The mistake that toppled the Berlin Wall

One of the Cold War's biggest moments began at a routine press conference.
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The fall of the Berlin Wall has a lot of memorable moments: US President Ronald Reagan’s declaration to “tear down this wall”; David Hasselhoff singing at the Brandenburg Gate; and Berliners wielding pickaxes and hammers, tearing apart the visible symbol of a divided Europe.
But a less spectacular moment actually triggered the crumbling of the wall. It happened at a routine press conference on November 9th, 1989, when East German spokesperson Günter Schabowski was handed an announcement about relaxed travel regulations. In his lack of preparation, he mistakenly insinuated that the checkpoints in the Berlin Wall - which up until then were guarded by soldiers with orders to shoot anyone trying to cross - were now open (das sofort, unverzüglich). They weren’t, but that announcement was all East Berliners needed to storm the wall and demand they be allowed to cross into West Berlin. After that, the wall became obsolete, and soon fell.
Follow the timeline leading up to fall here: chronik-der-mauer.de
Vox.com is a news website that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines. Check out www.vox.com.
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[@oliveranscombe7109]

the guy who asked “when does this go into effect” literally. Quite literally unified Germany

[@zigmas81]

Not really

[@TSGPhilipp]

I mean it would have probably just happened a few years later when the soviet union collapsed

[@samwillpiercetheheavens2263]

He’s like the guy who asked Gol D Roger where one piece was

[@mikethespike7579]

He lit the fuse.

[@FentonWorksDE]

Sofort, unverzüglich ;)

[@AlbertoNeurohr]

“We dont make mistakes, just happy little accidents” - Bob Ross

[@impulsiveDecider]

You sir, are a man of culture

[@caliboyizhere]

Beautiful

[@faber_1500]

YESSS

[@carlosbanderas4238]

Or like Erich Mielke, head of the GDR's Secret Police ("Stasi", similiar to KGB) who said that He is Loving all Humans.

[@mohamedmahadi3607]

Alberto Neurohr so driving into a school bus by mistake is an happy little accident?

[@phx24]

I feel so happy for that guy who was like “I’m in West Berlin!

[@TestTest-hu1gj]

they cut at the more shivering moment. He said right afterwards "Ein mal am Ku-damm im Leben." trans.: "[only] once at the Ku-Damm in my life" Ku-damm was the most colorful and brightest shopping street in West Berlin. Its very surreal that such a simple thing overwelms this man's life. It gives me tears everytime.

[@north-shoregcs3894]

That’s joy in its purest form. Dude didn’t expect to see it so soon in his life. Being from America it would be wild to be confined to my state for my whole first 20ish years. And it’s bigger than east Germany by a decent amount. Socialism should never be allowed to happen again otherwise there will have to be a Berlin Wall 2.0 or an island like Cuba to keep people in.

[@drBulky]

Imagine it’s like arrived from eerily pyongyang to colorful seoul

[@whitezombie10]

@@north-shoregcs3894 socialism didn't create walls

[@dutchvanderlinde7367]

@super dude Whats wrong with you man?

[@carteriffic1681]

“As far is I know, it’s effective immediately. Without delay.” Ten words broke the wall.

[@QemeH]

Technically just seven - german language is efficient: "Nach meiner Kenntnis ist das sofort. Unverzüglich."

[@shefchenko111]

@@QemeH You misspelled "confusing". :D

[@Traumglanz]

@@shefchenko111 Confusing? But it is efficient.

[@shefchenko111]

@@Traumglanz What does that mean? English is efficient. German is a couple of km away from even being close to efficient.

[@randomcarbonaccumulation6478]

"Das tritt nach meiner Kenntnis... Ist das sofort, unverzüglich." Nine words.

[@Mushroomlau]

If the reporter didn't ask the question, '' when does it take effect? '' history as we know it would have been different. They should thank that reporter for asking that question.

[@LuizSMatos-dr9tz]

would? really? URSS would still be there..Germany would still have a wall ... REALLY???

[@danieleflorean7064]

That reporter also arrived late to the press conference because he could not find a car...

[@theblondegoat2254]

Daniele Florean why do you have to lie for bro

[@sundhaug92]

@OAT351 except then the passport-offices would've been operational, and the DDR government would have retained control

[@koxlc]

@@danieleflorean7064 what is the name of this reporter, because he is a hero that actually set it off?

[@tkgsg]

By mistake. Guess that's how the world changes.

[@danielrodrigues8100]

It's weird how little mistakes like these can cause some of the biggest changes in history.

[@martinxy1291]

And how most of us are born

[@elonwhatever]

Evolution got all the way from an amoeba to us using only a single tool: the mistake.

[@LapisGoBlue]

Agnidh Ghosh “oopsy”

[@Wasserkaktus]

Famous words.

