What happened the day the Berlin Wall fell? | DW News

A look at the fall of the Berlin Wall through the broadcasts of one West Berlin newsroom. Before RIAS TV was incorporated into Deutsche Welle, it served audiences on both sides of the wall that separated East and West Germany. Starting on the morning of November, 9 1989, the RIAS TV newsroom documented the growing crisis in the GDR alongside the GDR lotto numbers. It was an ordinary newsday mixed with escalation. Until finally the wall opened up ... and the party started.
We invited five RIAS TV journalists to revist their role in reporting the day's events as they unfolded, and with the perspective of thirty years' behind them, it's not what you'd expect.
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[@jamesr1703]

I was a 17 yr. old German American who was stopped at the border to East Germany in 1983 and ordered to hand over my camera, which was taken by an official, who opened the back and pulled out the film exposing it to the light for kicks. In Nov. 1989, when I heard that the border was opened, I flew to Germany, drove to Berlin and chiseled my own piece of the Wall, which I still have to this day. It was a beautiful day!

[@setablaze1802]

I'd love to see you take that back with you through customs. "Do you have anything to declare?" "Yes sir, a piece of history"

[@latifigerald22]

i just saw your comment in another video lmao

[@gardensofthegods]

James R ... that was pretty cool .

[@srs3572]

I’m so proud and in awe of you for doing that!!!

[@freudenberg101]

I have two pieces; carved in the spring of 1990. I went with my aunt from Sweden. I was 13.

[@francelaurel4841]

"Actually, we just wanted to come, have a beer"

[@osborne6363]

Typically German

[@nazgul_i]

Osborne Nah typical Bavarian

[@johnnyace2287]

Das ist gut; ja!?

[@sabi5803]

@@nazgul_i 🙄

[@columnedfox5508]

@@osborne6363 and eat some luftwaffles aswell

[@HistoryHustle]

Amazing how such an important event in history was captured by so many cameras giving us a great insight of how these things unfolded.

[@antoniospanayiotou8619]

Yes, yet hardly a whimper when Israeli buil another wall!

[@Dutch_Uncle]

There is a distinction between fencing out and fencing in. It remains a wonder, on the level of divine grace, that the whole thing passed bloodlessly, without even looting of liquor stores or buildings being set on fire. A football team victory or loss is enough to set off a riot, but that did not happen. As noted in the film, a nervous border guard could have set off a Chinese solution in the form of a massacre. All in all, a stereotypically German event- orderly and tidy.

[@estatesales9818]

You don't know. You're Dutch. lol j/k

[@Andrew-jh5kj]

American here. I remember this from when I was a kid. I remember my mom was watching the TV and crying. I also remember thinking "why's everyone making such a big deal about smashing up some concrete wall with a bunch of graffiti on it?"

[@atulshetty3127]

R u a German staying in America?

[@schusterlehrling]

It was the ultimate wall. The last one before reaching freedom and liberty so to speak. As Americans you should notice that the wall as a mean to keep whole populations out, does only do that for a limited time, and is under growing pressure all the time.

[@zeprowl]

@@schusterlehrling you got it back to front - it was not to keep people out, it was to keep people *IN*.

[@gardensofthegods]

Andrew and a lot of people died on the other side of that wall ... usually shot in the back by soldiers when they were trying to escape to freedom on the other side .

[@janus3555]

@@schusterlehrling The wall was to keep people in. Walls are great at keeping people out. They are used the world over, today and for people's homes for protection. Walls to keep people in are a prison. That's an entirely different point.

[@johnpendell9042]

That woman being guided by the soldier or policeman made me tear up. The footage was quite cinematic. You could see he was only doing his job and was holding his tongue.

[@michaelaldredge-greenwell1692]

I was bawling and sobbing just seeing this, making my heart break!! I am truly humbled & grateful to that police officer for granting this beautiful woman’s wish!! So heroic, & full of compassion & incredible grace and kindness!! I’m still sobbing…

[@KibuFox]

@@michaelaldredge-greenwell1692 Something about him putting his arm around her as they walked just makes it even more touching. You can see as he's being yelled at that he's choking up a bit.

