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Border opening in Berlin, 9 November 1989: Group photo [1/2]

OBJECT INFORMATION

Info

November 10 1989
Berlin, near Friedrichstraße border crossing (Checkpoint Charlie)
Created By: Manuela Scholz

License: Creative Commons License

A group photo taken near the Friedrichstraße border crossing (Checkpoint Charlie)

Depicts

group of people, shop, traffic light

Context

anxiety, crowd, fall of the Berlin Wall, freedom, hugging, job, joy, television, welcome gift

People/Organizations

Manuela Scholz

Places

Checkpoint Charlie, Kurfuerstendamm

Text in image

Leine[w]eber

Other items in this set

Memory

"The evening of 9 November 1989 began as usual for us. We (a group of young people) came together after work to have a party. None of us could ever have imagined that our entire lives would change during the course of that night. We were of course aware of what had been going on in the GDR in recent months but no one had anticipated anything like this. We were drinking and having fun when a friend burst in and said, 'You're not going to believe it, but they've opened the Wall.' Initially, we made fun of him but then we turned on the TV and saw the pictures. Incredible. The Wall had fallen. No one said a word. Bewilderment and disbelief reigned. 'What do we do now?' My boyfriend looked at me. 'We have to go out,' I said. We hastily put on our jackets and made our way to the nearest border crossing.

I can still picture the expressions and joy on people's faces as we went in the same direction together – towards freedom. Any number of people asked us, 'Is it true that the Wall's fallen?' We just nodded because we couldn't believe it either yet. I held my boyfriend's hand very tightly. I was afraid. I was afraid of what I'd heard about West Germany and how we'd be greeted. The streets were packed with people and Trabbis (on which people jigged and drummed). There was dancing and laughter, many were embracing one another. I watched with my eyes wide open. At the time I was nineteen. I would now have the opportunity to realise things that so many people had dreamed of doing. We got to the crossing and I felt even more scared. But also happier because we could see that the GDR sentries had cleared the area. We left the GDR – my God, what an incredible feeling. I thought of my grandmother and was sad that she was no longer around to experience this.

The so-called 'Wessies' were on the other side, on the West German side. A man, a total stranger, walked towards us and embraced us. He said, 'Great that you made it over. I will look after you. Don't go back. Who knows what's going to happen over there still.' After taking a photo we went to the Ku'damm. Wherever we went people hugged us and celebrated with us. They made sure we got something to eat and to drink, and even offered us somewhere to sleep. But the next day we wanted to go back. Many asked us, 'Why do you want to go back? Stay here with us!' But we had our families and work on the other side, in the GDR. And I did go straight back to work the next day. We'd been brought up knowing what our duties and responsibilities were.

However, I was shocked by what I saw at Schönefeld station. Families were simply leaving their children behind. Older children were running around looking for their parents, and parents with younger children were sleeping on the floor. It was a really awful sight. A regime, a system, a state had ceased to exist."

Manuela Scholz (East Berlin)

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(2 comments)
User Comments

Wie würden Sie die Wende 1989 in Ungarn über die "grüne Grenze" und ihre Auswirkungen beschreiben?
Hallo Frau Franke, die bpb hat einen informativen Text zu den Umsturzbewegungen 1989 in Mittel- und Osteuropa veröffentlicht. Sie finden ihn unter folgendem Link: Michael Gehler: Die Umsturzbewegungen 1989 in Mittel- und Osteuropa. Hilft Ihnen das weiter? Beste Grüße, die Redaktion
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