[@randomcon123]

There’s a graffiti on the remains of the Berlin Wall that reads: “Many small people in many small places do many small things can alter the face of the world” Never a truer word written

[@antonmarc3073]

For a lot of german people, myself included, this is the most emotional moment of the post-war era. Seeing Berliners reunited gives me goosebumps every time. Also, the West German parliament was in session during all of this. A speaker broke the news in the parliament, all the MPs came to the chamber and sung the national anthem. Germany was reunited in our hearts.

[@manyulgarprsch]

You should have remained separated. For everything you did in WW2 and WW1.

[@BasicNoobs]

@@manyulgarprsch Britian did worse in ww1. And their richer that you will ever be. Cry harder

[@whatsup968]

I'm not even German and it always makes me get teary-eyed 💕 This happened in a country I have never been to 10 years before I was born, but still I am so happy for you Germans that you were reunited!

[@runtak9128]

​@@manyulgarprsch, пчел, ты...

[@wildskis7086]

@@manyulgarprsch its not the civilians fault man also it was austria-hungary that started ww1, not germany

[@toriierriffic]

Is this the orginal "Well they cant stop us all"?

[@luxembourgishempire2826]

Boring dead meme.

[@uhohhotdog]

Luxembourgish Empire ok boomer

[@kaderpdi1982]

@@uhohhotdog shut up boomer

[@glassyxanderplaysminecraft8340]

Wait.... YES!

[@fiferplayeralt7118]

@@kaderpdi1982 referencing to him or LE?

[@0xF00F00]

"Immediately. Without delay" is kind of a meme here among those with an interest in politics/history. Good on Vox for putting a spotlight on Schabowski!

[@hexa-kun4654]

Time for r/history memes

[@whimsicalvibes]

Whats the exact german phrase if you can tell.

[@bigmo256ify]

Nach meiner Kenntnis ist das Sofort. Unverzüglich.

[@Blauefrucht]

„Liebe Landsleute, wir sind zu Ihnen gekommen, um Ihnen mitzuteilen, dass heute Ihre Ausreise...“ (Hans-Dietrich Genscher)

[@nicolasblume1046]

literally translated it was "To my knowledge, this is immediate. Instantaneously."

[@NETIERRAS]

My father was a student in West Berlin during that time, after the announcement he and his friends rushed to the border in order to help tear down the wall. He still has some chunks from the wall in his possession. I was born after the reunification and as a child they were just some concrete chunks to me, but as I got older I started to understand the significance of those pieces of concrete. I can’t describe how proud I am to have him as my father.

[@macestewart]

What is incredible to me is the fact that the moment they had "*permission*" to cross, everyone arrived and crossed the wall, even though the wall wasn't open. So many people showed up that the guards couldn't do anything. Imagine if that many people had decided at one point they had permission and just arrived. Many would have been shot, probably, but what if enough people showed up peacefully, just with the conviction that they were crossing, no matter what? Wouldn't have been easy, but it says a lot about human psychology and human sociology.

[@RuthCuadrado]

That Raegan statement is only a thing in the USA. Nobody in Europe remembers that.

[@saloalvStuff]

Yup, here in Finland we were shown the press conference clip in high school history but I had never seen the Reagan clip before

[@blondie7240]

Probably cause it was given in uhhhhh, English

[@petermuller5800]

In Germany, the Kennedy statement "Ich bin ein Berliner" (I'm a Berliner) is much more famous.

[@amber3244]

@@blondie7240 England is in Europe. I'm pretty sure they speak English there 😂

[@timothyhawken9266]

@agiyoto • I think they are talking about the usa picking a clip where someone is speaking english because they wouldn't show a clip of someone speaking a different language that they cant speak. It is more significant for Americans to hear their own language than to hear the most important part of the story. Also yeah Europeans do learn english in school because Europe you know

[@lukeswan7776]

Ends the cold war by accident "oh I'm totally getting fired"

[@uhohhotdog]

Luke Swan the Cold War was more than just Germany

[@SomePotato]

Schabowski also went to jail for the murders that happened at the inner-German border.

[@taufiqutomo]

Who's gonna fire you when the country you work for cease to exist?

[@AliceTheSpider]

@@uhohhotdog yeah but fall of Berlin Wall solidified the Fall of Soviet Union

[@gort1319]

@@uhohhotdog the fall of the berlin wall began the fall of the iron courtain and fall of the soviet union

[@speccogecko7296]

I remember learning about this earlier this year from my Cold War text book. I don’t think I’ll ever forget it because it was such a monumental mistake which truly brought about great change. Also largely because it’s evidence to discredit Reagan as having any influence on the fall of the Berlin Wall.

[@veramae4098]

Well, it was a nice speech.

[@dieptrieu6564]

Don't kid yourself and think that this guy's mistake is the reason, either. The fall of Berlin's wall wasn't any one man's responsibility. It's a combined efforts of millions of people

[@galacticguardian2783]

Nah. Dismantling the Soviet bloc had been the ambition of American imperialist capitalists and Reagan had been working on that for quite some time

[@lillic8522]

If Reagan had had someone like Putin to deal with, his little speech would have just evaporated into thin air….

