The Berlin Wall: A stroke of fate that changed history | Focus on Europe

On November 9, 1989, Günter Schabowski, a member of the politburo, announced at a press conference that East Germans would be free to travel. He mistakenly said they would take immediate effect, prompting a breathtaking 24 hours that changed history.
The new travel regulations were intended only to calm the increasingly tense situation, with citizens leaving East Germany for the West in droves via third countries. The resulting chain of events led to the fall of the Wall.

[@leonardotesta9794]

Fun fact: the Italian journalist arrived at the conference a couple of minutes late because he was looking for a parking spot; he thought he had missed something important and started asking a bunch of questions. Luckily, it wasn’t only him who was late. Not only Schabowski himself was late, but he didn’t get the chance to read carefully what was written in those files: in fact, he missed the previous meetings with the board because… he was on vacation. Basically, the world changed because an Italian was late and a Russian was on vacation.

[@TheBetabot]

Schabowski was german

[@angelinebriscoe-sperling1463]

Isn't that life. A stroke of luck or unluck changes everything. And people try to plan their lives😅🙄

[@fallinginthed33p]

​@@TheBetabotEast German government spokesman and a senior party member. No Soviets were involved!

[@richardlong1239]

*immediately, without delay*

[@v8city]

I am trying to get where exactly the accident took place. While translating ? Who did the mistake ? Please elaborate. I feel dumb.

[@nicforth]

@@v8city This is very long and I copied it off a reddit thread, but here is the general consensus of what happened How the Berlin Wall fell. In order to calm mounting protests GDR officials decided on loosening travel restrictions between East and West, not open the border completely. Notes of the new rules had been handed to a spokesman who hadn't had time to read them before the press conference. "Private travel outside the country can now be applied for without prerequisites," he said. Surprised journalists clamoured for more details. Shuffling through his notes, he said that as far as he was aware, it was effective immediately. In fact it had been planned to start the next day, with details on applying for a visa. But the news was all over television - and East Germans flocked to the border in huge numbers. As the border became inundated with East Berliners wishing to reunite with family and/or escape the GDR, border guards became overwhelmed and with no orders to either shoot upon the crowd or open the gate, only a handful of guards facing hundreds and thousands of citizens, rather than fire and create a stampede and potentially kill hundreds the head of the guards decided to give the order "Open the barrier!" What came next was a spontaneous chain reaction with Berliners on both sides arriving at Checkpoint Charlie to celebrate this momentous event and to demolish the wall. So basically an ill prepared functionary made a flippant remark and a border guard captain unable to get orders on how to proceed led to one of the most defining moments of the late 20th Century in Europe.

[@benb6527]

@@v8city basically the official who announced the release didn’t have time to read the new law which didn’t take effect until the next day. So he said “sofort” (immediately), which was incorrect. That prompted east berliners to gather at the border crossing insisting entry to West Berlin.

[@andmos1001]

Those three words has become a meme in the history forums

[@sr7791]

Sofort,Unverzuglich/Immediately,Without Delay,the greatest phrase said by a politician,New Normal is by far the worst which meant the total opposite of what Gunter Schabowski said

[@Google-Experts]

It was Schaboswki, as one of the very few, who admitted their moral guilt in the GDR. He did not try to capitalize on his role in history, but met it with humility. He said, "As a former follower and protagonist of this worldview, I feel guilt and shame at the thought of those killed at the Wall. I ask the relatives of the victims for forgiveness."

[@markhall6306]

Exactly very rare for any political leader to be humble so respect for him

[@kingeling]

Now this leads to the question of whether he said “immediately” intentionally or not

[@fallinginthed33p]

​@@kingelingNo, he was frazzled by journalists' questions and covered up for his not reading the text by making stuff up. His stupendous mistake helped send thousands to the wall to cross into west Berlin.

[@keithn_059]

"When will this take effect?" "Uhh, according to my information... uh Immediately, no delay." These words made one of the most remembered events in history.

