Life In East Germany
In 1949, following the Cold War, Germany was divided, with half the country becoming a communist state. Citizens were stripped of their freedoms and dealt torturous consequences. Every aspect of their culture became censored. Their mail was opened and their phones were tapped.
After millions of people fled the region, the government built the Berlin Wall, effectively holding citizens hostage for years.
From the rise of communist power to the fall of the Berlin Wall, here’s the dark truth about life in East Germany—and it's not for the faint hearted.
The End Of The Cold War
At the end of World War II, the main Allied powers—the United States, France, Great Britain, and the Soviet Union—divided Germany into two zones, the East and the West. The Soviet Union occupied East Germany and quickly turned it into a rigidly controlled communist state.
Helmut Rudolph, CC-BY-SA 3.0, CC BY-SA, Wikimedia Commons
The Division Of Germany
The other three Allies shared the occupation of West Germany, where they helped rebuild the country as a capitalist democracy. The City of Berlin (which was located 200 miles inside East Germany) was also divided. Half of the city—West Berlin—was actually part of West Germany.
Willy Pragher, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Fleeing To The West
Many East Germans didn’t respond well to their new communist society and crossed into West Berlin, where they either settled or found further transportation to flee elsewhere. By 1961, four million East Germans had left—which only posed a further problem for those left behind.
Willy Pragher, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
A Repressed Society
Back in East Germany, citizens became extremely repressed, with many of their rights and freedoms stripped away—specifically freedom of speech. The government basically decided what was true and false, what was allowed to be said and what was not.
But that’s not even the worst of it.
Sturm Horst, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
State Atheism
Not only were East Germans restricted in what they were allowed to say, they were also not allowed to practice religion—of any kind.
The governing communists did their very best to promote state atheism. And while many people obliged, some remained loyal to their beliefs and practiced in secret anyway.
But the control didn’t stop there.
Sturm Horst, CC-BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Arts And Culture In East Germany
In East Germany, art was meant to serve the state. While the constitution technically guaranteed freedom of culture—this was far from the truth.
All areas of culture were under the watchful eye of the East German Communist Party. Any works that did not reflect the state’s opinions were strictly prohibited.
Besides the Obvious, Shutterstock
Socialist Realism
In the 1950s, the officially encouraged form of art was known as 'Socialist Realism'. It was intended to depict everyday life under socialism in a way that showed the “benefits” of living and working in East Germany.
SpreeTom, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Accepted Work
Examples of accepted artwork included happy peasant women and proud factory workers. According to the head of state, these were “truly popular realistic art” of the time. Everything else—formalism, pop art, avant-garde, modernism—was strictly forbidden.
Jolove55, CC BY 3.0 US, Wikimedia Commons
Painting In Secret
Many artists continued to create their artworks in secret, keeping their paintings hidden in their apartments, only showing them to certain trusted friends and family.
One of those artists, Hans Ticha, recalls how painful this was: “The works that I painted in my studio, I could only show to my wife and a friend". He also recalls having his apartment broken into several times—under mysterious circumstances.
Schönhack, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Targeting Art
Ticha had his apartment burglarized on many occasions, with his paintings being the only targeted items in his entire home. They were either stolen or destroyed.
This may be because Ticha was not a member of the Communist “Verband Bildender Künstler der DDR”—a professional organization for artists in East Germany that dictated who was allowed to create, and what.
But the visual arts weren’t the only thing controlled.
SpreeTom, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Musical Freedom In East Germany
For a time, musical influences from the West were still heard, as TV and radio that came from the Klassenfeind (enemy of the working class) could be received in many parts of the East, too.
But when rock music became more popular around the world, East German officials got worried.
G. Bach, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Regulating New Music
When the government became fearful of “degenerate Western values corrupting the young people who listen to rock,” as well as rock music's tendency to criticize establishments and governments, they started regulating the new music.
Rock bands were now required to sing entirely in German. But that wasn’t all.
Stambekko, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Socialist Ideas Only
All new songs produced had to have educational value that promoted socialist ideas. And lyrics had to be carefully checked by authorities for anti-state tendencies.
The band Renft, for example, didn’t obey the rules and they got banned and separated. The government wasn’t playing around, and they cracked the whip even harder.
Thomas Kraft, CC BY-SA 2.5, Wikimedia Commons
State Sanctioned Bands
State approved bands were given an “Auftrittserlaubnis”—a Performance permission card that allowed them to play in clubs and festivals. Any band that didn’t have this card before a performance would be forced to separate, and even be imprisoned.
