Berlin Wall Fell
The Berlin Wall came down, ending the Cold War divide
November 09, 1989
The Night the Wall Came Down
On November 9, 1989, a Communist Party spokesman in East Germany mistakenly announced at a press conference that new travel regulations would take effect "immediately, without delay." Crowds gathered at the Berlin Wall checkpoints demanding to be let through. Overwhelmed border guards, with no orders from above, eventually gave up and opened the gates. East and West Berliners embraced, cried, and climbed onto the Wall — tearing it apart with hammers and bare hands.
28 Years Divided
The Wall had divided Berlin since August 13, 1961, when the East German government built it overnight to stop the flood of citizens fleeing to the West — over 2.5 million people had left between 1949 and 1961. The Wall was 155 kilometers long, with guard towers, searchlights, trip-wire mines, and a "death strip" of raked sand to show footprints. At least 140 people were killed trying to cross it. For nearly three decades it was the most visible symbol of the Cold War.
What Changed
The Wall's fall triggered the rapid collapse of Communist governments across Eastern Europe. Within two years the Soviet Union dissolved. Germany reunified on October 3, 1990. Countries that had been behind the Iron Curtain joined NATO and the European Union. The date calculator can show how recently — in historical terms — Europe was split in two.