1989: Escaping the GDR via Prague | History Stories

In the late-summer of 1989, the West German embassy in Prague became a place of refuge for thousands of GDR citizens willing to leave the country. By the end of September more than 4,000 people lived on the premises of the completely overcrowded embassy under catastrophic conditions.
With a humanitarian catastrophy looming, Hans-Dietrich Genscher, then Germany's foreign minister, tried to find a diplomatic solution with the GDR and the Soviet Union. On the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York he negotiated a quick compromise and surprisingly, the leadership in East Berlin agreed to let the people leave.
On the evening of September 30 1989, Genscher himself delivered the news from the embassy balcony. His words "We have come to you to inform you that your departure..." was drowned out by the cheers of thousands of GDR refugees and made headlines around the world. On this episode of History stories, we look at Genscher's successful negotiation which led to a major milestone on the way to the Fall of the Berlin Wall.
Report by Antje Binder
©Thumbnail: Picture-Alliance/FrankLionhardt
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[@jacquelinevanbierk]

I was there. Still get's me emotional when I see and hear Genscher talk, telling us we are FREE.

[@jundonjose]

So happy for you and your countrymen after all these years!

[@margritpiepes8242]

Ja und ich war nicht in Berlin aber hab mich doch gefreut für meine Cousinen und Oma

[@PanamaMapper]

I may not be from Europe but just seeing the video and all those people going to freedom from the ddr is incredible, thank you for sharing this part of history!

[@garycooper9207]

I cried when I was a child seeing this in tv. I was so happy for them❤

[@SiVlog1989]

It's a pity that where I come from (the UK), this momentous event gets overshadowed in history lessons by the fall of the Berlin Wall. The magnitude of the cheer that greeted Genscher announcing that Bonn agreed to take them in is heart rending. It brings tears to my eyes, thinking how much it meant to those refugees from the GDR to hear those words

[@DTD110865]

All these events lead up to the Fall of the Berlin Wall. Furthermore, Erich Honacher threatened a repeat of the Tiananmen Square massacre against any anti-communists in East Germany. Luckily, he never got the chance to do this. The people of Romania, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia, Kosovo, Libya, and Syria weren't that lucky.

[@SiVlog1989]

@DTD110865 I guess, but that takes into account the announcement by Gunther Schabowski as expected. As we know, the truth is that it definitely wasn't expected, in fact, it was a mistake by Schabowski as he didn't have time to read all his notes about the easing of travel restrictions before speaking to the Press

[@wensdyy6466]

As a czech person I have never heard of this, never learn about it at school (but that will be only because we ended our history lessons with the end of WW2 because of the lack of time and by the industrial revolution in high school). This was really interesting video.

[@DWHistoryandCulture]

Oh, this is great to hear that we could spread this, thanks for watching and letting us know! All the best from Berlin

[@dsm2240]

I remember these events. Yet the news on November 9 was a (positive) total shock for me.

[@Alex-se4tk]

Never heard about this event before

[@rogerbixley6911]

I remember I was working late shift in a big factory when this news came through on the radio...working on the same shift were a couple of ex east german lads...all of a sudden they were dancing on tables realy enjoying themselves...I´m sure that evening a few bottles of vodka were made empty.

[@runnerawe]

moving

[@GeDiceMan]

It started with a picnic between Austria and Hungary...

[@mistysouders7823]

I knew about this. My grandparents along with myself was watched it all down. THOUSANDS and THOUSANDS ran for the borders. 😢😮

[@benyomovod6904]

The worst error in German history since 1946. Germany was a powerhose, before we got 11 Million brothers and sister that ask for cash and proclaim that the GDR was SOOOOO nice

[@darkkakao99]

and now we have all the cringy neomarxist "liberals" with their el gee bee tee quotas..

[@abigailweir7287]

3,500 out of 16.5 million. The majority therefore wanted to stay in the DDR.

[@wensdyy6466]

or they did not have the means to leave, they were scared(I would say that was the majority of people), they wanted to wait a bit to see if these people trying to leave would be sucesfull...

[@saba6502]

Here we're talking about 3.500 refugees - or rather 12.000 people in total fleeing from the West German Embassy in Prague to West Germany. Many more people fled the GDR via Hungary or Warsaw or, sometimes, Bulgaria. Obviously the majority of the people of the former GDR wanted to leave this state. The many mass demonstrations in this state back then also spoke volumes.

[@SiVlog1989]

It's a bit simplistic to think that way. Through the history of East Germany, there had long been hostility in the East towards the occupying Soviet troops and the dictatorship of the SED imposed on them by the Soviets.

[@jacquelinevanbierk]

Some did yes, especially the older generation. They were so brainwashed and way too scared to even try. It wasn't easy to leave or try to escape. People that tried to leave by applying lost everything the minute they did , their job, most of their friends bc you were considered a betrayer of your country. They also had to show up for weekly interviews were they got interrogated and verbally abused, and at some point they"ll get a 24 hour notice to leave. Many people who tried to escape got shot. Remember we got spied on, the Stasie knew everything about everybody and many worked for the Stasi undercover. All the politicians had many privileges we didn't have, like the freedom to travel.

[@jacquelinevanbierk]

@@wensdyy6466 exactly. When I went to Prague (I was actually there) I didn't know if I ever see my parents again or even get shot. It was pretty scary but worth every minute,