Gabriele Senft, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Perceived Growth
Even though music was heavily censored and regulated, the government did try to help the development of new music, to a certain degree. They allowed illegal instruments to be imported for bands who needed equipment, and they even allowed significant airtime given to female artists—which historians consider growth in the expression of female identity and sexuality.
In reality, the government wanted their people listening to what they wanted them listening to. They maintained control without being too obvious about it.
Bundesarchiv, CC-BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Banned Books
Books were also part of the cultural repression in East Germany. Numerous books were banned due to their opposition to communism, or their support of capitalism.
Comics featuring Donald Duck and Uncle Scrooge, gangster stories, or romance novels from the West, were considered immoral literature.
Officials went as far as checking children’s school bags to ensure they were not smuggling forbidden literature into the schools.
Vwpolonia75, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Controlling The Media
Articles and news were also strictly regulated. There was to be no complaints about the standard of living, education, or even pollution problems. The media was to paint a pretty picture only, even if it was completely untrue.
Unlawful Topics
Specific topics were unlawful to discuss, let alone print. “Crude” topics included homosexuality, mental illness, substance dependencies, and adult films.
And banning wasn’t the only consequence to not obeying the law.
Bundesarchiv, CC-BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Obey Or Pay
Anyone who did not obey the censorship rules in East Germany were punished. As mentioned, bands would be forced to break up, authors and books would be banned, and artists’ work would be destroyed. But that was only the beginning.
Bundesarchiv, CC-BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
No Mercy
Many people ended up behind bars—even for a first offense. The state security service (SSD) was commonly known as the Stasi, and not only were they responsible for punishing the wrongdoers, they had another important job as well—and it’s much worse than anything you’ve read so far.
The Stasi
The Stasi were tasked with reading people’s mail and tapping phone calls. This was done for the general public, not just the bad guys. But those who gave the government a reason not to trust them got a little extra attention.
Nick-D, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Spying On The People
The Stasi employed a vast network of unofficial informers who would spy on people more directly and report back. These spies were hired in all walks of life and had access to nearly every organization in the country.
Basically, they were everywhere. Citizens had no idea who was a secret informant and who was an average joe. By the end of the regime, there were over 100,000 active informants spying on East Germans.
Communist Laws
East Germans could face jail time for a number of reasons. Anyone caught with possession of banned or unlawful items, anyone caught bad mouthing the government, and anyone caught trying to flee East Germany would be locked up. Artists, writers, youth subcultures, and members of the church were often targeted.
And life behind bars in a communist state was no picnic.
Matthias Wehnert, Shutterstock
Prison In East Germany
Prior to 1971, when Erich Honecker came to power and made changes, the prison system followed a more brutal aspect of repression that descended from the earlier days. Inmates were often tortured and those who were considered “internal domestic enemies” were executed.
But not everyone who did wrong would end up in jail. When Honecker took over, so did a different kind of punishment.
The Zersetzung Method
After Honecker came to power, the Zersetzung method became the primary consequence for wrongdoing.
This method varied depending on the person being targeted. But in many cases, it was known to include: sending offensive mail to a person’s houses, spreading malicious rumors about the person, banning them from traveling, sabotaging their career, breaking into their house and moving objects around, and more.
That’s right, they basically just harassed people instead of locking them up.
Psychological Warfare
While this may sound petty, it was brutally effective. These seemingly small personal attacks usually led to unemployment, social isolation, and poor mental health.
Officials believed it had a similar effect to imprisonment—"paralyzing a person’s ability to operate” but with the advantage of not being able to prove any of it.
Bundesarchiv, CC-BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Children In East Germany
In addition to horrific psychological consequences, many families were displaced and children were put into residential homes. It is said that about 600,000 children were put into the East German residential child care system.
But the teens had it even worse.
Bundesarchiv, CC-BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Teen Re-Education Camps
Troublesome teens were sent to youth institutions that were surrounded by five-meter-high walls topped with barbed wire and broken glass to prevent escaping. Living conditions were unbearable and the inmates were mistreated in a number of ways.
Teens who did not fit in with society or who challenged authority were sent to these institutions to be “re-educated” to fit the mold.
Bundesarchiv, CC-BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
A Torturous Education
The International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims considers that there were between 300,000 and 500,000 victims of direct physical torture, Zersetzung, and gross human rights violations due to the Stasi.