[@usa91787]

Delude yourself into thinking Reagan had nothing to do with it. And delude yourself into thinking Communism is anything but evil. For you Bolsheviks on here decrying the fall of this wall and what it represented - the failure of Communism - if it was so good look at the reaction of the people who lived it when it fell. You are in denial.

[@chrisduck3365]

I'm watching this and I started to cry. I'm not even German. Not living near Europe. And this was before my time. I just knew about the Berlin Wall from bits and pieces throughout the years. I am just so happy for them at that time. Wow! To live there during that time.

[@merfwriter]

I'm American and I was 7 years old during that time. I remember watching it on T.V.. As a 7 year old I was confused because I didn't understand the political tention and history of the Cold War. I was happy that everyone else was happy. I remember watching on TV people taking sledge hammers to break through the wall. Then finally they brought in a crane to lift a chunk of the wall to create another opening to let more people through.

[@schnieti]

Let's just hope that Korea does the same little mistakes

[@elliotw.888]

Korea is a little different because North Korea is backed by China, and unlike the ussr towards the end of the cold War, China doesn't seem like it'll be a waning empire anytime soon

[@schnieti]

@@elliotw.888 Yes, for the people it was such an unexpected thing to happen in the gdr, but the signs were there. China has a strong hold. Hongkong doesn't seem to change most people's minds about their strict methods. But this is not a black and white thing either.

[@davedean2326]

I watched a video once in which Russians were saying only days before the collapse of communism they had no idea it was going to happen. They were also saying that once the word freedom was whispered by a few it opened the floodgates and people became crazed by the idea. My point is ....you never know when the empire will fall.

[@rohanr.9714]

north korea is WAAAAAY more authoritarian than east germany ever was.

[@Hoootaf]

Elliot W. Sir, does it seem like it now?

[@jamesking9802]

“They started unrolling kilometres of barbed wire.” Finally, at long last, metric! Sweet, beautiful, simple metric!

[@Phi_S]

James King bah metric

[@Mmmtruk]

The waste of material 😭

[@alexanderhristov637]

The barbed wire was long 11 football fields

[@genericusername4206]

Te Mantha it’s like 10 bucks for 30 meters dide

[@blury6267]

I'm American what

[@bishhsasspusi2904]

To all who missed the key component here and thought, he just announced early it would be the same the next day and shouldnt be dramatic, thats not the case at all. If it was announced properly, the situation in Berlin would be like in the game "Papers, Please" where you show passport to enter and there is still a wall dividing the people, but due to a misunderstanding of mr. schabowski and the miracle follow up question by the reporter, Berlin was reunified once again.

[@elaine378]

Thank you for this

[@andydyer6591]

So instead we got the Order of EZIC Star ending.

[@saatvikagarwal6358]

RIP Gorbachev, your contributions will never be forgotten

[@Ch4os4ever]

My father was there, he worked on West Berlin and said that everyone called off after the news and went to tear the wall down and welcome the GDR Germans in. He said what most Germans agree about that day was: "That night, Germans never cried more, never laughed more and never drank more beer!"

[@chewinggum5550]

wow

[@parkjimin-standkb-62]

That's amazing!

[@Jas111ld]

Thank you for sharing

[@Jas111ld]

Not only Germans, the whole Eastern Europe was celebrating with you guys

[@TunjungUtomo]

No wonder Scorpion’s Wind of Change is such a beautiful and powerful song, the inspiration was even greater

[@Manthan100]

When do you watch Vox videos after the notification ? Immediately, without delay.

[@mxp2115]

Sofort, unverzüglich.

[@ninavigumnam2676]

.. Hum toh apna zola leke chal padenge

[@ninavigumnam2676]

@@googleaccount93 its unverzüglich. Ungeheuerlich means enormous

[@billyrigby4839]

lol nice

[@campkira]

Whenever I want to..... It is KZbin video... Please go watch smaller channels..,they need virws

[@HaunaniPao]

I remember this. I was in Germany for the first anniversary and we didn't know how to celebrate. It was amazing to witness such positive change that affected many people on both sides of the border.

[@martinschmidt1652]

Hasselhoff was not a big moment in any measure except his own...

[@davidmurray5399]

David Hasselhoff was in my high school graduating class. Yes, his friends called him the "Hoff" even back then.

[@markpozsar5785]

@@davidmurray5399 cool story

[@CantTellYou]

It’s a meme though so a lot of people rememeber it

[@Vincent-bt1qy]

As a german who wasn't born when the wall came down I still get goosebumps when I hear Schabowski say his famous words. Without that I probably wouldn't have been born. My dad is from east Germany and my mother from the west

[@EvaMariaLotte]

I was 7 years old back then. Don‘t remember much of it. Just the fact that we (living just a few hundred meters south west of Berlin) started going to Berlin to shop for clothes instead of Potsdam. For me as a child it was a quite long trip, public transportation was very bad for a while... We bought my favorite Pullover in Zehlendorf. Oh memories...! :)

[@oharryc]

Butterfly effect 😂 due to Schabowski being a bit less prepared than he should have been at that exact press conference, now you exist!