[@mrblaoblao6981]

One of the most BEAUTIFUL and PEACEFUL revolutions in Human History

[@NeoMicy]

Vandalism aint peacefull xD But god that the Boardersoldiers didnt shot!

[@2L84goodbye]

In all honesty, it was not a revolution, but rather a mistake that led to the liberty East Berlin. I think the most beautiful and peaceful revolution was the Portuguese Revolution of 1974... Otherwise known as the Carnation Revolution.

[@ivantopolcic]

@@2L84goodbye everywhere where the socialist communists carnations are pulled down is beautiful

[@RenegadeSamurai]

@@ivantopolcic so true! :)

[@botmexicanpatriot]

@@RenegadeSamurai soy

[@RomanesEuntDomus.]

4:08 "Their refrigerator was full!" Soviets: "What???!!"

[@sarcasmo57]

A happy little accident.

[@legendgaming2009]

What is that accident?

[@Realkeepa]

@@legendgaming2009 shaposky!

[@mrCongoblast]

Bob Ross

[@andmos1001]

@@legendgaming2009 “immediately, without delay”

[@rudranighosh4445]

Yes

[@andmos1001]

“Immediately, without delay” is a historical meme at this point

[@madden8021]

Currently in use with Sweden and Finland joining NATO

[@andmos1001]

@@madden8021 Eh, Norway here: we are allready in Nato. Where the founding members as a metter of facts

[@madden8021]

@@andmos1001 whoops, meant finland. Sorry for the confusion

[@christopherobrien2675]

I cry every time I watch something like this. I grew up expecting nuclear war, and one day to see it all come undone peacefully and overnight was the single most inspirational and beautiful moment of my life.

[@ineptwizzard]

This aged nicely.

[@kebman]

Here we are again, and the same guys are threatening with the same thing, just slightly different circumstances. Well, at least they have a slightly better kind of politics this time. Barely.

[@tennisthelegend]

it was meant to be the next day 😂

[@mihailstoyanov9462]

People in Europe and in Berlin still do not understand what this man did for all of us. Not sure if it was a mistake or brave decision of him.

[@yoursleepparalysisdemon1828]

Mistake. It was actually tomorrow, but Yknow.

[@lamagiduneinstant76]

~And a move just to quell protests (it was getting worse behind the wall..) not meant as an end to the wall. A Visa was expected to be applied for, etc. and that could be dicey.. I cried in San Diego, Ca. , but I had been stationed in Frankfurt and loved it and the German people. FREEDOM is the same to All peoples and a requirement for LIFE.😉🙏🏽🌈🗝💗🕊💫

[@tennisthelegend]

mistake

[@imperiallegionnaire6943]

Sometimes when you work for the government, it can be a good thing when you’re not very good at your job.

[@fallinginthed33p]

Lauter? He pulled the ultimate prank by writing a draft law that allowed exit from East Germany through all checkpoints including in East Berlin. His bosses in the senior party leadership like Egon Krenz didn't read what Lauter wrote and approved it almost blindly. Schabowski completely screwed up by not reading the document and said that all crossings were open. It's like the universe has a trickster's sense of humor.

having spent some weeks in DDR in 1988..it was more than evident that east germans were really tired of the government control ..in every aspect of their lives...then November 1989 came ..and the rest is history...

[@chrisj197438]

Cirugía de Mano I was there in 1987 and the feelings were there then as well

[@humanforfreedom9583]

The western world is the new east Germany today. NSA Facebook google KZbin all tightly controlled/monitored and suirvellance levels and public cameras go way further than the Stasi could dream of.

[@willg4802]

The typical problem with bureaucracies, the left hand never knows what the right hand is doing.

[@Darkdjinn79]

Will G yet conspiracy theorist think bureaucrats have this elaborate power to control everything.

[@Lia-uf1ir]

Probably one of the few cases whre bureaucracy is a good thing.