Today, victims of historical Zersetzung can now draw a special pension from the German state.
RogerOver, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Law Abiding Citizens
Not everyone in East Germany challenged the regime. Many people abided by the laws they were given and did what they could to keep the peace. But this doesn’t mean they had a good life.
Life in East Germany had a lot going on.
Gerd Danigel, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
The Already Poor Economy
The East German economy began poorly due to the devastation caused by WWII. But the divide only made it worse. East Germany had fewer consumer goods than their West German counterparts.
Until the 1960s, they endured various food shortages and consumers often relied on friends and family in the West to send them goods that they could no longer access in the East.
And making money had its own challenges too.
Bundesarchiv, CC-BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Important Job Criteria
Loyalty to the government was the primary criterion for getting a good job. Only after you were considered loyal would they even look into your professional resume. Those who were most loyal were given the good jobs, and those who were lacking in loyalty were given the lower-end jobs—regardless of qualifications.
And while the government was focused on who deserves what, more important things were falling apart.
Bundesarchiv, CC-BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Neglected Infrastructure
During the regime, almost all East German highways, railroads, sewage systems, and public buildings were neglected and ended up in a state of serious disrepair. Over the years, the entire region fell apart.
Even the nuclear power plants were neglected and didn’t meet Western safety standards.
The Central Intelligence Agency, Wikimedia Commons
The New Course
In 1953, Soviet leader Joseph Stalin died and within months, the government announced the “New Course”—an economic policy that would improve the standard of living and increase the availability of consumer goods.
And while it did increase the consumer goods workers could get, there were still high production quotas. And when the quota got raised again that year, the workers were not pleased—and they took action.
Franklin D. Roosevelt Library Public Domain Photographs, Wikimedia Commons
The 1953 Uprising
After work quotas were increased following a promise to make life easier, the working folk had finally had enough. Strikes and demonstrations happened in major industrial centers with workers demanding economic reforms.
The uprising only lasted a few days, but it certainly had an impact.
Bundesarchiv, CC-BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
It Got Huge
The 1953 uprising began with strike action by construction workers in East Berlin. Demonstrations then turned into a widespread uprising against the government, with more than 1 million people in 600 localities across the country.
Protests against the declining standard of living and unpopular Soviet policies led to a wave of action that was not easily controlled.
Bundesarchiv, CC-BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
No More Peace
The protests started off as peaceful but quickly became violent with arson and looting taking over. In some areas, local jails were seized by demonstrators who demanded the release of political prisoners.
The East German government was at risk of being overthrown.
U. A. Saarinen, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
They Came In Swinging
The government was not about to let that happen. So, they fought back—with tanks. Using brutal and violent force, the East German government declared martial law and regained control, taking the lives of over 125 people in the process (with many others severely injured). Over 10,000 other people were detained.
The already crumbling regions of East Germany were now in even worse shape.
U. A. Saarinen, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
The Crumbling Political Party
Many members of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany (SED) were disgusted by the violent suppression of the strikes—especially the fact that they had initiated the violence. As a result, many members left the political party, and the leader’s position became a hot debate.
Bybbisch94, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
A Catastrophic Leader
While many members of the political party found leader Walter Ulbricht to be “catastrophic to the New Course,” he ended up staying in power. Not only that, he managed to get rid of his main opponents as well, further strengthening his position.
He then gained support from the higher ups in Moscow, who committed to helping keep the East German regime with Ulbricht in charge.
But the people were still not happy.
Still No Change
The East Germany economy was under threat once again, as citizens were not happy with the results of the riot. Not only was Ulbricht still in charge, he was not budging on implementing anything that would actually help them.
Many East German citizens decided it was finally time to leave.
Bundesarchiv, CC-BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Brain Drain
A large number of citizens fled the region to the West, with some leaving the country entirely. Not only did this ruffle feathers with the government, it also sent the economy into a nose dive as the majority of people who left were valuable workers, young, well-educated people and contributing members of society.
Over the next few years, an estimated 4 million East Germans had moved west—and once again, the government had to do something drastic.
Bundesarchiv, CC-BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
A Final Desperate Attempt At Control
With the majority of citizens leaving, the East German government was quickly losing their power in the situation. They had worked hard to gain superior control over their people, and now it was coming apart at the seams.
With devastating poverty and an influx of emigrants—Ulbricht decided to go big or go home.