[@michaelaldredge-greenwell1692]

@@KibuFox nods. I’m still choked up

[@dustietu]

I watched this on the tv news as a teenager in USA. Thank you for this heart wrenching glimpse. Very well done!

[@dwnews]

Thank You

[@vintagehaynesflute]

I remember the night it happened. I didn’t sleep at all that night!

[@amednbl]

Same

[@dichter331]

I was only 11 years old back than, so I did not know the significance of what was happening. But the one thing that was (sadly) impregnated into my brain was the Lightbulb-Jacket of Hasselhoff....^^

[@FriedRiceINC]

7:10 this moment was so beautiful. I'm still crying as I type this. So much anger built up over an entire life of being separated and restricted, and then on one amazing night the restrictions evaporated and she could finally cross through and look back from the other side. I cant imagine what that must have felt like.

[@marvinvolner4640]

I remember that day like it was yesterday. I was a US soldier stationed in West Germany and a Sergeant and I stood there with tears in our eyes. My relatives are German and he fled East Germany and joined the US Army

[@diewilden80gerhattehattefa74]

Still makes me cry watching this. No blood flowed. How amazing :D

[@dinodiodato7537]

😭

[@ioanpena]

At that time in Romania was colder inside the house than outside and no electricity , eating nothing and knowing nothing about the end of the Berlin wall !!!

[@darkhorseash4337]

The sheer joy by the people on both sides of the wall is incredible to witness.

[@vijay20]

so NO ONE's gonna talk about '89 electro music which is actually a .midi track?

[@Zestrayswede]

Midi 1.0 had been around for 4 years by this point so it wasn't _completely_ new

[@leahflower9924]

it's europes fault for all the electronic music we had to endure for over 30 years

[@theduchessofkitty4107]

As a 16-year-old watching all of this from my home in the USA, it was first unbelievable, then exuberant, and then, historic. We all finally could breathe a sigh of relief. Our relief didn’t come when Reagan and Gorbachev signed the treaty on December 1987, right before Christmas. We still had our misgivings and doubts, even after the ink was dry. On November 9, 1989, we realized it was over. We allowed ourselves to dream again, to live in peace. I share the sentiment of Germans when I say, “What a great time to be alive!” Thanks, DW, for this report.

[@ZardozCologne]

When I went to school I thought Germany will be unified after WW III in a radioactive graveyard; I will never forget when I heard that in the radio in my car!

[@mjm9863]

I was a military brat there as my dad was stationed in West Germany. When the wall fell, it was such a celebration and party all over the country. I’ll always remember when the wall fell as it was when I lost my virginity to a West German girl i knew. I still miss her and hope she is doing well.

[@manyulgarprsch]

I guess, this is how one remembers historical moments for the rest of their live!

[@milesaharrison]

Excellent video, as a news geek this is incredible. I was 4 when the berlin wall fell and being shoved in front of the TV in my parents house in Yorkshire (UK) is pretty much my earliest memory. I had no idea what was going on but they knew it was important that I watched the BBC Breaking News at that point. I genuinely do remember it and I am so glad for that as it had somehow instilled a passion for news for the rest of my life. My dad was an RAF pilot at that time and had spent a lot of the early 80s in Germany so I can't imagine what emotions this event stirred up for him. What an epic moment for a country I still dearly love. I can barely remember it, but I'm so glad I could retrospectively feel like a part of such a beautiful moment in a nations history. Witness change people! I long for my next visit to my favourite city in the world, stay safe Berlin!

[@tim72184]

You weren't the only kid called to the TV that night!

[@lemonycricket3286]

Quick note: my grandfather, who joined the east german border police force in the mid-fifties until his retirement mentioned to me " We saw coming what would happen that very evening. Me and some other officers took an agreement: We dont hand out live ammunition to our soldiers". Small info, but hopefully shows the mindset of the "evil" border police force, who were mostly tired of their own state already. Greetings from Berlin!

