Fall of the Berlin Wall

The opening of Berlin’s border crossings on 9 November 1989 ended the Wall’s function as a barrier between East and West Berlin and accelerated German reunification.

Peaceful Revolution: The 1989–1990 nonviolent movement that brought down East Germany’s communist government. Mass demonstrations during this broader upheaval weakened the government that controlled the Wall.
Günter Schabowski: An East German party official whose 9 November 1989 press conference announced new travel rules. His answer suggested the rules took effect immediately, prompting people to head for the crossings.
German reunification: The 1990 process that brought East Germany into the Federal Republic of Germany as a unified state. The border opening accelerated the negotiations and political changes that culminated in reunification.
Press conference of 9 November 1989: The international press briefing at which Günter Schabowski announced East Germany’s new travel rules. Schabowski’s uncertain reply about when the rules began was broadcast as an immediate opening.
Iron Curtain: The political and military division between Soviet-aligned Eastern Europe and Western Europe during the Cold War. The Wall’s opening became a vivid sign that this continental division was breaking down.
Monday Demonstrations: Weekly mass protests in East Germany in 1989 that demanded political change and freedom to travel. The Leipzig demonstrations helped make the border regime increasingly difficult to sustain.
East German travel regulations of 9 November 1989: Regulations announced by East Germany on 9 November 1989 that allowed private travel abroad through border crossings. Their ambiguous announcement supplied the immediate trigger for the crowds at the Wall.
Two Plus Four Agreement: The 1990 treaty between the two German states and the four Allied powers that settled the international terms of German reunification. It resolved the external questions raised by the prospect of a united Germany after the Wall opened.
Peter Brinkmann: A West German journalist who questioned Günter Schabowski about the timing of East Germany’s new travel rules. His question elicited the exchange that made the rules sound effective immediately.
Revolutions of 1989: The popular movements and political changes that ended communist rule across much of Central and Eastern Europe in 1989. The opening was among the most visible moments in this wider wave of change.

Linked from 29 pages