Bundesarchiv, CC-BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Tearing Up The City
In the early morning hours of August 13, 1961, the people of East Berlin were woken up by the rumbling of heavy machinery heading toward the dividing line of the eastern and western parts of the city.
Wrecking balls destroyed buildings and jack hammers tore up the sidewalks. Citizens looked on in a confused terror.
Horst Siegmann, Wikimedia Commons
Armed Supervision
Armed troops lined the construction sites, taking up post at all the crossing points between East Berlin and West Berlin. By the next morning, a ring of Soviet troops surrounded the entire city.
Eventually, citizens learned the truth about what was going on.
Ralf Roletschek, Wikimedia Commons
Building The Berlin Wall
The government decided that its only way to stop people from leaving East Berlin was to build a massive concrete barrier that would physically hinder their ability to do so.
The Berlin Wall ran across cemeteries and along canals, zigzagging through city streets. It had hundreds of guard towers—and a terrifying area that became unofficially known as the “death strip".
Bundesarchiv, CC-BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
The Death Strip
The death strip of the Berlin Wall was a wide area spanning its length. The space between the Wall and a second concrete barrier contained anti-vehicle trenches, beds of nails, broken glass, and rusted barbed wire. The ground cover was sand—purposely placed to track footprints.
The purpose of the death strip was to prevent East Germans from fleeing to the West—and it did a darn good job.
Manta22, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Escape Attempts
The Berlin Wall served its purpose, and using deadly force, the government was able to prevent nearly all emigration to the West. During this period, over 100,000 people attempted to escape, with only about 5,000 actually making it over to the other side.
Several hundred tragically and brutally lost their lives in the attempt.
The Wall Of Shame
Propaganda portrayed the Wall as protecting its population from “fascist elements conspiring to prevent the will of the people".
But on the other side of the Wall, West Germans referred to it as the “Wall of Shame,” in reference to the Wall’s restriction on freedom of movement.
Wirestock Creators, Shutterstock
Closing The Gaps
Over the years, more and more barriers were added to the Wall. Strict rules were put in place stating that anyone who enters the area at dark will be shot without warning. The East German government worked hard to close any remaining gaps in the Wall, further restricting the people.
East Germans were now trapped, and still expected to adhere to a communist way of life.
Immediate Effects
The Berlin Wall effectively closed off all access to the West. Many East Germans who worked in West Berlin were cut off from their jobs or separated from their families.
West Berlin became an isolated exclave in a hostile land, and many of its citizens protested the Wall—led by their Mayor Willy Brandt, who believed the United States should have done more to stop it.
Mo Photography Berlin, Shutterstock
US Response
United States President John F Kennedy was furious at the accusations that he had not done enough. Ultimately, the United States, along with UK sources, considered the Wall as an end to military conflict over Berlin—meaning they basically supported it.
But East Germans didn’t see it that way.
Cecil Stoughton, Wikimedia Commons
Unfair Hardship
For some time, West Germans were still allowed to cross into East Berlin, but East Germans were not allowed to cross into the West. The Wall ended up causing significant hardship for families divided by it.
Even still, the East German government was able to reassert control over the country.
A Growing Economy
Not long after the Wall was built, economic problems caused by dual currency and the black market were eliminated and not only did the government regain control, the economy also began to grow.
But the consequences of the Wall were not ignored.
Bundesarchiv, CC-BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Communist Tyranny
The Berlin Wall proved to be a public relations disaster for the communist bloc as a whole. Western powers portrayed it as a symbol of communist tyranny—particularly after border guards shot and killed citizens any chance they got.
These fatalities were later treated as acts of murder.
Jörg Blobelt, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Loosening The Reins
After all the negative attention from the Wall, the German government started loosening the reins a bit. After 1963, West Germans were once again able to cross into East Germany—though it started off as visits for Christmas only, and they had to get a visa to do so.
But East Germans were not as lucky.
Willy Pragher, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Strictly Prohibited
For most of the duration of the Wall, East Germans were not allowed into West Germany at all. Some exceptions were made for serious family matters, or for specific employment reasons.
But watching their Western neighbors enjoy more freedoms only made matters worse again.
Hans Rasp, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Beefing Up Shooting Orders
Because of this, defectors became prevalent once again. And the East German government beefed up their shooting orders. Guards were instructed that people attempting to cross the Wall were “criminals and needed to be shot”—including women and children.