[@QemeH]

For me the _Gänsehautmoment_ is the announcement from the balkony of the west german embassy in Prague, when Genscher tells all those east-german refugees: "We have come to you, today, to tell you that your departure (as in: leave the country) has been..." and the rest just drowns out in what feels like half of Prague cheering. It happend a bit before the fall of the wall, but was instrumental in bringing about this decision (that then had this botched announcement).

[@JupiterKnight]

k lol

[@IxMeTutorials]

Same situation here. My mum is from east and my dad from westgermany. He actually drove to Berlin on that famous day and experienced it all

[@fernvalemusic269]

the joy coming from the people after they crossed is amazing. it almost made me cry.

[@thethirdsrc144]

True

[@CH-od8ni]

My parents travelled to the former border during the following day since my dad’s family lived in East Germany and the pictures they took make me very emotional today even though I had not yet been born then. My mum told me she cried the whole time they were standing there, bless her.

[@hi.2842]

my dad went there at the age of 17. 400 kilometers on an old moped just to go to the other side. to many people it was unbelievable that berlin and germany could be united again.

[@southerncross86]

They walked into freedom, no words to describe it

[@Loggog]

Same for me

[@gareonconley1956]

2:52 this scene/photo is actually a very important part in german history as this gdr soldier is the last person to "freely" cross the border

[@FentonWorksDE]

Meiner Kenntnis nach, ist das sofort, unverzüglich. One of our best German quotes :D

[@Blackout88999]

For a long time I honestly didn't know, that Americans thought Reagan brought down the Wall

[@moonshadow7057]

It's Gorbachev, if he wanted he could easily prevented or at least postponed it for decade

[@haga059]

hahaha Almighty America

[@lgbtqiarights]

Blackout88999 i never thought that though? i never met an american who thought reagan did but ok

[@SoteriosXI]

I don't know any Americans who think this. Many Americans believe Reagan pressured Gorbachov to get rid of the wall, but I don't know anyone who think the wall falling was all Reagan's doing.

[@nickinportland]

It’s kind of something people say. No one thinks he brought it down single handedly

[@EdinProfa]

"Massive peaceful demonstrations." Romania: Well yes, but actually no.

[@souvikrc4499]

Edin Selimović Blame Ceausescu for not wanting to go down without a fight.

[@homeofthemad3044]

I am glad I am not the only one who thought of Romania.

[@palepika]

Hahaha! Exactly my thoughts!!

[@luchadorito]

A succesful transition to a functioning democracy Hungary: well yes but actually no

[@mernok2001]

@@luchadorito Talán a fletó idejében volt demokrácia mocskos ballibsi?

[@williamjones7163]

I visited West Germany in 1985. My sister was in the Air Force at the time. We never went to East Germany for any reason. I remember watching on TV when the wall came down. I was in tears for the German people. It never struck me until a few years later when someone made the comment that when the two Germanys were united that World War II was truly over.

[@rajbairisal]

Even though i am an indian, still i can feel how much it matters to u guys. Really sometimes mistakes are good.

[@skadoosh024]

7:24 thought this dude was from the future, recording this historic moment with a smartphone

[@nomadMik]

I wondered about that too.

[@Vox]

Lol it does look like that. He's holding up his passport. -Coleman

[@blacktallsmart1914]

i thought i was the only one, it took a second for me to realize it was a passport.

[@TheJrbdog]

I didn't even realize it wasn't a smartphone...

[@DiRECs]

Indeed, my first impression was that he was videochating with someone and showing them West Berlin.

[@alfienice3636]

My German teach she was in the US in university and she said she was so stunned that she didn’t think it was real. She started crying in front of class.

[@Jas111ld]

It was terrible times for Eastern Europe. I was just a kid when the cold war was going on, I still remember

[@QemeH]

It's certainly one of those "every german knows where he was" moments.

[@4thquarter214]

Unprofessional

[@SUPA720]

@@4thquarter214 bruh

[@Traumglanz]

@@QemeH And most of them were a few moments later on the streets celebrating. Does not matter if you were in Berlin, Frankfurt or Munich. Or a small village in the middle of nowhere, people were celebrating and if someone had some leftover fireworks … well, it was the night to use them.

