30 years after the fall of the berlin wall on t.w. little he wrote it. he passed it on. and he read it to the. globe ever 9989. the story behind one of the most remarkable days in recent german history. schabowski is known the night the wall came down. next to. the timeless way to discover the pulse of. stuart's nov 14th on the job. in.

east berlin november the 8th 1989 surveillance cameras operated by the east german secret police the stasi showed suspicious activity right by the wall of the brandenburg gate. as the officer requested information about a tall mosque picked up on the images. are about whatever. you know them and avoided. the suspicious mosque was being a reacted by an american television broadcaster which had sent its top reporter. at the same time in the east german ministry of the interior. a colonel of the people's police was given a secret mission by his superiors. he

was to write a paper intended to save the country from just master at the last minute but the new trot out of control and changed to well. and 12 it was an overcast november day it wasn't raining but it was dull. topes talk. i hate november i hate this weather it drags down my mood. it was fortunate our embassy had a serene pull a 3040 minute swim gave me enough energy for the rest of the day.

we had brought trish was a carpenter in east berlin for him the 9th of november began like any normal workday but the mood in east germany had deteriorated dramatically over the past few months. 89 was a year of tension everyone felt the tension increasing the secret code was the candle in the window we looked where the candles were and there were more and more of them that was telling there were so many in 89 everything really came to a head. in the autumn the situation in east germany escalated rapidly monday demonstrations riots beating rampages on the part of the security forces the regime taught it as it tried to defend itself against its own citizens in.

east berlin on the morning of the 9th of november 1989 a camera team from the west set off to document the showdown in the east german capital but the journalists found a city that seemed to sleep it was no sign of change yet. this unique 40th was shot just a few hours before the biggest drama in east germany's history. at the same time in west berlin this medical student didn't yet know he would play a historic role that day. i was just preparing for the final. emanations my day was quite structured i got up early had breakfast and then sat down to study every now and again i listen to the radio and watch t.v. so i wouldn't entirely miss out on what was happening in the world. consumer person

was of that pussy that. on t.v. he'd been watching the dramatic events unfolding in eastern europe. the east german authorities were alarmed at those events somebody had to fix the situation. that somebody was gaffed lauter a senior official in the ministry of the interior known for his level headed approach. it was on the 1st of july 989 i was made the head of the central department of passports and registration was i knew there were big problems but people wanted to travel to other countries i knew about id cards and passports but i didn't have much specialist knowledge i had to rely on my staff it quickly became clear that it was mainly political decisions that were needed and pretty to try to understand. more you know. the so right among the day's

agenda was travel regulations. you know i think a lot. spittle in east berlin just a few 100 meters from his office he had fish began his shift in the hospital for carpentry shop. the news of the day didn't mention a word about travel policy carrying reports only of party meetings even though the citizens of the country were trying to leave in droves. to cook here. as it were. the man went on holiday to hungary he crossed the wall into the west from there another person sold everything he had inherited a large bakery from his father and a house he let the state have everything so long as they let him go. so hopefully last mission. we

knew that this was all my mother so i am you have to remember all that i had gone out before i had spent most of the year on whatever point or another fly off to the dissolution of the soviet empire for a guy on the point where determining there we had more promotion that we'd ever had before to go back and forth to the east tom brokaw was planning a live report for the us for the afternoon of november the 9th. we had made arrangements to get a satellite feed from the brandenburg gate to watch survivor that night we had booked a satellite and i made arrangements to see good herschel basi air we have batteries for white 5 o'clock the afternoon of our remember. like most party high ups. lived on the politburo estates nearby lynn he'd been through some difficult weeks. this one of it once. was it was frightening for us i have to say of course we saw

the television images and that was the impulse for us to bring about a decision to diffuse the situation the visa is abroad so enchanted from the communist party chief had led east germany into a rut schabowski fellow politburo members forced him to step down. but the issue of freedom to travel was still an insoluble problem for the new leader. the 1st step of the government that was created after deposing hanukah was to create a travel law with the aim of relaxing the situation there still is a. he was the only member of the party put it bureau to address the popular protests. each worked to bring about reforms in the system. but the people didn't want to believe him anymore.