[@peternewman3487]

My German Mother was born in Rostock and her and my German Grandma left Rostock after the Soviets kicked them out of their home in 1945 and they traveled to a town near Hamburg The wall coming down was one of the happiest days of my life and I couldn’t really believe what was happening and we were re United with long estranged relatives whom we could visit.

[@appleslover]

The ethnic cleansing of 14 million Germans was very barbaric crime, sadly no one recognises it nowadays

[@appleslover]

Do you live in Germany or you/your family have migrated?

[@peternewman3487]

@@appleslover. My mother married an English man and I was born in Germany and then soon after my birth we all came to England where I have lived all of my life.

[@humanforfreedom9583]

The fact that Britain ad France tried desperately to stop this happening, in he name of stopping a resurgence of “German nationalism” was appalling. You don’t hear a much about that today but even Wikipedia acknowledges it, thatcher reportedly was considering a military option to prevent reunification but was told that the invasion would cause worldwide condemnation and would actually increase German nationalist feeling even further. I think many British soldiers would of probably refused to take part anyway.

[@bruhboi4692]

They were afraid that a reunited Germany would economically dominate Europe.

[@littlechemie5425]

@@bruhboi4692 While nowadays Germany is indeed the biggest economy in Europe and dominate Europe via EU, it can be argue West Germany would be even more dominant force in Europe if Reunification didn't happen. The cost of Reunification really was/is money drain for Germany. Even now after so much money have spent to lift former East Germany's economy, the clear divide between East and West is still visible. The United Germany is a brake for German-dominated Europe

[@ZardozCologne]

The Netherlands and Italy backed Thatcher .... in effect only Bush and the USA agreed initially that also the Germans should have the right to decide their own fate. After I learned that I was very happy that the Cold War remained cold. Who of the "allied" would have defend Germany?

[@rin_etoware_2989]

@@bruhboi4692 exactly, that's why France only supported reunification if West Germany would agree to participate in a single currency, among other European stuff. As for Thatcher, she was still worried that German nationalism could make a comeback, and it didn't help that West Germany at the time still claimed the Weimar Republic's borders as its own. however, Thatcher was pretty much left alone in the middle of the ballroom at that point: the US, USSR, and France are all on board for reunification.

[@petr7694]

Looking back from the last day of 2022... who would have thought back in 1989 that 32 years later Germany will collude with bellicose Russia to restore some sort of a new version of Soviet Evil Empire?

[@MrTempoedoeloe]

The best thing in this video is we can see all the happy and hopeful face on the citizen's face

[@notkorean]

Schabowski was def drunk at the moment he announced it LMAO

[@ivantopolcic]

and he was right to do so even drunk.

[@angelinebriscoe-sperling1463]

I watched it live and will never forget the joy I felt for the people. I had been in East Berlin many times crossing in at CheckpointCharlie so I saw how sad the people looked. I could write a long essay about my impressions and experience. People have to be free to be happy. Unforgettable times!

[@billlombard9911]

Never forget the power of a accident

[@Dutch_Uncle]

In theological terms the fall of the Belin Wall also has elements of divine grace, an unmerited favor which has been granted. Whichever explanation, accident or grace, it was a welcome Christmas present.

[@fallinginthed33p]

Never forget to capitalize on your opponent's mistakes.

[@utubefreshie]

Now if only this could happen for North and South Korea too. We will continue hoping for a better world.

[@PunmasterSTP]

Truly incredible! I'm glad that history worked out in the best possible way.

[@wrightmf]

That's an unusual site, a Trabbi going into West Germany!

[@erik_griswold]

It’s going to West Berlin, not West Germany.

[@ivantopolcic]

@@erik_griswold it's all anti marxist Germany Fatherland!

[@kayvan671]

@@erik_griswold West Berlin was part of West Germany.

