Berlin Wall: Was the Fall Engineered by the GDR?

[ehrentitle]

Here is a new Time Magazine article called Berlin Wall: Was the Fall Engineered by the GDR? http://www.time.com/time/world/artic...892408,00.html

[Mike G.]

I feel certain the reason the American Journalist was shunned, was because the U.S. shunned East Germany from its inception. No surprise there at all that a European journalist would have been called upon over an American Journalist.

[grenzflieger]

Interesting story. I have been thinking alot about that moment and have always wondered how it all came to an end with such a clumsiness. Question remains: why still keep it a secret?

[torstenbel]

I feel certain the reason the American Journalist was shunned, was because the U.S. shunned East Germany from its inception. No surprise there at all that a European journalist would have been called upon over an American Journalist.

Very interesting article ...

Michael, I really do understand your comment in relation to this article?? Cheers, Torsten.

[Mike G.]

Hi Torsten,

As there was a question mark or two at the end of your statement, I presume the response to me was meant to be in the form of a question.

What I mean is, I was in Germany when the fateful event occurred, and a few days later saw the actual news real where the mistake was made, and to me it did not appear rehearsed or pre-planned.

Schabowski read from his original hand written notes, and was having trouble deciphering them.

Given the importance of the event as described by the Italian Press, had this been planned in advance, nothing would have been left to chance - Schabowski would not have been referring to his original hand written notes. Instead, he would have been reading from a typed memo.

Torsten, to clarify my initial response:
From the onset of the East German Democratik Republilk, it was policy of the U.S. not to recognize the East German Government. This was a major sticking point with the East Germans. I'm therefore comfortable with the observation that were an American Journalist to raise his hand to ask a question, a European Journalist would be far more likely to be recognized and given the opportunity to ask a question over the American. Nothing adverse meant by the comment. Just a matter of an astute observation and a case of grasping the obvious.


In closing, I think what was initially reported (and observed by all on East German TV) Nov 9th, 1989 was exactly what really happened. It was a totally unexpected event and was not pre-planned. Does anyone really believe Schabowski and his colleagues were able to enlist the cooperation of the Grenstruppen in advance? Or that they could do so without the Stasi knowing? There were extreme intense moments where this could have gone extremely badly, and thousands of people could have been shot. After all, the Italian Press seems to forget that "Shoot to Kill" Orders were in fact issued. Fortunately, everyone, including the young East German men that were part of the Grenztruppen that fateful evening, came to their senses and the rest is history.
Twenty years have passed. I think its a little late in the game to at this stage, go about trying to re-write it.

[torstenbel]

Hi Michael, I was also in germany at that time .... anyhow, I also think that it was entirely spontaneous and that it was actually a mistake and Schabowski never meant to say anything of the kind ... the story of it having been prefabricated is a possibility though and is well worth to be further investigated. Cheers, Torsten.

[Mike G.]

Hi Torsten,

You know, I kind of thought you might have been in Germany at that time also .....

I quite agree with you that the claim by the Italian Journalist could very easily be investigated and proven true or not. So far, it appears he has not of his own accord offered any evidence to back up his story.

It will be interesting to see if there is further interest by the German community in his claim, and if an investigation into the allegations the fall of the wall was planned. If there is an investigation, I hope the findings and conclusions reached are released to the public.

[Ralph P]

A couple of links...

http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...d.php?t=346691
http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...d.php?t=208844

[torstenbel]

I have seen more recent interviews with Schabowski where he quite clearly states that it really was a mistake and that he did not mean to indicate that the wall was now open ... his comments were misinterpreted and then things just kind of happened ... I don't think he would bother still trying to cover things up now if there was any more to it. Cheers, Torsten.