[@Jannikderboi]

My grandparents fled the GDR literally 3 days before that mistake was made

[@Martin9476]

As a British (and half Czech) boy in the 80s I visited the Berlin Wall and also stayed with relatives in what was East Berlin in 1988. Watching this on the news the following year was absolutely epic!! I’ll never forget that. A truly historic day! I was so glad that East Germans, Czechs and those in the other countries that had been stuck behind the Iron Curtain for many years were now free. 🥳

[@cottonclouds]

as a german person and a politics/history enthusiast NOTHING sends me harder than seeing that press conference. it's so iconic

[@QemeH]

Yeah, I had just turned 4 years old when it happend - and one of my earliest childhood memories is my parents frantically calling all their friends and having a spontaneous mid-night grill party to celebrate. Even though we lived near the dutch border and far, far away from the border or Berlin at the time. At that time it was awesome to me because I was allowed up sooo late, today it's amazing to me because my parents and their friends just *knew* they were celebrating german unification to come.

[@Morgenstern505]

Idk any person in germany who refers to reagans "tear down that wall"... Seems to be an american myth

[@sunsetlights100]

100% planned event imo club of Rome!

[@timmmahhhh]

American conservatives live to hold on to and propagate a lot of myths about Saint Ronnie which is part of why there is a president tRump.

[@puellanivis]

Indeed. I mean, it was a powerful moment, and it’s got a plaque here in Berlin… but like, it was just another in a long line of people calling for the wall to be torn down. Reagan didn’t back up the words with action though. So, yeah, there’s no reason for Germans to recognize it as a turning point, or anything in relation to the wall falling.

[@DMartinos03]

Albanian Philosopher I don’t know anyone in America who thinks that either. I don’t know why this video says it.

[@JeniJustJeni]

But how about the time President Kennedy called himself a donut? Ich bin ein *quickly googles to make sure I spell it right* Oh, well, I guess that didn't actually happen. I'm learning all sorts of things today.

[@thorbio]

I always get emotional seeing this. The amount of relief the people must have felt, the sense of freedom

[@NLX_n999]

Honestly.. Everyone in Germany knows about this press conference. However probably it's different in the USA

[@Trashplat]

The "Mr Gorbachov, tear down this wall" thing isn't big in Germany. But everybody knows the "Uuuh, as far as I know... that's... that's immediately" 😂 I'm serious. (btw. love the music choices in this vid) (Sending love from Germany! No more walls!

[@ArtisticlyAlexis]

In America, any time they talk about the fall of the Berlin wall, they inevitably show the Reagan clip, like he single handedly tore down the wall with his own hands! We aren't taught about "immediately", 'cause if America ain't the hero, then it ain't worth learnin'.

[@newriechren2343]

America: well yes,but actually no.

[@DuckGoesQuack]

Same in Denmark. I remember learning about this in school.

[@edfagan4251]

I am a doughnut!

[@SebastianHaban]

So looks like the Hesselhoff thing is the only one known in the US as in Germany...

[@Guapaty]

From a german citizen i can say: well made video! Congrats, it brought me to tears haha:)

[@crazwizardlizard]

i'm not even german and it brought a tear to my eye.

[@1121494]

1949 West Germany did not include Saarland though.

[@jrurbbehdidiwdnndjduw85eos73]

@@1121494 So? Minor factual error. Doesn't ruin the video

[@majorfallacy5926]

Man kann nun wirklich niemandem vorwerfen, auf Saarland zu vergessen

[@Guapaty]

@@1121494 may i ask, what's the relation to my comment??

[@richardmangelmann4975]

My parents just fled 3 months before that happened, my mother is still upset about that

[@kxnyshk]

West Germany & GDR exists Reporter: *I am about to unify their whole nation.*

[@tabby73]

🤣🤣👍

[@artemiswolf4508]

“According to my information...Immediately, without delay” ............ “Why do I hear boss music?”

[@briantimotiuspratama2151]

And with that awkward conference interview, everything fell down

[@BHuang92]

The Berlin War rose by intention. Fell by accident.

[@rncmv]

are you really that ignorant? it was by no mean an accident, but a logical consequence of long development

[@chewinggum5550]

"Berlin wall in a nutshell"

[@abrahamlincoln8037]

*wall

[@aydenboire]

@Wuxxy the Soviet Union collapsed soon after the fall of the Berlin Wall. No matter what happened in Germany communism was collapsing. It would have been impossible for east Germany to survive on its own.

[@plectrum94]

and from that moment, europe decided to only make history by holding boring press conferences, a tradition only interrupted by the Balkans.

[@fettegurke2447]

Soviet Union fall?

[@niharsrisrimaal963]

The reporter asking the question was the legend

[@everydaymashup]

As a german, i can only tell that you have published a beautiful video. Even though i am well aware of this event and It's details i got goosebumbs. Well done Vox, keep on doing good work!