since the early morning the western camera team had been watching the events in plans and fleet week signing 2 districts in east berlin. the journalists asked people about the most important topics of the day the right to travel freely and the policies of the new leadership. they have to resign all of them there's no point they keep on talking about the loss of trust but they've never had a trust. something will change but not what the majority want it won't be enough we have a view of the world even though we've never been able to look at the world for ourselves . at the interior ministry for top experts including to the officers working on the problem of the right to travel. they had to come up with ideas for the politburo the mass exodus was threatening

the country's very existence. the stasi officers presented a draft version of new travel regulations. for it. was shocked by the suggestions. for the stand they had proposed the regulation permitting permanent departure meaning that from the 10th of november anyone would have been allowed to leave the country for good. but they still wouldn't have been allowed to leave and come back leave and just see a bit of the world or stroll through west berlin or visit their relatives. again that meant no freedom of travel just 3 days earlier lauter had had to defend the government's half hearted stance in the east german media against opponents like greegor gleeson lout i became the scapegoat of the nation he didn't want that to

happen again. i said this would be the final straw this would break the camel's back. so he refused to accept the half measure. a largely just question followed in which lauter called for everyone to be given the freedom to travel abroad to hold the officials knew the people of east germany was still fleeing via hungry in czechoslovakia they knew things couldn't stay as they were but they couldn't agree on a solution. although i did tell you that after a few kilometers further north was the bornholmer strasse a crossing point between east and west berlin one of the busiest border posts in the divided city lieutenant colonel how he got started work at passport control at 8 am i recall because of all the morning almost cross the crossing point was basically the purpose of my life everything happened there my entire professional

life was there i really felt i had a calling to fill that position. for a beautiful roof. on the 9th of november was a normal thursday there wasn't much travel activity around 200 west germans came in just under a 1000 from west berlin would stop counting east german citizens. a normal day in divided berlin at least that's how it seems. what no one knew was that the working group was in the process of making a momentous decision on travel policy. on their own initiative lauter and the other officers change the brief given them by the politburo and unprecedented occurrence in the east german state. we saw this as one of our last opportunities to stabilize

the situation in east germany but we didn't want to force the people to leave the state forever they had work they had a home had a car maybe a boat on a lake they would have come back we wouldn't force them to leave forever that was our idea and for most of us sovereignty to force them to. that idea completely contradicted the orders from above nonetheless the 4 men opted to issue the much more permissive travel regulations. we simply formulated this decision completely differently we wrote that simple trips and permanent departure were immediately allowed for everyone without the previously necessary checks and approval procedures and doctors or people would have to do was to request a passport and a visa the idea was to gain time and allow a controlled opening of the borders for christmas. at the same time the west german

chancellor had left the country had more to call was in poland on an official visit . truth certain point for me. we flew to warsaw on an air force plane in the morning and had the standard welcome ceremony. then we had our 1st talks and were put up in a polish government guest house after. the shutdown our trish wasn't especially politically minded but the big question of his country's future was on his mind. as a for travel freedom was a big issue because there were many family connections to west germany and west berlin some weren't allowed to go to their parents' funeral it was all very arbitrary you never knew what answer you'd get it was unpredictable i grew up i always do you know do. it for the credit or. the

al are not there be any body she is the c.e.o. you have this feeling that was when i dictated the crucial paper to his secretary and got eyes in the galvanising i was dead yeah because of the fact that i read that private journeys to foreign countries could be applied for without pre-conditions or the $45.00 to fill me in but. the new travel regulations were not to be made public until the next morning that way passport and registration offices would have time to prepare for the onslaught of people. it was decided that none of this would be made public until 4 o'clock in the morning on the 10th of november nothing would have happened before then an expose your.

lunch break in delhi. west berlin medical student benedict ziegler my are headed to the university canteen. box fish was informing himself about the situation in the country all the news was about one topic only the 10th congress of the east german communist party central committee the highest party organ. they wanted to do something new would create trust they got in crane's who actually was a protege of hanukkah's. that didn't give anyone hope that there would be improvement because the ideology remained nothing changed change could only come about if something old broke to make room for the new cup would you like about going it call. in the central committee building top party officials were discussing the future of east germany as always behind closed doors.

just one person wasn't inside the party's new spokesman kentucky. and voters didn't go in for the media and i was responsible for dealing with the media i'm choosing my words carefully because the expression guiding and instructing the media had been replaced i was in touch with the media on that day to tell them what could come up in the central committee was our woman's bus and a movie that was at all is beyond what i also acted as their contact with the central committee is part of austin's and our committee. schabowski set up an international press conference for that evening. but a reporter from the west german tabloid bit peter brinkman came especially from

hamburg. because i'm not in war i got a call from the west berlin mayor's office someone said i should come to berlin something was happening to us. i thought if i was going to be there i should sit in the front row i put my jacket over my seat and kept checking to make sure it was still live because i really wanted to sit right in front of the microphone i had no idea what was going to happen but everyone was hoping something would happen get over it or off the. this was perceived. only a few meters away in east germany's interior ministry get half aloud as working group had completed its job of drafting the paper on travel regulations. to spark it in this package was then brought to the party central committee it's

