Marking the day, 25 years ago on Sunday, that East and West Germans were united.
In 1945, the winners of World War II divided up the defeated Germany among themselves, also splitting the capital, Berlin. In 1961, the communist leadership in East Germany began raising what would become known as the Berlin Wall. For the next 28 years, the wall would stand as a symbol of the divide between two political and economic systems.
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Months of protests against Communist rule — including this one, where 70,000 people walked through the city center of the town of Leipzig in Oct. 1989 — eventually lead to the head of the East German Communist Party announcing that beginning at midnight, on Nov. 9, civilians would be able to cross the border.
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After some behind-the-scenes politicking, Guenter Schabowski, spokesman for the East Germany Politburo, announced the decision when he improvised comments during a press conference, sayng that the changes in travel regulations were "effective immediately." That set off a rush of East Germans towards the border.
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People gathered at the wall, tearing down barbed wire.
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