[@luxembourgishempire2826]

The GDR was the best Germany. JK. Lol

[@ingah.4199]

Ebenso, bin auch so schon nah am Wasser gebaut und als dann das Mädel kam mit "sie hat drüben so viele Freunde..." musste ich wirklich weinen. Sehr schön zusammengefasst. 👍🏻✌🏻

[@clipit4503]

Ok naz i

[@yuriang_8050]

@@clipit4503 clip ur mouth up

[@yuriang_8050]

@@clipit4503 oof so u play Fortnite 😪

[@sashimiroll5055]

Republicans then: “TEAR DOWN THIS WALL” Republicans now: “Build the wall”

[@PrateekJain-pi9jc]

theyre different walls. One was to integrate similar people divided by ideology that they didnt choose. The other is to stop illegal and culturally non integrative people who are migrating for social security benefits. But sure your one liner is catchy, so dont let facts get in the way. Keep going.

[@anniehimself]

@@PrateekJain-pi9jc 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@jackscotchland8947]

Prateek “culturally non integrative people” what’s that supposed to mean

[@sigh.sy.s]

@@jackscotchland8947 i think he's referring to the fact that Berlin was basically the same people but stuck on two different sides. But he's saying the people that the Mexico wall blocks are inherently cultural different without the possibility of integration or assimilation

[@jackscotchland8947]

Saihaan Syed which is incredibly racist.

[@syncout9586]

7:25 I thought he was holding a mobile phone at first recording himself in east berlin. Then I remembered that was 1989

[@joanne9916]

Same! I had to rewind, it's his passport.

[@phakees5139]

Everytime I hear that story i have goosebumps. I'm a teenager from Germany and the border between East and West ist still there in the heads.

[@FlorianFahrenberger]

Being German, it is very cool to see an outside view on our history. And dare I say, you got the explanations and emphasis on what was important to Germany pretty spot on.

[@maryam4680]

You're handsome

[@Akshay-cj3hq]

@@maryam4680 no me

[@viktorklerkx7486]

These are the type of mistakes I’m trying to make

[@SebastianHaban]

Mistakes that bring down whole countrys? If you ever encounter a big red button, please don't press it...

[@lgbtqiarights]

Sebastian Haban i dont see the issue here

[@fiferplayeralt7118]

@@lgbtqiarights same. Kinda acts like happy accidents

[@Bulbashkin]

Viktor Klerkx exactly

[@lualejo2015]

When?

[@mateatomic1434]

Was in Berlin over the weekend and was able to visit Checkpoint Charlie and the Wall Museum next door. It was incredible to see incredible artifacts from this time in history and read about the people involved.

[@nodrinkfortequila]

Even after many years when I re-watch these historical moments, I still shed tears for those people

[@tymgamerz]

There is nothing more permanent than a temperary solution

[@withmanyvideosxd1millionsu116]

Temporary*

[@moosesandmeese969]

Britain's solution to the Irish border with regards to brexit

[@avanivijay5240]

The wall between Israel and Palestine

[@Franz_cpp]

This reminds me of North and South Korea’s situation. I hope to be alive to see a united Korea, to see the North Koreans experience freedom.

[@moosesandmeese969]

Sadly it's pretty unlikely. North Koreans have been so isolated that they are very different from South Koreans now. South Koreans now don't even want unification.

[@parkerwilkins5495]

@@Brick-Life /s?

[@flowrepins6663]

what about kin jong un? north koreans would destrou him.if they learn they are prisoners

[@titan133760]

China won't let that happen

[@mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm8]

Even South Korea doesn’t want that to happend

[@Luna_Hyuga]

I was born 12 years after the fall of the berlin wall. For all my life my country was one. But I still cried watching this.

[@autumn-vl5ez]

My dad was a Russian linguist stationed in Germany when the wall fell, listening to the Russians react to the demise of their wall. My dad is pretty cool.

[@kaiyuanchen2107]

Imagine all the people whose family members died when trying to cross the border, realizing a few months later that they could all just go now :(

[@chewinggum5550]

Some guards escaped too !

[@rifwann]

Years.. 28 years

[@rudolfix7772]

All the people... it was 140 in total. The US police literally kills almost eight times that many people every year.

[@joshuaalfaro4781]

@@rudolfix7772 This isn't about American Police

[@rudolfix7772]

@@joshuaalfaro4781 Puts it in perspective, though.

[@byram101]

I was told the story of Gunter Schabowski on a walking tour of Berlin and I pegged it as one of the craziest stories I have ever heard! And one of the best Walking tours! Life is amazing!

[@bwines16]

I just tried to tell my family about this and they straight up said “it wasn’t a mistake”. There’s some that really just don’t care what goes on in other countries. Happy to have studied abroad in Köln and near Halle ❤

[@VS-mt3hr]

Never heard that Regan speech. I think "Ich bin ein Berliner" is more famous in Europe..

