The Berlin Wall, 9th November 1989 (France Culture); and my own notes from a visit

Of special interest to me, as I was in East Berlin on official business on 9th November 1989 (see some extracts from my own diary, below).

France Culture, sound broadcast in French: 

1989, la fin des certitudes (1/5)

Un mur, trois révolutions, comment les événements de 1989 ont-ils changé la façon d’écrire l’histoire?

"C’est l’histoire d’un mur, d’une barrière qui traverse une ville, un pays, mais aussi le monde : le mur de Berlin ! C’est l’histoire d’hommes et de femmes séparés par des barbelés, par des miradors, par du béton et des soldats armés. Le mur de Berlin a été érigé en 1961 et pendant 28 ans il est devenu le symbole glaçant de la guerre froide...

C’est par une folle nuit de 1989 que ce mur de la honte est tombé, dans la liesse, voilà maintenant 30 ans. Mais les traces qu’il laisse dans la ville et sans doute dans les idées nous rappellent que nous sommes aujourd’hui encore, face au mur!

Dans la première partie de l'émission, Alexandre Adler et Emilia Robin, tous deux historiens, issus de deux générations différentes, nous racontent le mur et ses effets sur la vie des idées".

From an account of my visit to the German Democratic Republic, 4-12 November 1989:

4.11.1989

I depart for the German Democratic Republic. I’ll be in East Berlin on 9th November.

9.11.89

Leipzig and East Berlin.

An historic day, a date that future historians may use to symbolize the end of the Cold War, or of the Second World War even, the day on which East Germany’s borders were to be declared open.

My British colleague kindly took me to see West Berlin in the evening. The Wall looked just like it had always done. There was a rather bored-looking West German TV crew with cranes and cameras located directly in front of the Brandenburg Gate. We assumed that they were preparing to film a location scene for a TV drama. There were few other people showing any interest in the area on a cold, drizzly evening. It was the greatest irony that while my colleague was driving me the “long way round” to re-enter East Berlin from East Germany rather than from West Berlin (because we do not recognize East Berlin as the capital of the GDR, and cannot recognize their right to put stamps in our passports, which would imply recognition of such often-claimed status), it was announced on the radio that the Wall would be opened, and that all GDR citizens could henceforth leave the country and travel freely to West Berlin!

I was glad to have the chance to inspect the Wall from both sides that historic night. The TV crew on the West Berlin side was soon in action. They had clearly been tipped off, well in advance. The Wall was opened; thousands crossed to West Berlin through Checkpoint Charlie. West Berliners called, “Come Over! Come over!” East Berliners headed for the Kurfurstendam. New Forum demanded a reform of the education system amongst demands for free elections and a separation of the Party from the State. “A step towards a Europe that is whole and free”, said President Bush. “Eventual reunification?” asked the BBC.

10.11.89

An unforgettable experience to see East Berliners pouring over to West Berlin and returning in the evening with their plastic bags from Herties, with oranges, cassette radios and budget-priced Johnny Cash LPs, all bought with their 100 DM Begrussungsgeld.

11.11.89

A source of amazement to diplomats in East Berlin to see the daily changes in the newspaper “Neues Deutschland”.

As Volker Braun wrote in the supplement of 11/12 November:

“Wir erleben die grősste demokratische Bewegung in Deutschland seit 1918…Sie (die Massen) verabschieden sich aus dem zentralischtischen Sozialismus”.

Only a few days earlier, the famous novelist Christa Wolf had made a moving appeal on GDR-TV (8.11.89):

“Wir alle sind tief beunruhigt. Wir sehen die Tausende, die täglich unser Land verlassen…Wir bitten Sie, bleiben Sie doch in Ihrer Heimat, bleiben Sie bei uns!”



Berlin Wall anniversary: The 'worst night of my life', Egon Krenz, BBC News, by Steve Rosenberg