it becam knowns thean- european picnic, allowin hundredsf east germans to leave comnist eastern europe. new carlorp reports from dapest. -- nick thorpe reportsrom budapest. >> happened here in these peaceful meadows. hungy h unoffially pierce the on curtain several months earlier. what hpened here washat ordinary people found a new chink in the curtain and tore big hole. the border guds had not been given new orders. he should have tried stop them. he decided no to. 10,000 people came heren the day of the picnic to press for reunification of europe. but but the easgermans took advantage of the eventto reach austri then west germany. >> what happened here was an important part of the european revolution for eedom, mocracy, coming togetherand ntinues to shape ourpart of the wor and inspires so many othe parts of the globe. >> after the picnic, it only tookungary three more weeksto oficially opened the full border at auria. the athorities in east rmany, czechoslovakia, and elsewhere were furus but powerless to interfere. once their own peoe could ravel freely, the power collapse today, a