[@TheSam1902]

I, too, am a delicious cake

[@gdefuykjds]

strange how I've never heard the Reagan speech but knew about the David hasslehoff performance lol

[@nehankaranch2149]

it isnt insignificant, the us was the sole defender of europe and without the us this would never have happened as the us poured money into germany

[@johnleeson6946]

"Mmmm, donuts!" -Homer Simpson

[@QemeH]

@@TheSam1902 I hope you know that this is just a meme. In the context of the speech it was perfectly clear that he talked about "Berliner" as citizens of Berlin (which is correct in german!). Nobody on the day even thought that he might be talking about "Berliner", the sweet baked good (basically a jam-filled donut, but not in a ring shape - and definitively not cake), especially because IN Berlin those aren't called "Berliner", but rather "Pfannkuchen" (which in the rest of germany means "pancake" - yes, I know that is confusing).

[@ilariagioffre8743]

The reporter who asked to Schabowski that crucial question is Riccardo Ehrman,an Italian reporter who was working in Berlin at the time , he's now 90 years old; I've just seen a documentary about the Fall of Berlin's wall a few moments ago and I've thought it might be an interesting thing to share :)

[@anna_in_aotearoa3166]

Thank you! That seemed to be the one thing missing from this great documentary: credit of whom exactly asked the pivotal question!

[@PhilipFry.]

It's Riccardo Ehrenmann :)

[@samquertzz3589]

For anyone asking who is the reporter who asked Günter Schawbowski. He is Riccardo Ehrman (bro reunited europe in opinion with one question).

[@MM-NolascoPH]

Thank you so much for the information

[@jeris33]

Really great video, very informative, thank you. I was a teenager in America when it happened and it's really interesting to see the detail and chain of events that actually took place at the time.

[@TheInselaffen]

I have a piece of the wall that has now sat in my room for 20 years, one day it will have been there longer than it was ever in Berlin.

[@jonas4018]

Organon since when is it sitting there as the wall was torn down 30 years ago, lol

[@TheInselaffen]

@@jonas4018 there are still parts of the wall standing today. Perhaps take a trip to Berlin, its lovely.

[@HowToDecideOnNothing]

depending on which stage of the wall building it was part of, that may have already happened. They were continually 'improving' the wall over time, with the building of the most advanced structure starting in 1975, only 14 years before it fell.

[@nomadMik]

@@jonas4018 Why is that funny? It taking 10 years to get to their room seems pretty unremarkable.

[@JacobBax]

Me too, chopped off a year after the fall.

[@aghosh5447]

When should I submit the assignment? Professor : Immediately, without delay.

[@jett6275]

I teared up because of how happy I am for them. They are genuinely Happy.

[@jett6275]

This makes me cry Everytime o god despite not knowing anything about it before my comment 2 months ago. I'm so so happy for them.

[@thedude9024]

Look how happy they are. I wish I had an event like this in my country's history to understand how important freedom is to the human soul.

[@DarthVaderin]

I mean I know that I know more about the Berlin Wall as a German, but Americans don't know that it all was because of a mistake? I thought that's like the one thing people know, because it was so unexpected!

[@harveyholmes9533]

I’m English and I’d honestly never heard that it was just a mistake I thought the East Germans gave in to demand when thousands of people turned up at the wall, I am too young to have seen that day though

[@ArtisticlyAlexis]

We're hardly taught more than the soundbite of Reagan saying "Tear down that wall!" It's so sad, but in our education system, we're not taught anything about foreign interactions that doesn't show the US winning or being the cause of something good, like the Berlin wall falling down. I was hardly taught about the Korean War or Vietnam, because we didn't win those. We're taught a whole lot about WWII though. It's a travesty.

[@srzapata99]

I'm Mexican and I didn't know that it was a mistake.

[@schnick2596]

Dude the majority of Americans probably doesnt even know that Germany was split once.

[@sunsetlights100]

Surely not just a mistake but yes never heard this detail before from from West prospective the way Berlin had that corridor in didn't really get that till recently no focus in my western style education school system.

[@TTCanadaJapan]

Schabowski is like than one kid in class that does and reviews his report the same time.

[@futureisyours3016]

EU teacher: Give him a medal. USSR teacher: blindfold and shoot him.

[@JanLehnhardt]

For an infotainment piece this pleasantly accurate. So hats off to you.

[@Mahmut-wh8nr]

As a Kurdish person, i couldn’t stop my tears while i was watching. This is so emotional. People who have tried to cross the wall, has suffered much. Und bin ich so froh dass, endlich das „Berlin Wall“ gefallen ist.

[@riruahm2960]

Oh God I am in tears and I wasn't even born when that happened. I hope to experience such joyous moment in my life time.

[@nicholaswong179]

So you want to be separated from your friends and family for 28 years before being reunited?

[@realworldissues]

@@nicholaswong179 was just about to ask that 😂

[@nomadMik]

Visit Berlin! It's one of my favourite cities in the world, because some of that energy is still there!

[@justsomeghostwithinterneta7296]

Korea's unite!

[@escsimone]

@Águila701 Yeah, that will be kinda Berlin Wall Fall 2.0

[@JJ-mq2lv]

I'm always getting really emotional watching videos of the wall being teared down and I wasn't even born back then...

[@luxembourgishempire2826]

Lol.

