Mr. Gorbatchev, Open This Gate

[Ms. Squirrel 11]

OMG Bon Jovi is singing under the Brandeburg Gate! Thanks.

Why not bring out the Hoff and have him sing on a crane with a sparkly jacket?

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

'I Gave my People the Order -- Raise the Barrier'

Lieutenant-Colonel Harald Jäger was in charge of the East Berlin checkpoint at Bornholmer Strasse on Nov. 9, 1989, and was the first border guard to allow East Germans to cross over to the West -- without an order from his superiors. In an interview with SPIEGEL ONLINE, he describes that historic night.

SPIEGEL: When you saw the news conference in which the opening of the East German border was announced at 18:54 on Nov. 9, what went through your mind?

Jäger: I thought, "what's he going on about?" He's reading something off and doesn't have any idea what the impact's going to be. He himself seemed very surprised at what he was saying, like someone who was reading it for the first time.

SPIEGEL: Was it clear to you what was going to happen in the following hours?

Jäger: No, not to that extent, but it was clear to me that people wanting to leave would appear at our border crossing. That didn't trigger any panic or fear in me. All I thought was: Now you've got to find out whether they're allowed to travel immediately or not. It wasn't government departments but the passport control offices at the checkpoints that had to deal with the situation. I immediately telephoned my superior in the operating command center in Berlin-Treptow. He had also seen the news conference and was just as surprised as all of us. His order was to turn the people away.

SPIEGEL: When did the first people start appearing at your checkpoint?

Jäger: The first ones came very quickly. But they stood at a distance, they were uncertain.

SPIEGEL: The border guards used to refer to anyone trying to cross the border without the right documents as 'wild boar.'

Jäger: Yes that's right, we would use that term for people who would turn up at night, often drunk, at our checkpoint and wanted to get across. But it was different that night. These were people who wanted to get across because they were referring to a statement by a member of the Politburo. I didn't regard them as wild boar.

SPIEGEL: At what point did things become tense?

Jäger: A police car turned up and announced through a loudspeaker to the waiting GDR citizens that they could report to a registry office where they would be issued with travel documents to let them leave. The GDR citizens started going to police stations. The next police station wasn't far from us, so it was five minutes there, five minutes back at most. The GDR citizens, not all but some of them, went there and came back very angry after 10 or 12 minutes. The police stations were closed. The GDR citizens felt they had been made fools of and said so loudly. "You're taking the piss! We demand to be let out." Schabowski (editor's note: Günter Schabowski was the East German government spokesman who announced the opening of the border crossings at a news conference on Nov. 9) had made the announcement on television, and they wanted us to implement it.

SPIEGEL: Did you try to explain the situation to your superior?

Jäger: I described the situation to Colonel Ziegenhorn in the command center and he said: "You know the order, there's nothing new." I said: "I just want to make you aware of the fact that hundreds of citizens are standing here and that the order has become a bit more problematic following the police announcement." He said: "Send them away." I said: "I can't send anyone away, I can only block off the border." That night one had to be braced for the possibility that GDR citizens might storm the border. One had to be braced for it.

SPIEGEL: Did these conversations keep taking place throught that evening?

Jäger: Yes, over and over again. I told him: "A solution must be found." And at some point he said to me: "Listen, I'll ring the ministry, you can listen in. We'll talk to the minister or one of his deputies." At that point he wanted to show me the chaos and that there wouldn't be any orders from the top. He wanted to show me that -- I knew Colonel Ziegenhorn well enough, that's why he wanted me to listen in on the phone call. So I heard how someone in the ministry asked whether Comrade Jäger was in a position to assess the situation properly or whether he was acting out of fear. When I heard that, I'd had enough. I shouted down the phone: "If you don't believe me, then just listen." I took the receiver and held it out of the window.

SPIEGEL: Did you discuss the situation with your colleagues at the other checkpoints?

Jäger: I spoke repeatedly to all officers in charge that evening. On the street, but also in my office. They demanded: "Harald, you've got to do something!" I said: "What am I supposed to do?" I wanted to hear what they thought. They stood together in my office and I wanted them to tell me what I should do. "It's up to you, you're the boss," they said. I said: "Should I let the GDR citizens leave? Or should I give the order to open fire?" "For God's sake!" they said. I only mentioned opening fire as a provocation, I wanted to know if they would support me if I allowed the GDR citizens to cross over. It was clear that it would be my responsibility but I wanted to be sure I would have their support. But that wasn't forthcoming. That's how the meeting ended.

SPIEGEL: Would it have been possible to give the order to open fire?

Jäger: No, we had the order not to open fire even if the border was breached, unless our own lives were in danger.

SPIEGEL: So shooting at people in front of the barriers was not an option at any point on November 9?

Jäger: No, but people could have been injured or killed even without shots being fired. In scuffles, or if there had been panic among the thousands gathered at the border crossing. That's why I gave my people the order: Open the barrier!

[SuperDuper! 230]

OMG Bon Jovi is singing under the Brandeburg Gate! Thanks.

Why not bring out the Hoff and have him sing on a crane with a sparkly jacket?

For crying out loud, forget the sparkles, sweety, just roll him out in his Bday suit!

[Ms. Squirrel 11]

I heard the dogs were burnt alive after the photo session.

Latest update:

[Sofiyya 1,687]

I can't believe people have turned a thread celebrating the Maurfall into an anti-Obama or U2 sucks thread.

VJ sheesh.

It's freaking 20 years of peace and freedom we're celebrating...can't you just let it be that without getting nasty?

In any situation where we have the opportunity to say that U2 sucks I think we should, the world needs to know.

Same for Barry, who sux because he won't go to the celebration. He's still pissed off for not being allowed to electioneer at the Brandenburg Gate in 2008.

[_Simpson_ 250]

2 yrs later eh, oh and the Kennedy speech... thanks for sharing that

One of the greatest speeches ever. The speech resonated with the free citizens of West Berlin as with those not free who were living and caged into the Soviet occupied East Germany. The speech was powerful, inspiring and right on the money.

Greatest speeches ever... uh yeah I think your getting a little carried away here but my point was not the quality of that speech but to point out the never ending parade of people who want to downplay Reagan's role in this... so so nice for Otto to give us a history lesson.

Take a history class, will ya'? Reagan would never have been able to make that speech if it wasn't for every administration since WWII to protect West Berlin. Kennedy's speech following the build of the Berlin Wall ensured Berlin that America would not give up on it. It was certainly less significant than Truman's Luftbrücke some 15 years earlier but it was important for the people of Berlin to know and be reassured that they had America on their side after the Soviets have caged them in. Without the determination of Truman and Kennedy, there would have been no Reagan speech in 1987.

My husband is from East Germany. He has a picture of himself at the wall when it came down. It's a little surreal for him that it's been 20 years.

Thanks mr. Reagan!

That's a bit simplistic Marc. It took more than Reagan to bring that Wall down.

What Why are you coming at me with I need to take history lessons? , most people know the history and I happen to be one of those people, I dont need history lessons on this subject but like I said before what I was addressing was the neverending line of people on the left trying to down play Reagans role in all this, your thread title mentioned something Reagan had said and Otto went above and beyond the call of duty(quite the saint I must say) by giving us a history lesson, I found it silly because it wasnt needed and I think it comes down to he/she just wanted to make sure Reagan didnt get all of the credit.

[_Simpson_ 250]

I can't believe people have turned a thread celebrating the Maurfall into an anti-Obama or U2 sucks thread.

VJ sheesh.

It's freaking 20 years of peace and freedom we're celebrating...can't you just let it be that without getting nasty?

In any situation where we have the opportunity to say that U2 sucks I think we should, the world needs to know.

Same for Barry, who sux because he won't go to the celebration. He's still pissed off for not being allowed to electioneer at the Brandenburg Gate in 2008.

ah yes true good point.

[jundp 191]

Just wanted to say that November 9th was also the night of the 'Kristallnacht' and that it should not be forgotten.

Today is the 70th anniversary! I realized that when I was talking to my students about the beginning of Kindertransport earlier. We were discussing the Mauerfall and then one kid said "Wait. November 9th was Kristallnacht." It was an odd moment with all these teenagers so quiet...

Here is the BBC interview with Joachim Neumann the tunneler I met in Berlin last year. My friend found this and posted it on facebook. We hope he was able to be at the Wall celebrations.

It's been 71 years Jennie

The tunnel just shows how despreate people where to get out of there. I forgot to mention my thrid eastern colleague - her mom and her actually escaped in the trunk of a car. Imagine that. The fear they must have had.

OMG. I seriously was thinking it was 2008 Yet, somehow I knew the Wall came down in 1989. /facepalm!

DUH!

[Ban Hammer 13,337]

Trabbies sucked - my first car was a 1968 Wartburg 353. Ah the memories...

proof that not all german autos are great

[trillium13 84]

You forgot the Trabbies !

I used to drive an A35 van and it was like a Rolls in comparison...

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/comm...tin_A35_van.jpg

That's what we had... They were sooooo loud, stank so bad and didn't have seatbelts. All three of us sat in the back never buckled in.

Oh boy I loved the Nissan which we bought right away. Electric window openers... I played for hours with those

Hubby had one of these too. He just showed me this picture of its "guts". Impressive!

We just spent about an hour or 2 talking about the fall of the wall and East and West Germany in general. To say it was a way different life than the one I had growing up in the US would be a huge understatement.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

2 yrs later eh, oh and the Kennedy speech... thanks for sharing that

One of the greatest speeches ever. The speech resonated with the free citizens of West Berlin as with those not free who were living and caged into the Soviet occupied East Germany. The speech was powerful, inspiring and right on the money.

Greatest speeches ever... uh yeah I think your getting a little carried away here but my point was not the quality of that speech but to point out the never ending parade of people who want to downplay Reagan's role in this... so so nice for Otto to give us a history lesson.

Take a history class, will ya'? Reagan would never have been able to make that speech if it wasn't for every administration since WWII to protect West Berlin. Kennedy's speech following the build of the Berlin Wall ensured Berlin that America would not give up on it. It was certainly less significant than Truman's Luftbrücke some 15 years earlier but it was important for the people of Berlin to know and be reassured that they had America on their side after the Soviets have caged them in. Without the determination of Truman and Kennedy, there would have been no Reagan speech in 1987.

What Why are you coming at me with I need to take history lessons? , most people know the history and I happen to be one of those people, I dont need history lessons on this subject but like I said before what I was addressing was the neverending line of people on the left trying to down play Reagans role in all this, your thread title mentioned something Reagan had said and Otto went above and beyond the call of duty(quite the saint I must say) by giving us a history lesson, I found it silly because it wasnt needed and I think it comes down to he/she just wanted to make sure Reagan didnt get all of the credit.

I think it's called perspective. At the end of the day. Reagan doesn't deserve all the credit for the fall of the Berlin Wall. Not even the majority of it, to be quite honest. I thought his 1987 speech at the Brandenburg Gate was quite powerful - he put in very simple terms what people on both sides of that Wall were thinking. Those words, however powerful and welcome at the time, didn't bring down the Wall, though.

[Anna C. 4]

The guy (Peter Robinson) who wrote Reagan's speech went to hubbie's college and we met him at a meeting of the alumni chapter of San Francisco 2 years ago. He is very nice and smart.

@ Charles: Yup, not all cars are great, however you gotta consider DDR shortage economy, meaning you had to build something from nothing My parents had to wait a whopping 13 years for their Trabbi!!!

[Captain Oates 911]

They tried to sell Wartburgs in the UK but didn't consider changing the name.

Same thing with Wankels

Of course the Japanese used names like 'Bluebird' and 'Cherry' which I am sure were more helpful.

[Otto 83]

What Why are you coming at me with I need to take history lessons? , most people know the history and I happen to be one of those people, I dont need history lessons on this subject but like I said before what I was addressing was the neverending line of people on the left trying to down play Reagans role in all this, your thread title mentioned something Reagan had said and Otto went above and beyond the call of duty(quite the saint I must say) by giving us a history lesson, I found it silly because it wasnt needed and I think it comes down to he/she just wanted to make sure Reagan didnt get all of the credit.

Wow... I did all that? Wasn't my intention - actually I hadn't intended to post when I did, but was playing with some ideas to maybe augment the OP's idea and got interrupted so I closed out of VJ (or at least I thought I did) but was too late to make any changes when I got back. Had no idea I was giving a history lesson nor making a political statement. Not everything is about politics.

In any regard - am happy the 860 mile wall/fence/border and the DDR are long gone - that's the important thing and what is being celebrated.

[Captain Oates 911]

Sometimes the time is right for something and the trigger is less relevant than the pent up floodwaters

Or as Bill Shakespeare put it :

There is a tide in the affairs of men.

Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune;

Omitted, all the voyage of their life

Is bound in shallows and in miseries.

On such a full sea are we now afloat,

And we must take the current when it serves,

Or lose our ventures.

Most times it needs a spark from someone or something but the combustible materials were there before the spark..

(Streichholtz und benzinkanister as Nina would have it)