[@thekrispypub14]

I am not German. But I find the reunion of West and East German is making me cry and seeing people reunitr with their loved ones adds icing to the cake.

[@mikedoe1737]

Human desire to be FREE is indomitable! This brought tears to my eyes. More than 50 years of brutal dictatorships, but they at last saw *FREEDOM*. Amazing!

[@Fiorellandia]

Mike Doe It was not freedom, it was capitalism, they crossed the wall and first thing they do is go to Burger King, ugh.

[@mikedoe1737]

Yes, Fiorella, and that's what freedom is about: making choices. Capitalism facilitates freedom. People who are free to invent, to innovate, to produce, to buy, and to sell are also free to enjoy the results of their choices, which is prosperity for the huge majority. Also, those poor East Germans were on a Communist diet of near-starvation so it's little wonder they made a beeline for a well-stocked, cheap restaurant with plenty of foods they never saw! What socialism-loved-in Western Leftists don't understand is that Burger King, Mickey Dees, etc. is a beautiful, unattainable dream for many living under the thumb of collectivism. They themselves though never dream of living like a Venezuelan, North Korean, Chinese, etc. There's a reason thousands of people risked their lives to escape East into West Germany, and not a single person (not one!) did the opposite! CAPITALISM WORKS!

[@bakibrat98]

@@mikedoe1737 keep living your sweet lies

[@skyguy1236]

@@bakibrat98 Ok say whatever you want, but its undenyable life in east germany was a milllion times worse than west germany... Why would so many EAST germans FLOOD into every possible escape point possible the moment they had a chance while the westerners kinda just let them in

[@pitaya4151]

@@bakibrat98 Capitalism is the closest we're gonna get to freedom, unfortunately. It's not the best, but there are ways to salvage it.

[@SiVlog1989]

You know the phrase "famous last words," my parents said to each other that they couldn't see how Germany could become one nation again. They said this in October 1989, and roughly a month later, the Berlin Wall came down, marking the start of a process that culminated in German reunification on 3rd October 1990. They've never been so glad to be proven wrong in their lives

[@pwgearedturbofan2348]

It's crazy how something so small and random can cause massive changes. Glad that Germany is united. 🇩🇪 Hopefully the same will eventually happen with Korea, too, but it's not likely.

[@Dutch_Uncle]

One wonders. The reporters, analysts, diplomats and others who were supposed to predict things failed absolutely to make this call. One screwed up announcement on LIVE TV and the whole house of cards Potemkin village came down. I agree that an exact replay with North Korea in the starring role is unlikely, but then again, the track record for prediction raises doubts.

[@Steve14ps]

Ironically the end of the Berlin Wall also meant the end of RIAS which had served Berlin well over the years.

[@californiadaze]

Absolutely incredible. The emotions people must have been feeling… to see each other together, united. Wow.

[@windywendi]

I love learning history from these lenses instead of the official reports. Learning what the ordinary people were doing when history happened to them.

[@turtle19dad]

I lost everything I had from this time during various moves. I had pieces of the wall, and steins commemorating the wall coming down, various GDR uniforms, hats. Things a young soldier stationed in Bad Hersfeld would have. A part of history. I was very happy/proud for Germany. They treated us very well.

[@Bellinzona1000]

I can't imagine how much suppressed anger the woman screaming at the East German border guard was able to release at that moment. Bless her.

[@catherinegarrard9241]

I was 17 in GB at the time!! I remember being so happy for the people ❤

[@davegoldsmith4020]

A few weeks after then wall fell we drove up to Berlin staying at Kladow, The wall had gone but we walked on the newly constructed path that had been built where the wall had been. We found a section of the lighting and electric fence still in place, my son Climbed up one of the posts and broke off one of the fence fuse holders and its connection to the cable. We still have it as a memento of serving with the RAF in that magic time in Germany

[@evierodriguez82]

I remember seeing The Berlin Wall fall on the news. I didn't know exactly what was going on. I was only 7

[@ntcrwler]

To be able to relive these magic moments again, when the entire city, country, celebrated in joy. In the streets, at the clubs, all over Berlin. I remember watching the news. I visited years later and walked through the Brandenburg gate.. but to have been there celebrating.. Well done, RIAS!