[@welp4576]

Luxembourgish Empire nice to see you again

[@luxembourgishempire2826]

@@welp4576 Nice to see you 2.

[@insertaverygenericnamehere]

I am from West-Germany. Saw the press conference in the news and witnessed the breakdown of the GDR borders in East-Berlin live on TV. We were up in tears (of joy) in the family. Could visit our relatives in Eastern Berlin a few weeks later.

[@insertaverygenericnamehere]

(tearing up again when I see the pictures. wow!)

[@kaorimg1230]

Such a profoundly joyful moment …

[@berkinars]

''Freedom has many difficulties and democracy is not perfect, but we have never had to put a wall up to keep our people in.'' -John F. Kennedy

[@JanSanono]

When your history teacher literally told you this story on Monday lol

[@aturchomicz821]

Vox video sneakpeek:

[@maxmustermann7989]

Jan Sanono thats because on this saturday, we celebrate 30 year fall of the border 😌

[@indianboy007_]

@@maxmustermann7989 congrats

[@JanSanono]

Max Mustermann no actually haha, he was telling us about it because our next history subject is Germany’s modern history, lol

[@ThePrimo323]

Let me guess sophomore or junior in high school

[@souvikrc4499]

This has to be the best mistake ever made in history.

[@malharley123]

This video is excellent 👌 Clearly put and really interesting. Many thanks

[@cz2301]

- What do you want? - Freedom! - When do you want it? - Immediately. Without delay.

[@shimakaido8876]

It’s hilarious seeing how confused American sare when they learned they’re not the “heroes” that brought down the Berlin Wall.

[@moosesandmeese969]

Yeah us Americans think the entire world revolves around us. It's quite insulting really to the Germans who protested in the streets and actually tore the wall down themselves

[@00honeybadger]

@@moosesandmeese969 smart statement from an actual american. have my upvote good sir

[@skyguy1236]

i never believed that as an American

[@sunkist1309]

Idk man people that listen to everything they told us in school believe that until their like 16 and figure out how the world works

[@asspee1198]

reddit moment

[@jeodincaceres7693]

"David Hasselhoff, Tear down this wall!"

[@impulsiveDecider]

we still hate him for that :D

[@Phenom98]

Then he destroys it by crashing KITT into it

[@cliffsofmoher4220]

How come te soldiers didn't shoot all the people who went to the wall

[@nonculus]

How could you not know this???!?!?!? This press conference was so important.....

[@redlady222]

That councilman fell victim to MS Word formatting. I feel you brother.

[@gerardoleon8643]

I think I watched the whole video with a really big smile on my face❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@joshuaiban4201]

I am watching this in June of 2020 and I am crying. I am so happy for those people. You are all loved! From 🇵🇭

[@Bashrc]

Thank you!

[@MichaelSnyder1776]

I was recently in Berlin and our walking tour guide told this story. Unbelievable stuff. What a story. This is why I love history 😅

[@dr.davidenglish778]

I hope to be able to do that one day. I've only had a chance to see a small part of Europe (Sweden and the Netherlands). There are so many countries to visit I have no idea how I will decide which ones to go to.

[@substanceandevidence]

Love the synchronized TV anchors at 6:18 - nice editing!

[@hamishashcroft3233]

This almost makes me tear up.. the complete and pure joy those people must have felt is amazing

[@davidaar1947]

Freedom is a beautiful thing.

[@gardensofthegods]

I remember when all that was happening and my one regret was that my father died the year before . He missed it , as he would have loved seeing this great event .

[@mikhayel3105]

It brought me to tears even when I wasn’t particularly close to the sink or paying attention to the video. Such is the power unfiltered human emotion, we all have a subconsciousness to automatically recognise great moments of decisiveness of our species and it doesn’t need any word or understanding to understand that emotion. I wish we could fight harder now like people before us to unite humanity rather than divide it, yet it’s the opposite.

[@tabby73]

Well said 👍🙏

[@monikadear3594]

Great comment, true! Thank you!

[@wouldyoubesokindasto]

Both my parents were from East Germany. Every time I see the press conference scenes and what happened afterwards, it brings me to tears. Just knowing exactly how they felt in that moment. What an impact it had on both their lives. How different life would be without all these little coincidences.

[@cryoflip5841]

I like how in the thumbnail instead of having the arrow point and say something like "this broke it" it says Berlin wall. Just labels the wall

[@dontrefertomethanks]

That man's pure happiness at 7:25 just fills my heart with joy to see them oh so happy

[@borismuller86]

Area 51 Raid? Pfffft! Berlin Wall... they couldn’t stop them all!

[@jaimethekingslayerlannister]

They not tried.

[@FatlBushida]

whats the update on are 51 raid?? did i miss something?

[@laula813]

@@FatlBushida Just a bunch of hippies stood around and made jokes. One tried to get in, got arrested. That's all.

[@kaderpdi1982]

Next is the vatican archive