[@erik_griswold]

@@kayvan671 Defacto yes but not Dejure

[@Dutch_Uncle]

@@erik_griswold The British-French-US doctrine was that Berlin was an occupied city, under four power administration, just as in 1945. Some functions, such as utilities, roads, schools and other civil matters, had been delegated to local German authorities, but at the top of the organization chart were the WWII victors. The three western powers did not recognize east Berlin as part of East Germany. Thai is why it was the "Embassy of the United States TO the German Democratic Republic" and not "IN the German Democratic Republic." Prepositions are important.

[@DaDunge]

Oh come on why did you have to do a voice over. You could have translated after he was done uttering the famous words.

[@Dutch_Uncle]

Is the translation made by voice recognition each time the video is viewed? Kurfuerstendamm is rendered as "cure first" in the closed captions.

[@bbenjoe]

Sometimes the writing is just on the wall. Many of us have have these stories of days when we can just feel it in the air, that history is about to happen.

[@guilhermesilveira5254]

Last moment of East Germany.

[@jaysant6958]

Is there footage of the actual speech somewhere?

[@jgonascar]

I kinda wish they just did subtitles even though I only speak English.

[@jeltje50]

Redubbing stuff like this is also such an uniquely English thing to do. Because subtitles are scary for some reason.

[@arielg7000]

well done

[@anthonywalsh7613]

Prior 2 this though you could not buy a shredder for love nor money in West Berlin. Stasi agents had bought em all. Alarm bells....

[@puertorican_american7760]

WOW!!! Good thing he didn't read it before the conference bc if he did read it, then he would have had an answer probably like "in a couple of months".

[@naufalzaid7500]

The change was going to take place the day after fyi.

[@jeltje50]

​@@naufalzaid7500but required a visa. So it wasn't really "the next day".

[@KusumaWijaya]

Love it,, segera mantaff.. mau tau kelanjutannya

[@ErodeMaMedia]

I am Searching this Video by Wikipedia... Vera Level... KZbin Vaazhga...

[@eljosepromedio]

Holy molly Schabowski

[@kirkham111]

Imagine if the press conference didn’t happen the wall would likely have stayed longer or even to this day

[@kirancox6123]

Probably not, East Germany was already on a decline. Additionally the collapse of the USSR probably would have be followed by the reunification of Germany.

[@mastermarv722]

Actually no the law would have taken effect officially the very next day

[@ivantopolcic]

Ha ha ha great! Love this man. RIP Gunter.

[@akarmoussaittizi3012]

This lawyer and Harald Jaeger unknowingly made history ,one by drafting this law and the latter by deciding to open the border crossing.

[@kaushikganguli1091]

Long live German Unification!

[@user-jg7mp9co7h]

壁廃止は重要だと思いますが、統一は時間かけるべきです。

[@ambiguoustv2287]

OH MEIN GOTT

[@krugerfuchs]

Should still be up

[@billshears6062]

wow

[@Epicarism]

Looks like Vox just copied this video idea

[@thomasconnor8117]

Epicarism u can’t copyright history

[@tenorte9833]

it's a well known story, dude lol

[@santiagocarreno5881]

I will never understand why to this day so many people wnt to live in the reppression and austerity of a communist or socialist state

[@SCHRUBBE1966]

nothing worse then Germans talking like comunists

[@willg4802]

warum?

[@RandallFlaggNY]

@@willg4802 "Langue de bois." Look it up.

[@deepgreen4891]

11-9 = 9-11

[@richardlawson4317]

Socialist, not communist!!!

[@mattsmith2474]

A distinction without a difference.

[@PrimoStracciatella]

@@mattsmith2474 Are you saying that there's no difference between Communism and Socialism?

[@kirkham111]

Same thing both murderous ideologies both sympathetic to each other

[@arrotinoombrellaro1053]

@@mattsmith2474 Socialism is the tree, communism is just a branch of the tree, a dry branch. Democratic socialism is a reality in Europe