[@aderfigueroa]

I remember that on live tv but I didn’t know what was the big deal, now I know all the suffering they went through.. RIP all the innocent people who lost their life.

[@tuckfuddyduddy]

Freedom. The very thing when stolen or deprived to us, is such a thing that we can’t imagine to lose.

[@rls303]

Thanks

[@jacksonwee4037]

Wind of change

[@ilalapinski6146]

I cry any time I am watching this!

[@evilborg]

I am half German from my mutter's side.... I called my mutter the minute I heard this on the news. My mutter was in shock and didn't say much but we both cried. I sent her a chunk of the wall as a memento of freedom for all Germans.

[@BigEightiesNewWave]

the Brandenburg lady made me cry.

[@celebrityrog]

I was 10 years old when the wall came down. One of the first things I remember is jeans. Denim. Lots and lots of outdated clothing and denim jeans being worn and desired by East Berliners.

[@londonanderson9622]

Watching this really makes me want to watch Atomic Blonde again to feel the impact this had on the people and how tremendous it was

[@nwadoug]

Amazing! Thank you!

[@BeefaloBart]

I can remember that day lol. I was stationed there with the US Army and that was the best time of my life. I still talk to friends that I knew from there. Berlin had some of the greatest people I have ever known. Also some of the worst lol but true Berliners were amazing people.

[@dave4shmups]

Wonderful video with footage from that day! What kind of computer is that person using for MIDI? It could have been an Amiga as those were much more popular in Germany then they ever were here in the USA!

[@berlindude75]

Looked more like an Atari or Apple computer.

[@janus3555]

It was an apple.

[@garhull11]

I always remember the lady from Branderburger Tor since I first saw that video, so many things going on in that moment alone

[@sidevans1]

Must have been incredible to be there and witness it.

[@remixgod6869]

Was living in West Germany at the time. Everyone was so happy! ☺️☺️☺️

[@haydeecolon7868]

2022 and I am crying.

[@MenaceFan]

Does anyone have details on the woman pleading to walk through the Brandenburg Gate of the entire footage of her? I have seen longer footage of this years ago but cannot find it again. Apparently was a teacher, and pleaded to the guards senses that she was East Germa, a teacher, had children (I think military) and would come back.

[@CristianoRonaldo-sg3qt]

*BERLIN WALL FALL YUGOSLAVIA OH HERE WE GO AGAIN NEW WAR BEGINS*

[@Thumbelllina]

we paid with blood a month later in Romania... :( then Yugoslavia our neighbours... and we let the freaking arial space free for the bombs... Romanians were all against it! We were aching for our brothers and sisters over there :(

[@Molekulasti]

@@Thumbelllina I assume you were aching for Serbs? Not for hundreds of thousands Bosnians, Croats, Albanians and others they've butchered while spreading their Greater Serbia fascism?

[@martinyfelix]

Very interesting, vielen Dank

[@nurlindafsihotang49]

The berlin wall falling even broadcasted in our only tv broadcasting company TVRI back in 89, with my 8 y.o eyes, seeing how happy and jubilant was the people of west and east germany, even we in indonesia in the far south east, cannot helped but stand up and clapping too. That day, i trully believe is a possibility of world peace. And one of my south korean playmates says, that day, her parents had the hope oneday...korea too can be united.

[@DMF716]

First time I have seen this video. Brings back a lot of memories

[@wolfgangvon4261]

It's really a important moment but after the excitement, maybe the most effect is for east german, everything is changed and until now

[@jasonsan6708]

The final days of the GDR kinda sounds like my final days in highschool

[@AwesomesMan]

Similar in my ways 😂

[@tmurrayis]

I was 29 and remember the day it happened clearly. I lived in Vancouver Canada it was on every news cast.

[@shitstirrer]

They definitely witnessed the history moving

[@Paramountfan2002OLD]

and also Gongs and Chimes was finally gone forever in 1990 after the last broadcast that was back in 33 years ago.