The government believed defectors were purposely using women and children to avoid death as they fled.
Willy Pragher, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Desperate Attempts To Flee
In desperation, people would attempt to flee in a number of ways. Aside from actually climbing the wall (barbed wire fence and all), many people jumped from apartment windows, drove vehicles into the wall, dug tunnels, and even used hot air balloons to try and fly over.
Some actually made it, though, including 29 people who successfully dug a tunnel under the wall without anyone finding out.
Willy Pragher, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
David Bowie’s Influence
In 1987, David Bowie, who had previously lived and recorded in West Berlin, played a concert close to the Wall, providing somewhat of a concert experience for East Germans. This was an anti-Wall sentiment, and it did more than Bowie had ever imagined.
Rogers & Cowan Inc., Wikimedia Commons
Bruce Springsteen Was Next
Thousands of East Germans were in attendance—as closely as they could get. And while it did end in a violent riot in East Berlin, this protest ended up being the first in a sequence of riots that ultimately led to the end of the Wall.
The following year, Bruce Springsteen was allowed in East Berlin to perform—and the concert had the opposite effect than the government expected.
Laura Bland, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Hungry For Freedom
East German officials thought that allowing Springsteen into East Berlin would boost morale among the young crowd. But all it did was make East Germans hungrier for more freedom.
And the following year, another celebrity joined the movement—but he took things up a notch.
Bundesarchiv, CC-BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
David Hasselhoff Joined The Movement
In 1989, American TV actor and pop music star David Hasselhoff was the headlining performer for the Freedom Tour Live concert, which was attended by over 500,000 people on both sides of the Wall.
During the concert, the crew pulled people up from both sides to stand and celebrate on top of the Wall. But all this came after Honecker made a horrifying prediction.
Honecker’s Prediction
Earlier that year, in January, Honecker predicted that the Wall would stand for 50 or 100 more years if the conditions that had caused its construction did not change.
Thankfully, he was wrong.
Bundesarchiv, CC-BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
The Crash Of Communist Neighbors
In the late 1980s, the East Germany economy began to crash and burn—once again. Citizens were well aware of life on the other side, and the government was losing control of unwanted influences.
Not only that, neighboring communist countries started to fall—and socialism was coming to an end.
Gerd Danige, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Taking Down The Fences
In April 1989, neighboring Poland’s communist government abandoned its monopoly of power. And in June of that year, the Hungarian government began dismantling the electrified fence along its border with Austria.
Change was on the horizon. And a peaceful chain reaction was about to take place.
dati.camera.it, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
The Pan-European Picnic
At this point, East Germans were braver than ever, and they now had another way out—through Hungary.
Not long after, a peace demonstration known as the Pan-European Picnic was held on the Austrian-Hungarian border. Many East Germans were invited, and promised gifts, food, and money. Once they got there, they were persuaded to go to the West.
This event furthered the chain reaction that ultimately led Germany to peace.
George Louis, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Sending Them Home
The following month, more than 13,000 East Germans escaped through Hungary to Austria—setting off another chain reaction. But when the Hungarians tried to stop it, they ended up sending the escapees to West Germany—where they wanted to go all along.
Lutz Schramm, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Giving Up
Other East Germans then fled to Czechoslovakia. The East German government was quickly losing control, and this is when they started giving up. They started letting people leave, but only by train through East Germany.
Anyone who wasn’t able to get out started protesting, once again—but this time, it worked.
Bundesarchiv, CC-BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
The Peaceful Revolution Of 1989
East Germans who weren’t able to leave began protesting, chanting things like “We want out!” But then things took a turn and some protesters were chanting “We are staying here!”
Honecker couldn’t keep up with his citizen’s demands.
Bundesarchiv, CC-BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Ending Communism
East Germans now realized that uprooting their lives isn’t the only way to end communism. So instead of protesting the right to leave, they protested the right to live. This started what is known as the “Peaceful Revolution” of 1989.
Bundesarchiv, CC-BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Erich Honecker’s Resignation
With more and more people gathering, the longtime communist leader of East Germany admitted defeat and decided it was time to step down. On October 18, 1989, Erich Honecker officially resigned.
He was replaced by Egon Krenz that same day.
Bundesarchiv, CC-BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
The Alexanderplatz Demonstration
While more and more people were leaving, protests were gaining traction too.
