood there before the political events of the 9th of november culminated in a very famous press conference during the day but the political scene in east berlin was very basic busy there was frantic activity there was a put it pro meeting there was a central committee meeting where basically it was decided to lift travel restrictions on the next day the 10th of november and then a man called going to schabowski who was have been the government spokesman only for 3 days was told to go and brief the international press which he then did and

there were a couple of misunderstandings there in that press conference and i think we can have a listen to that right now. the east german government is under growing pressure. on the evening of november the 9th party secretary going to shove all ski calls a press conference going to hoping to defuse the situation and the authorities announced that east german citizens will be allowed to travel to the west you asked by reporters when this will come into effect schabowski looks at his notes. just as far as i know that his effective immediately interested british. the east german regime is caught off guard while camera teams are waiting for something to happen on the west side of the border the announcement sets off a tidal wave of east german citizens who want to cross into the west. a few hours later history is made as the people open the berlin wall.

and with me now i. with me now here in the center of. an orphan who at the time was a rookie reporter for 29 hears working for west german radio on is only a 2nd assignment to east berlin and he went to this now infamous press conference. tell me was there anything did you know what to expect not exactly but the town was filled with rumors with experts and tension and something had to happen. to the regulations are struggling and they had to change those regulation this evening next day that attests to happen now the pressure on

the government was intense was it yeah because the g.d.r. was bleeding out 2 deaths. several sauza 10000 of people leaving a week for a week of the g.d.p. and these were the young people the young families the best of them when you went into this press conference was it immediately palpable that we would be a historic event. nuts yes knowing that i went in and my 1st impression was completely annoying because mr schabowski swagged all the time about reforming socialism and how to do it and how to make a better place but that was not the question the people were thinking about the people were thinking about freedom and travelling and 57 of the 60 minutes the press a press conference take place he talks about reforming socialism and then you

missed the main part a nightmare for record yeah complete nightmare and historic fail for me because i 5 minutes before the press conference and i have to go upstairs where ring radio studio was to make a life broadcast to my radio station in western berlin so i prepared a little bit 5 minutes and this is where the 5 minutes i missed the historical sentence of mr schabowski so you could have been the 1st person to tell the world that the wall is open but you couldn't after you realized what did you do then. i went inside to several boss and principal back in some berlin and spoke with the people there they didn't know anything and i brought the news to them and this was a very intense speaking and interns evening and then we went together.