[@EugenaKvaternika7]

No matter how many documentaries there are in regards the fall of the wall, I have goosebumps everytime. The singularly most significant date of 20th century European history. The Berlin Wall symbolised the iron curtain and the Cold War and its fall directly contributed to the end of 40 years of Soviet occupation of Central Europe

[@WTG20233]

One of the greatest and most iconic moments in history

[@sebastiancheong2385]

I bought the numbers from the Lottozahlen. Wish me luck!

[@estatesales9818]

"You're welcome." - America

[@andrewjones-productions]

I remember that day and those times well. Even amongst my peers in Wales at that time, we felt something very special and emotional. The commencement of the fall of the Iron Curtain was a massive sense of relief for many. Although we didn't trust the USSR fully, there was also something that at least told me that Gorbachev wouldn't do anything. In a very recent BBC interview with Mikhail Gobarchev, he actually confirmed that they took the decision to not intervene. That night, the stars aligned and good things happened. How careless we have been to let the Cold War start up again and the USA and Russia once again tearing up treaties and are embarking on what will undoubtedly become a new arms race. It is very poignant and ironic that the last leader of the USSR has also recently warned that the 'World is in colossal danger'. Yes, Mr. Gorbachev. You are right.

[@ceeceehalim6381]

Who's the handsome with the musical computer ?

[@athansky25]

I used to listen Shortwave DXing during the Cold War era culminating in the Fall of Berlin Wall in Nov 1989, hearing this historic breaking news on radio shows how important SHORTWAVE was, as I feel I am a witness of these unfolding events even though far away, continents apart, made me realise we are indeed living in EXTRAORDINARY Times from the 20th thru 21st Century. 🗼

[@JohnDoe-ph2we]

I was living in Norway at the time. Maybe 7 years old. I can still remember everybody so happy

[@richtygart6855]

The funny thing was how much the German people were enjoying having David Hasselhoff singing there while all of us Americans were cringing and thinking "Oh God! The Baywatch/Knight Rider guy is singing in front of all of those people." 😂

[@janus3555]

Baywatch wasn't a thing in 1989. And in 1989, we didn't really cringe about it. Most of us thought, "Huh, I remember him, I guess that's where he's been for the last 3 years".

[@amiausUSA]

@0:24 I heard Sidney Youngblood's "If only I could". I have it on my "Mega Dance into the 1990s" CD compilation so that is how I recognized the song.

[@Joey-ct8bm]

Imagine having nightshift that day.😂😂

[@gfree4173]

Planned a trip to DDR in 1986. Never made it though. My loss.

[@9408994041]

Damn, lotto numbers didn’t come in

[@HVDonkeyPark]

Thanks for this excellent and moving documentary. I'm watching this in February, 2020 at a time when a significant portion of the U.S. population is considering nominating a socialist who in 1988, while the people of the GDR and Soviet satellites were heroically protesting against the repressive policies of their governments which would ultimately lead to the fall of the Iron Curtain and Berlin Wall, he chose to honeymoon in the Soviet Union and celebrated their well-run transportation system and free health care and education. It saddens me to see how little time it has taken us to forget the lessons of history.

[@dubuyajay9964]

The Frankfurt School of indoctrination has ruined America.

[@jeremynv89523]

Don't be silly. No one wants communism here. Only social democracy, as they have in Sweden or Norway. You've been watching Fox News.

[@Thumbelllina]

[@Fritha71]

It was a heavy price but worth paying nevertheless. I hope that those who died for freedom are still very much honoured in Romania today...

[@WhiteBloggerBlackSpecs]

I can't imagine being trapped behind the Iron Curtain for nearly 30 years

[@lwfozzy6925]

I remember.

[@bitehunter122]

❤️❤️❤️

[@Elghast]

8:00 feels like the end of WW1, WW2 and the Cold War combined

[@louier9033]

10:15 Short Memory by Midnight Oil in the background

[@BadBoyBobby85]

I don't even know German but that woman yelling made me cry, I could tell she was upset really bad

[@INCNetski]

How many people were made that night?