And by November 4th, half a million people gathered at the Alexanderplatz demonstration to demand political change. And while army troops were given permission to use force, it made no difference. More and more people continued to gather.
The pressure was on for the East German government—and Krenz was starting to feel it.
Bundesarchiv, CC-BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Too Many Refugees
Egon Krenz happened to have a good relationship with the previously-communist Czechoslovak government, so he now decided to allow free travel across their border.
But a lot more people took up his offer than expected, and the large movement of people caused issues for both countries.
Bundesarchiv, CC-BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
He Started To Panic
Krenz was now backed into a corner. He had allowed people to leave, but now he was gumming up the borders. Not to mention, a massive protest was still going strong.
Finally, Krenz made a huge decision.
Bundesarchiv, CC-BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
He Gave In
To make things easier, he decided to let people leave directly through East Germany and West Germany—and not just those seeking refuge, everyone. East Germans would now be allowed to travel freely between the East and West.
This information was passed through the administration with very little care, considering it was the motherlode of all news—and not everyone was properly informed.
Bundesarchiv, CC-BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Letting The Cat Out Of The Bag
Government spokesperson Günter Schabowski was tasked with announcing the new regulations—but he wasn’t given all the information. At the end of the press conference he read directly from the little pocket note he was given, basically telling people the Wall was opening and their freedom was only steps away.
This wasn’t where he messed up though.
Bundesarchiv, CC-BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Missing Information
When a reporter asked when these new regulations were to take effect, Schabowski was caught off guard. His sticky note didn’t have that information. Instead of getting clarification, he winged it and told the reporter, “As far as I know, it takes effect immediately, without delay".
But that wasn’t the plan at all.
Bundesarchiv, CC-BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
A Mistake In The Schedule
Krenz had wanted the new regulations to take effect the following day, so that border guards could have a heads up and authorities could prepare for whatever was to come. But his uninformed spokesperson skipped ahead and opened the Wall immediately.
Instant chaos ensued.
Bundesarchiv, CC-BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Swarming The Gates
As soon as the media broke the news, East Germans immediately made their way to the Wall, gathering at all six checkpoints, demanding the gates to be opened. But because the public was informed before the border guards, this was completely unexpected, and the guards started to panic.
Bundesarchiv, CC-BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Outnumbered Guards
The guards started making hectic phone calls to their superiors and were then told to stamp the passports of the “more aggressive” people with a stamp that barred them from ever returning to East Germany—revoking their citizenship.
But even this didn’t work. There were still thousands and thousands of people demanding the government follow through with what they said.
Bundesarchiv, CC-BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Opening The Gates
Finally, on November 9th at 10:45pm, commander Harald Jäger told the guards to open the gates and freely let people go without checking passports or anything.
East Germans busted through the gates where West Germans were awaiting them with champagne and flowers amid wild rejoicing.
Eric The Fish, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
The Night The Wall Came Down
Not long after, both Western and Eastern German youth were climbing atop the wall, celebrating their newfound freedom, uniting with their neighbors.
The evening of November 9, 1989 is known as the night the Wall came down.
Raphaël Thiémard, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
The Berlin Wall Today
Today, little is left of the Berlin Wall as most of it was destroyed in the years after its fall. There are a few sections that remain, but other remnants are badly damaged by souvenir seekers. Fragments of the Wall were taken, and some were sold around the world or put into museums.
Christo Georgiev, Shutterstock
Cultural Differences
For many years after reunification, people in Germany talked about cultural differences between East and West Germans. And some Germans even felt that the East and West should still be separated by a wall.
Especially since the East and West didn’t just separate people, it separated the working class from the middle class.
Sergiy Palamarchuk, Shutterstock
United But Still Divided
By the early 2000s, people didn’t want to hear anything from citizens of the East. They were considered less-than, and were often portrayed in the media as Stasi officers, neo-Nazis, and unemployed bums.
Any East Germans who complained of their hardships were discredited as Jammerossi—the whining East German.
Tatiana Diuvbanova, Shutterstock
Ignorance Is Bliss
For the most part, not much changed for West Germans. And actually, many of them hardly knew much about East Germany anyway. One woman who was interviewed shortly after said, “I knew nothing about East Germany, I felt mentally and emotionally much closer to France or England".
A German Success Story
The official narrative over the past 35 years has been of unification as a great German success story. And while it took a few decades for people to fully adjust, in 2019 East Germans finally felt happy about their personal life—a huge increase from only 15% in 1991.
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