around noon and it was given to the driver who was told to hand it straight to egg on cranes and that was a difficult situation we had to assume that those who commissioned it namely the political row would read it and check it and say this wasn't what we ordered and i was nervous i didn't know what would happen and whether i'd still have my job tomorrow or. more guns on those. fat around noon the driver took the paper to the central committee building 1st of all to the politburo the members were having a cigarette break they waved aloud as travel regulations through without objections the 1st hurdle had been ever come. in the early afternoon east german leader to go on transmit with west german politician your highness how to talk about the future of in a german relations after the meeting clients went back to the central committee was allowed as a note he altered the agenda therefore it's not as minister of the chairman of the council of ministers has suggested

a regulation which i want to read out now because it will have such an effect because i don't want to pass it without 1st consulting the central committee the following transitional regulations regarding troops and permanent departures will be implemented with immediate effect that it was rounded off personal trips to other countries can be applied for with out reasons such as family events or the like. eyes on the sort of on shots as a bond commission will be granted at short notice in portsmouth the travel permits will only be declined in exceptional cases. viewed as mama homos. whatever we do we won't do it right side but this is the only solution this allows us to avoid doing everything via 3rd states which isn't good for our international reputation. no one in the room appeared to understand the

momentous import of the paper they didn't realize it would allow all these german citizens to travel that's the only explanation of why the draft was passed without much discussion at the end times also said the information should be withheld until the following day. it would be typed the attached press release regarding the transitional regulations is to be published on the 10th of november. but the one member of the central committee who was absent at that moment was going to schabowski. visions that i wasn't there i wasn't out that central committee session because it's a. shop off he didn't return until about half past 5 just before his press conference had been to be there when i returned to the central committee meeting all of these things had already taken place i sat down next to kranz on the discussion continued we spoke quietly and he pushed the nose over to me he told me to take it with me to today's press conference sure but then the indian with

a good plaza got. a go on plans fail to mention an important detail to show. that it was to be embargoed until the following morning. i didn't know anything about the news embargoed i had no idea. and so good to schabowski went to his press conference. here we are back at the international press center in berlin with a live report a tradition that was started yesterday is to be continued every evening after the end of the day sessions of the central committee of the socialist unity party a representative of this committee will talk to each german and. foreign journalists to answer their questions as you can see huge numbers are assembled here them as in they don't under. one of the journalists present was american news anchor tom brokaw. i'm pretty draw

shooting sports 5 o'clock i've formed a monarch so i said there's our satellite. capabilities still there and they said yes ross we're getting a crate of a projector over a high shot all that time peter brinkman had managed to defend his seach. the moment waiting for the room was crammed full nobody knew anything nobody had the faintest idea but everyone felt something was up we had to be there for whatever was going to happen today victor. at the same time in warsaw how much code was meeting let fall winter. we had to talk with will and earn during this talk he said mr chancellor the events taking place in east germany will lead to german reunification of food for those of us for lens or was convinced this would come about. as the working day near detained in east

berlin the television journalists from the west had managed to get all the way to the government quarter they were observing east german officialdom much were. the peoples police knew their job to keep everyone and everything in its place. 6 pm in east berlin. trish and his wife rita had choir practice that night on the program christmas carols. we had in fact we had finished work for the day and were glad it was thursday so we could go and sing in the choir and slowly prepare songs for

christmas we had to start those rehearsals in november if not in october already we thought really was if we had weekly meetings during which we rehearsed hymns and all of the other things you sing in church we sing at the service on sundays wouldn't look so who don't want us all really brought to streets. was. at 6 o'clock on the dot com to shop bosky open to the press conference. bush been going to be introduced himself as secretary of the central committee. he also introduced his colleague comrade helga lapse in a member of the central committee and head of the teacher's union on forces that

they're going to accept intuition of so you can talk for not a word about the travel regulations only party my language it was all waffle so it went on for half an hour it was dreadfully boring and all the other journalists felt the same thing. my eyes and yes they have. to move on. i was tired it was quite a day and i will cut about half writing off a droning auditors bureaucratic wire. tenet colonel house was just about to have supper in the neighboring canteen. only to watch off the television was on in the canteen but nobody was watching all this thing i saw the press conference was being broadcast and i thought i'd listen to what was being said in case there was any news or good news could occur any day