[@jasondonovan1408]

I was a young US soldier in Germany at this time. It was a trip! I remember the Trabi's very well.....and yes they did smell :P

[@JJMHigner]

The most famous press conference in history. Who knew?

[@SNOWDONTRYFAN]

my uncle in west Germany living in a Northern city right on the border was overcome with joy when the border came down, that was until his street was full of those trapi cars , having been dumped as hundreds of East Germans bought up every second hand car they could get their hands on , as for stripping all the shops bare of goods ...say no more

[@bobkilla430]

Just saw a video about how the eastern army between east/west at the beginning was sad. East soliders were instructed to shoot on site at the start. One solider escaped to the west, after that east soldiers would have 3 pair in case another tried to escape. They were friendly to western soldiers and the main incentive to be an eastern solider was to get a higher pay and education.

[@gardensofthegods]

bobkilla , I know I'm a year late but I'm wondering if there's any way you might remember the name of that video

[@bobkilla430]

@@gardensofthegods not off the top of my head. it might have been something from oversimplified or a history ytuber I can find a little later.

[@Schweden99]

Hehe...geil. Viele erst mal zu Burger King. Find ich klasse 😂

[@Coowallsky]

To this day I feel sympathy for those people that crossed back and forth that evening and/or the next day but had to remember that they had deceased family members that didn't live long enough to see this historical event take place and take advantage of a stroll across the border.

[@TheRealRusDaddy]

I had a german english teacher who talked a couple times about this period and eventually did a little experiment to show us what it was like where she had some crime scene tape along the middle of the class room cutting my group and another in half i was on the east german, where they had to do homework, side but like the real krafty krauts i slipped across the border into the west, screw around and do whatever, mere nano seconds before she could finish saying we couldnt cross the border and she let it fly after i made a good enough argument, i always imagined myself as that guy that drove through the checkpoint and ripped off the top half of his car in the process and it was full of bullet holes but he still made it out

[@PhilMante]

0:16 is the best reaction to being freed ever.

[@johnmelton4940]

I wonder how they had the currency to spend in the West Berlin. Were the East German Mark convertible at that time? Or were they allowed to buy West German Mark? Somebody please reply. Thanks.

[@jatdaman]

West germans gave them money and i do believe east marks were converted to west currency

[@timeodaneosetdona]

10:00 Go Trabi Go!

[@pradeepsao4951]

GOD BLESS AWESOME COUNTRY GERMANY!

[@Buckeye2043]

RIP Mr. Gorbachev. He did the right thing.

[@Skd07298]

What is beneficial of behind that....????

[@wolfgangvon4261]

the west,

[@xhetoomni8134]

What was bro wearing 10:06-10:10

[@liefdekovenpierceabad1821]

Happy new year😘💞💞💞😘😘2019

[@system1912]

The GDR had a lottery??

[@user-qq2xt4he7m]

system1912 even the USSR had a lottery ...

[@janus3555]

USSR did too but when you won, the prize was to not be shot.

[@mikeor-]

When Ronald Reagan said: "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall," he was not talking about the Berlin Wall. He was talking about the metaphorical wall between Capitalism and Communism. And even though he had already been succeeded by George Bush when the wall fell, without him, it would have been nigh-impossible.

[@nassermj7671]

Mostly German. Pretty language but... maybe subtitles?

[@rayanderson286]

When the first Freedom Train was released and came from Prague through Hof, Germany they were observed crossing into West Germany by soldiers of the 2d Armored Cavalry Regiment. The media stopped one of the families after getting off the train. They asked how they felt about, the quote translated to, "when we saw the American soldiers we knew we were free. Thank you Ronald Reagan."

[@randocalrisian7327]

I was fortunate enough to take my own chunk out of the wall about a month after this

[@jamesw.t.9591]

The garmany sure have a strong heart.

[@mfwarrior2000]

Brought to you by two of the greatest leaders of the 20th Century: Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev