| Original Message |
Nighthawke
Posted Nov 9, 2009 9:13 AM
Ten years ago tonight, the decree for free travel was read to the press by Guenter Schabowsk, spokesman for the East German Politburo.
"It was nearly 7:00 pm on November 9 when Schabowski, at the time spokesman of the central committee of the ruling SED party, pulled a sheet of paper from his pocket and read out a decree stating that visas would be freely granted to those wanting to travel outside or leave the country.
"As of when?" asked an Italian journalist, Riccardo Ehrman of ANSA...
Schabowski hesitated and then improvised: "As far as I know... as of now."
The floodgates began to break open with that bit of arrogance.
And the tide began to build as masses of Easterners began clamoring at the gates to be let across. The border guards kept phoning for instructions but none were forthcoming. The major worry then was a guard losing his nerve and start firing into the crowds, but peace was the watchword of the day and no one died.
(Tac, tac, here comes the second domino to fall before the call for freedom.)
Harald Jäger, the commander that night, his own account..
At first there were just a handful of East German citizens there, but by the minute there were more. It went from hundreds to thousands, who chanted, Open the gate!, explained Jäger, who was in charge of 30 guards and three border posts that night."
We stood just an arms-length away from the masses, who were separated from us by just a closed crossing gate, he said, explaining how he was scared of a mass panic. We no longer had the situation under control, said Jäger, now 66 years old. He kept trying to phone his superiors for orders. But higher up, chaos reigned just as it did for us.
Around 9:40 pm, the order came to allow especially provocative citizens through the border, but not to let them back in. But this ventilation tactic didnt help.
At 11:20 pm, I then ordered the crossing gate to be opened and to allow everyone to leave without inspecting their papers, said Jäger. About 25,000 people used their new freedom on that evening to cross into West Berlin."
(Tac, tac, tac, tac..)
I stayed up 20 hours solid watching the events happen, both at home and at school. Nothing got done by anyone during that time, save for basic stuff and getting food.
Where were YOU when the wall fell? |
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