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The Berlin Wall opened on the night of 9 November 1989, after an East German official announcing new travel rules at a live press conference said they took effect ‘immediately’. Crowds rushed to the checkpoints, and that night the guards opened the gates.

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The official was Günter Schabowski, spokesman for East Germany's ruling party. He had been handed a note about the rules shortly before the 6 pm press conference, without being told that they were meant to start the next day. His answer, ‘as far as I know, immediately, without delay’, went out live and was reported on West German television, which many East Germans watched. By late evening thousands had gathered at the Bornholmer Straße crossing. With no one higher up willing to take responsibility, its commander, Harald Jäger, let the crowd through. The wall had divided the city since 13 August 1961. Less than a year after it opened, on 3 October 1990, East and West Germany were reunified.

Türkçe oku
Berlin Duvarı 9 Kasım 1989 gecesi açıldı. O akşam Doğu Alman bir yetkili, canlı yayındaki basın toplantısında yeni seyahat kurallarını duyurmuş, kuralların ne zaman geçerli olacağı sorulunca “hemen” demişti. Sınır kapılarına akın eden kalabalıkların önünde muhafızlar kapıları açtı.

Bu yetkili, Doğu Almanya'yı yöneten partinin sözcüsü Günter Schabowski'ydi. Yeni kurallarla ilgili notu saat 18.00'deki basın toplantısından kısa süre önce almış, ama kuralların ertesi gün yürürlüğe gireceği ona söylenmemişti. “Bildiğim kadarıyla hemen, gecikmeden” cevabı canlı yayınlandı ve pek çok Doğu Almanın izlediği Batı Alman televizyonlarında da duyuruldu. Gece ilerledikçe binlerce kişi Bornholmer Caddesi'ndeki sınır kapısında toplandı. Üstlerinden hiçbiri sorumluluk almayınca kapının komutanı Harald Jäger kalabalığı geçirmeye karar verdi. Duvar, 13 Ağustos 1961'den beri kenti ikiye bölüyordu. Açılışından bir yıl bile geçmeden, 3 Ekim 1990'da Doğu ve Batı Almanya yeniden birleşti.

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