What did Germany celebrate in 1989?

Answer 1

On November 9, 1989 Germans celebrated the most significant life-changing event of the late twentieth century: the fall of the Berlin Wall. The Wall had isolated (capitalist) West Berlin in the midst of (communist) East Germany for a generation. Along with the separate and much longer Inner German border (IGB) that demarcated the border between East and West Germany, both borders came to symbolize the "Iron Curtain" - separating capitalist Western Europe and the communist Eastern Bloc throughout the Cold War. Like Berlin, the entire German nation had been divided into two countries at the end of World War II. In the East, the Russians had established the (communist) 'German Democratic Republic' or DDR; while West Germany had become the (capitalist) 'Federal Republic of Germany' (BDR), supported by the Western Allies (US, UK and France). This separation into two states had caused tremendous sadness as it tore German communities and families apart for decades. Movement between the two German states was rendered almost impossible due to communist restrictions on transit documents: those crossing to the west illegally were routinely shot by East German border guards. The origins of change began in the late 1980s, when the Russian leader Mikhail Gorbachev softened the Russian position on maintaining a divided Germany as part of his new policy of 'openness' (Glasnost) in the Soviet Bloc. While communist hard-liners like the East German leader Erich Honecker were still predicting in early 1989 the Wall would stand for another 50-100 years, Mr Gorbachev was feted as a hero by millions of Germans, who crowded the streets for a glimpse of the Russian Premier on his visits to the West. Events moved quickly in 1989, with several other Eastern Bloc countries opening their borders to the west. In particular, East Germans began flooding into Hungary (who had opened her border with Austria in August), in their attempts to flee to West Germany by any possible route. While some 13,000 managed to escape through Hungary, and more though Czechoslovakia, Honecker quickly clamped down on travel to to these states and tried to force the thousands of East Germans stranded in Budapest and Prague, to return to the DDR. This triggered massive protests in East Germany throughout September and October, with crowds chanting "Wir wollen raus!" ("We want out!"). Honecker resigned on 18 October, but mass emigrations to neighboring states - and the anti government demonstrations - continued to swell. The protest movement peaked on 4 November when half a million people gathered at the Alexanderplatz demonstration. As the numbers of East Germans heading west by various circuitous routes continued to swell, the new government of Egon Krenz, finally bowed to the inevitable on November 9 1989, announcing the removal of most travel restrictions to West Germany, and allowing exit directly through East German crossing points, including Berlin. While the new regulations were intended to commence the following day, no-one had told Günter Schabowski, the Communist Party boss in East Berlin. Schabowski was caught off-guard and was screened on the evening news announcing that the new border regulations were "effective immediately". Crowds of East Germans immediately flocked to the main border crossings in Berlin, leaving overwhelmed guards stunned as to what to do about them. Communications from Party Headquarters were of little help as amazingly, no-one had expected the sudden surge of emigres and sight-seers demanding instant entrance to the West "as Schabowski said we could". However, as the evening wore on, one thing became increasingly clear: given the confusion, and the fact that the Party chief had been seen on TV proclaiming that the borders were now open, no-one was prepared to take responsibility for issuing orders to use lethal force. Finally, at 10:45 pm, the guards yielded, opening the checkpoints with little or no document checking. As the Easterners swarmed through, they were greeted by West Germans waiting with flowers, champagne amid wild rejoicing. Jubilant young Germans from both sides of the border scrambled on top of the wall, where they danced together in celebration of their new freedom. In a symbolic gesture of reunification, Germans began smashing down the wall with sledge-hammers and pick-axes. The wave of euphoria that commenced on November 9, 1989 would ultimately lead - just 11 months later - to the official reunification of Germany on October 3, 1990.

Answer 2

Kristallnacht "Night of Broken Glass" in Germany when Nazi stormtroopers attacked Jewish businesses, homes, and synagogues... was on Nov 9 1938.

On Nov 9 1989 the Berlin Wall was opend the first time by the German Democratic Republics politicans.

Answer 3

1989 saw the Fall of the Berlin Wall and the start of the collapse of the Communist regime in East Germany. This paved the way for the reunification of Germany.