and there weren't that many party press conferences or. people in west berlin could also receive east german television medical students ben it exceeded my i was watching the live broadcast of the press conference. that he supposed he then started reporting on the day's count topics i wasn't really taking him seriously at 1st i just thought he's sitting there saying whatever it's going to hurt us. just a few minutes before the end of the press conference there was an unexpected twist ending could this. possibly john securitas us is voting to an italian journalist the kargil was invited to ask a question should not strictly not going to the concept take out a free card to him and was standing to the left. he'd arrived he couldn't get a seat and he will he was 2 meters away from me and only to me just to the right of . mr schabowski you spoke of mistakes because don't you think the draft

travel bill you presented a few days ago was a big mistake which that for free to get are these only as that moment i remembered i had wanted to talk about the issue of the travel regulations on these or. this is what a. decision has been made today the recommendation of the political row has been accepted that the passage of about herman and departure be taken from that draft and come into effect. then he started searching amongst his papers and couldn't at 1st find a note he'd been given by a gun krentz he had this big pile of papers with him which i could see because i was sitting at the front to win as well for his us court but as the guy i reached into this pile and was looking for the note i was supposed to read out a colleague came to help me with this media somebody handed him

a piece of paper from a polar bureau and he took out of the crowd as a writer. and i a waiter described us in the new york times as if a martian had arrived at that stage with a message because it seemed to have come from some other reality to be transposed he told the journalists they should have been given a statement then he read it. as a plea bargain eisenach and i was a personal trips to other countries maybe a point for without giving any family or other reason permission will be granted at short notice there where in west berlin bennett exceeded my and his flatmate peter were taken aback by what they were seen on television. before. going to prove to us my didn't believe what i was hearing at 1st i thought it was a way of dumping down the demonstrations in east germany to give the people a token gesture but i didn't know what to think of it because that is forgiveness i

mean it's still going on and apologise can be made as one of the border crossings between east and west germany. and wolfie at this point i called out when. this trip was far as i know immediately. but i was shocked immediately i leapt up and left my supper i really wanted to know what this rubbish was all about. but it was the fog i think of the interest. as it's true permanent departures can take place of all of the border crossings into west germany west belin. back at the east german interior ministry not mature remember very clearly it was at 6 minutes to 7 the minister of justice called to suggest the wording i was able to convince him that our wording made more sense at 3 minutes to 7 i was still on

the phone to him and hadn't realized that 6 minutes to 7 going to have presented the document to the world or the government one even taking a final decision which was. a few minutes later hearts lauter left his office in the firm belief that his news and barker was being maintained. that says that. i had failed to fish or give in the meantime the press conference had come to a claim its end that. none of us really knew what to do and nobody drew the real conclusion that this was it was as was. going on the way the american and british reporters were confused they suspected the

interpreters had made an error in translation. now by just being bounced he asked for the english text to be read out in case there was a problem fixed as a civilian for the hospitality and what did this mean with the war be opened how would the border police react these were all important questions when i was going to be theophile. i'm going to be so volatile a guy made an urgent phone call to his superior because all. you're watching schabowski been talking about which of us have often found because it was a star wars and a lot of the real he said to me. you're calling me because of that rubbish i said yes that's exactly why i'm calling he said you know the orders east german citizens are only allowed to leave under the current conditions meaning they need a passport and a proper visa otherwise they have to be turned back. 5 minutes of exercise.

the east german leadership heard nothing about any of this because the politburo the ministers and all the top party officials were still at the central committee meeting none of them had seen shut off his press conference. at the same time in walsall helmut kohl was also in the dark about the events in east berlin the west german chancellor was a guest as a banquet. as. the rules of bugs haven't your boss gets all of the paper put it back as walking and left the stage i want out ran upstairs with my camera crew were a small room with a straw screen it was completely color corkin down our eyes you still have a piece of paper he said i do i said well read it again but he took it out put on his glasses read it again and i said that that means citizens from these can go out of the war any way that they want to. further forced to leave.

by a. transit. through another country is possible for them to go through the war some point but it is possible for them to go through the border. i ran downstairs there was a course of american newspaper correspondents who are friends of mine and i looked at them and i said it's true the wall is down. a few minutes later the news programs on both east and west german television reportage what had happened. with nothing on it according to police bureau membership of east german citizens wanting to leave their country no longer have to take the d. to a via czechoslovakia permanent departures can occur by all of the border crossings between east germany and west germany and west berlin. shortly after press conference the western camera crew were filming in

a pub in east berlin here people were drinking a toast to the new regulation of. the parking lot going all. the way i don't know what to say i used to cry every day now we're all happy. it's great what's just happened nobody here was expecting but. you know. they celebrated the unexpected news with beer bubbly and rock'n'roll. the soviet envoy only had about the new regulation from the television. came as a shock. come to on people hawkish scruples we hadn't known anything about it on board we were watching television. it was disappointing and

we were if you like or a bit angry should use books to. me to use the tension was rising all the time. shifting the danger that someone would lose their nerve it was quite high you know been pushed to. the border crossing point upon harm national asset. i'll feel that i didn't have to wait long for people to arrive after i'd been there for our own 20 minutes the 1st came and asked if they were allowed out. the officer asked if they had a passport in a reserve part of the night as a plane to resume no they said but he said we were allowed to leave no. and it was now that the explosive nature of schabowski is no to became clear while

its author was sitting in the theater. and harder for these i had theater tickets for that evening to see a run into folks buy goods or the incredible thing about this play which was sold out like so many was that the people couldn't laugh any more because it was such a parody of the actual situation that it was absolutely serious discussion but lanced. heard and later catfish finished their choir practice and talked back home to cancel our bank. vault. it was quiet in the streets there was no excitement most people were watching television western television football matches on what was a good reason to switch on the t.v.

. in towns the answer was. a west german television station was broadcasting a match between stuttgart and buy in munich. by now the meeting in the central committee had come to an end. going to shove bosky was also finishing work in his office it had been a long day the man who had announced the new travel regulation left the central committee building to go home to the gated community where the politburo members lived. and. and it's used to and it often does but when i arrived in fond litz so i saw that the windows were all dark which meant that the majority of the political row members slept through these eventful hours is a design. increasing numbers of people were making their way to the border crossing at bonheur mushed us and they were convinced they were now allowed to travel. but

border security hadn't received any new instructions the officer tried to tell the crowd he couldn't let them through. but the people could no longer be turned back so easily. as mental at the moment that more and more people were arriving they came on foot in cars and by tram they weren't aggressive at this point but they were very firm in their demands on him not to flee. and. he. made another worried phone call to his superior come out seguin han asking for instructions a lot of to me available through my superior told me on the phone that he'd call the ministry he'd get hold of either the minister or his deputy he said i could listen to the conversation as it were to me out of use of tired he wanted to show

me that at this point there would be no hope or no rescue from above or the kind that i told him. no one in this does he ministry wanted to believe what he was telling them. to look at the question came back was my capable of making realistic evaluations i was acting out of fear at that point i'd had enough. if there are thousands of people out here he said listen to them yourself. when i got the receiver back i could hear the man and hung up i didn't know what to think and i couldn't understand that they didn't believe me but as this big item. in the western half of berlin the news from east germany was spreading as well. towards 9 o'clock we became curious britain i went to the border crossing on

invalid and straw so that was the closest one could be reached relatively easy from charlottenburg point. but at that point the 140 kilometer long border around west berlin was still closed every when. people were now arriving at the border crossing up on her mushed in ever increasing numbers. made up his mind he triggered the. model i was there i wouldn't usually have been authorized to call the alarm because i wasn't senior enough but i considered it necessary to go on and on with the entire evening we had to be prepared that people would come and storm the border could. go.

longer so i was called back by colonel seguin hole and he told me this is what's going to happen all of the people provocatively showing up at the border loudly demanding to leave may leave them fight for the overthrow of the volatile as i'm going to obviously i was to stamp the photograph in their passport which would allow them to leave but it would prevent them from coming back again until i was fly this. off. to do finish you off. i wasn't allowed to explain this to the people that they were only to be told about this when they tried to reenter a little while then they would be told they were not allowed back in and i was in the community because in other words it was to be a journey with no return. home

. 30 years after the fall of the berlin wall on t.w. . he wrote it. he passed it on. and he's ready to. kill them or 9989. the story behind one of the most remarkable days in recent german history i am

schabowski snow and the night the wall came down. to 1516. stay up to date don't miss our highlights w. program on line d.w. dot com highlights. syrian born american visits a local bart. in berlin. he lives just opposite with a friend who was a member of the hitler youth as a child. some residents are suspicious of refugees in the neighborhood. and there is curious about the bar's regulars so cross the road worlds apart. starting november 11th on d w. this

is day to day news live from the land germany monks 30 years since the full of the berlin wall fireworks and musical performances were the center pace of celebrations at the city's landmark traveling the gates with thousands to joining the posse also coming up eva morales calls it a coup believe me as in battle the president says anti-democratic groups are trying to oppose him as police change sides and join in the protests.