Bornholmer Straße

In October 1989, Günter Schabowski (1929), along with several other members of the Politburo, turned on longtime SED leader Erich Honecker and forced him to step down in favor of Egon Krenz. As part of the effort to change the regime's image, Schabowski was named the regime's unofficial spokesman, and he held several daily press conferences to announce changes. On 9 November 1989, shortly before that day's press conference, Schabowski was handed a note that said East Germans would be allowed to cross the border with proper permission but given no further instructions on how to handle the information. These regulations had only been completed a few hours earlier and were to take effect the following afternoon, so as to allow time to inform the border guards. However, nobody had informed Schabowski of this. Schabowski read the note aloud at the end of the press conference. One of the reporters asked when the regulations would come into effect. After a few seconds' pause, Schabowski assumed it would be the same day based on the wording of the note and replied: "As far as I know--effective immediately, without delay". The Wall was about to fall.