I may not be from Europe but just seeing the video and all those people going to freedom from the ddr is incredible, thank you for sharing this part of history!
It's a pity that where I come from (the UK), this momentous event gets overshadowed in history lessons by the fall of the Berlin Wall. The magnitude of the cheer that greeted Genscher announcing that Bonn agreed to take them in is heart rending. It brings tears to my eyes, thinking how much it meant to those refugees from the GDR to hear those words
All these events lead up to the Fall of the Berlin Wall. Furthermore, Erich Honacher threatened a repeat of the Tiananmen Square massacre against any anti-communists in East Germany. Luckily, he never got the chance to do this. The people of Romania, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia, Kosovo, Libya, and Syria weren't that lucky.
@DTD110865 I guess, but that takes into account the announcement by Gunther Schabowski as expected. As we know, the truth is that it definitely wasn't expected, in fact, it was a mistake by Schabowski as he didn't have time to read all his notes about the easing of travel restrictions before speaking to the Press
Im from Germany, Former Westgermany. It was never the question If Bonn would Take the Refugees, IT was Always the question If the gdr would allow Them to go
@@DTD110865 Dont include Yugoslavia with the other Socialist courntries as we had freedom of travel and some free market. We were also a prsoperous nation until Croation Facists and Nationlists tore us apart.
@@fatcontrollerproductions9910 Yugoslavia was a Soviet puppet until 1948, and Croatia wasn't your problem. Your attempts to turn your country into a Greater Serbia was. Also, seeking their own nation away from your genocidal regime doesn't make them fascists.
As a czech person I have never heard of this, never learn about it at school (but that will be only because we ended our history lessons with the end of WW2 because of the lack of time and by the industrial revolution in high school). This was really interesting video.
Yea, exactly, in Czech schools they tend to learn a lot about a French revolution NOBODY CARES about in that age. So of course there's no time for any recent history 😞And yea, a French revolution is not the only stupid thing about history-learning in CZE.
@@DWHistoryandCulture american here from arizona. being a progressive, all i can imagine is if trump wins, there might be a "great american exodus" where similar to in eastern europe in 1989 or during the "brain drain" period, hundreds of thousands or millions, of skilled, young, educated americans, may flee the country possibly to the EU causing a migrant crisis. this could cause eventually after pressure from the UN, a similar declaration by the european parliament about "the opening of EU borders to american immigrants fleeing from a rapidly distressing situation across the atlantic" thus causing tons of them to have a similar experience to those 30+ years earlier.
Toll es wieder einmal zu sehen. Die Reportage spiegelt wieder, wie es in der Prager Botschaft war. Ich bin 1989 in der Botschaft gewesen und durfte nach Genscher's Verkündung Stunden später mit dem 2ten Zug aus Prag über DDR Gebiet nach Hof/ BRD ausreisen.
I remember I was working late shift in a big factory when this news came through on the radio...working on the same shift were a couple of ex east german lads...all of a sudden they were dancing on tables realy enjoying themselves...I´m sure that evening a few bottles of vodka were made empty.
Tolle Bilder 9:22 Es ging ihm gut in der DDR . Er hatte ne Wohg. ne Arbeit , aber keine Freiheit Freunde u. Verwandte in Westdeutschland zu sehen, zu besuchen! Schade des es in einem radikalen Ausverkauf durch den Westen enden musste für die DDR. Danke für den tollen upload! 👍🙂❤👋
The worst error in German history since 1946. Germany was a powerhose, before we got 11 Million brothers and sister that ask for cash and proclaim that the GDR was SOOOOO nice
What do you think was the reason for this illusion ? Those brothers and sisters had to repay the costs for the war to the Soviet Union. I wonder what those illusionized people would say if the were asked today !
or they did not have the means to leave, they were scared(I would say that was the majority of people), they wanted to wait a bit to see if these people trying to leave would be sucesfull...
Here we're talking about 3.500 refugees - or rather 12.000 people in total fleeing from the West German Embassy in Prague to West Germany. Many more people fled the GDR via Hungary or Warsaw or, sometimes, Bulgaria. Obviously the majority of the people of the former GDR wanted to leave this state. The many mass demonstrations in this state back then also spoke volumes.
It's a bit simplistic to think that way. Through the history of East Germany, there had long been hostility in the East towards the occupying Soviet troops and the dictatorship of the SED imposed on them by the Soviets.
Some did yes, especially the older generation. They were so brainwashed and way too scared to even try. It wasn't easy to leave or try to escape. People that tried to leave by applying lost everything the minute they did , their job, most of their friends bc you were considered a betrayer of your country. They also had to show up for weekly interviews were they got interrogated and verbally abused, and at some point they"ll get a 24 hour notice to leave. Many people who tried to escape got shot. Remember we got spied on, the Stasie knew everything about everybody and many worked for the Stasi undercover. All the politicians had many privileges we didn't have, like the freedom to travel.
@@wensdyy6466 exactly. When I went to Prague (I was actually there) I didn't know if I ever see my parents again or even get shot. It was pretty scary but worth every minute,
I was there. Still get's me emotional when I see and hear Genscher talk, telling us we are FREE.
So happy for you and your countrymen after all these years!
Ja und ich war nicht in Berlin aber hab mich doch gefreut für meine Cousinen und Oma
I may not be from Europe but just seeing the video and all those people going to freedom from the ddr is incredible, thank you for sharing this part of history!
I cried when I was a child seeing this in tv. I was so happy for them❤
It's a pity that where I come from (the UK), this momentous event gets overshadowed in history lessons by the fall of the Berlin Wall. The magnitude of the cheer that greeted Genscher announcing that Bonn agreed to take them in is heart rending. It brings tears to my eyes, thinking how much it meant to those refugees from the GDR to hear those words
All these events lead up to the Fall of the Berlin Wall. Furthermore, Erich Honacher threatened a repeat of the Tiananmen Square massacre against any anti-communists in East Germany. Luckily, he never got the chance to do this. The people of Romania, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia, Kosovo, Libya, and Syria weren't that lucky.
@DTD110865 I guess, but that takes into account the announcement by Gunther Schabowski as expected. As we know, the truth is that it definitely wasn't expected, in fact, it was a mistake by Schabowski as he didn't have time to read all his notes about the easing of travel restrictions before speaking to the Press
Im from Germany, Former Westgermany. It was never the question If Bonn would Take the Refugees, IT was Always the question If the gdr would allow Them to go
@@DTD110865 Dont include Yugoslavia with the other Socialist courntries as we had freedom of travel and some free market. We were also a prsoperous nation until Croation Facists and Nationlists tore us apart.
@@fatcontrollerproductions9910 Yugoslavia was a Soviet puppet until 1948, and Croatia wasn't your problem. Your attempts to turn your country into a Greater Serbia was. Also, seeking their own nation away from your genocidal regime doesn't make them fascists.
As a czech person I have never heard of this, never learn about it at school (but that will be only because we ended our history lessons with the end of WW2 because of the lack of time and by the industrial revolution in high school). This was really interesting video.
Oh, this is great to hear that we could spread this, thanks for watching and letting us know! All the best from Berlin
Yea, exactly, in Czech schools they tend to learn a lot about a French revolution NOBODY CARES about in that age. So of course there's no time for any recent history 😞And yea, a French revolution is not the only stupid thing about history-learning in CZE.
@@DWHistoryandCulture american here from arizona. being a progressive, all i can imagine is if trump wins, there might be a "great american exodus" where similar to in eastern europe in 1989 or during the "brain drain" period, hundreds of thousands or millions, of skilled, young, educated americans, may flee the country possibly to the EU causing a migrant crisis. this could cause eventually after pressure from the UN, a similar declaration by the european parliament about "the opening of EU borders to american immigrants fleeing from a rapidly distressing situation across the atlantic" thus causing tons of them to have a similar experience to those 30+ years earlier.
It doesn't take much. 1:45 "so that the children..." and I was in tears.
I remember these events. Yet the news on November 9 was a (positive) total shock for me.
Toll es wieder einmal zu sehen. Die Reportage spiegelt wieder, wie es in der Prager Botschaft war. Ich bin 1989 in der Botschaft gewesen und durfte nach Genscher's Verkündung Stunden später mit dem 2ten Zug aus Prag über DDR Gebiet nach Hof/ BRD ausreisen.
I remember I was working late shift in a big factory when this news came through on the radio...working on the same shift were a couple of ex east german lads...all of a sudden they were dancing on tables realy enjoying themselves...I´m sure that evening a few bottles of vodka were made empty.
Never heard about this event before
It started with a picnic between Austria and Hungary...
moving
I knew about this. My grandparents along with myself was watched it all down. THOUSANDS and THOUSANDS ran for the borders. 😢😮
Tolle Bilder
9:22 Es ging ihm gut in der DDR . Er hatte ne Wohg. ne Arbeit , aber keine Freiheit Freunde u. Verwandte in Westdeutschland zu sehen, zu besuchen!
Schade des es in einem radikalen Ausverkauf durch den Westen enden musste für die DDR.
Danke für den tollen upload!
👍🙂❤👋
Free at last! They were free at last!
The worst error in German history since 1946.
Germany was a powerhose, before we got 11 Million brothers and sister that ask for cash and proclaim that the GDR was SOOOOO nice
What do you think was the reason for this illusion ? Those brothers and sisters had to repay the costs for the war to the Soviet Union.
I wonder what those illusionized people would say if the were asked today !
3,500 out of 16.5 million. The majority therefore wanted to stay in the DDR.
or they did not have the means to leave, they were scared(I would say that was the majority of people), they wanted to wait a bit to see if these people trying to leave would be sucesfull...
Here we're talking about 3.500 refugees - or rather 12.000 people in total fleeing from the West German Embassy in Prague to West Germany. Many more people fled the GDR via Hungary or Warsaw or, sometimes, Bulgaria. Obviously the majority of the people of the former GDR wanted to leave this state. The many mass demonstrations in this state back then also spoke volumes.
It's a bit simplistic to think that way. Through the history of East Germany, there had long been hostility in the East towards the occupying Soviet troops and the dictatorship of the SED imposed on them by the Soviets.
Some did yes, especially the older generation. They were so brainwashed and way too scared to even try. It wasn't easy to leave or try to escape. People that tried to leave by applying lost everything the minute they did , their job, most of their friends bc you were considered a betrayer of your country. They also had to show up for weekly interviews were they got interrogated and verbally abused, and at some point they"ll get a 24 hour notice to leave. Many people who tried to escape got shot. Remember we got spied on, the Stasie knew everything about everybody and many worked for the Stasi undercover. All the politicians had many privileges we didn't have, like the freedom to travel.
@@wensdyy6466 exactly. When I went to Prague (I was actually there) I didn't know if I ever see my parents again or even get shot. It was pretty scary but worth every minute,