Gorbachev Hailed for Fall of Berlin Wall

On Anniversary of Wall's Demise, German Chancellor Angela Merkel Thanks Former Soviet Leader for his Role in Historic Moment

(CBS/AP)  Chancellor Angela Merkel and former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev crossed a former fortified border on Monday to cheers of "Gorby! Gorby!" as a throng of grateful Germans recalled the night 20 years ago that the Berlin Wall gave way to their desire for freedom and unity.

Within moments of a confused announcement on Nov. 9, 1989 that East Germany was lifting travel restrictions, hundreds of people streamed into the enclave that was West Berlin, marking a pivotal moment in the collapse of communism in Europe.

Merkel, who grew up in East Germany and was one of thousands to cross that night, recalled that "before the joy of freedom came, many people suffered."

She lauded Gorbachev, with whom she shared an umbrella amid a crush of hundreds, eager for a glimpse of the man many still consider a hero for his role in pushing reform in the Soviet Union.

"We always knew that something had to happen there so that more could change here," she said.

"You made this possible - you courageously let things happen, and that was much more than we could expect," she told Gorbachev in front of several hundred people gathered in light drizzle on the bridge over railway lines.

Read more on the 20th anniversary of the Berlin Wall's fall at CBSNews.com:

Sarkozy Ripped for Berlin Wall Claim Germany Marks Fall of Berlin Wall Sunday Morning: Berlin Wall, 20 Years Later

Tears sprang to the eyes of Uwe Kross, a 65-year old retiree, who recalled seeing the start of the drama on Nov. 9, 1989 from his home, a block away from the bridge.

"That night, you couldn't stop people," Kross said. "They lifted the barrier and everyone poured through.

"We saw it first on TV, normally it was very quiet up here, but that night we could hear the footsteps of those crossing, tap, tap, tap."

Kross was among those who crossed early on - so early that nobody was yet waiting on the other side when they reached the West. He recalled hopping on the first subway to then-West Berlin's main boulevard, the Kurfuerstendamm.

"All hell was breaking loose there," Kross said.

Merkel also welcomed Poland's 1980s pro-democracy leader, Lech Walesa, to the former crossing Monday, saying that his Solidarity movement provided "incredible encouragement" to East Germans.

The leaders were joined by prominent former East Germans such as Joachim Gauck, an ex-pastor who later oversaw the archives of East Germany's secret police, the Stasi.

"Those in government thought they were opening a valve, but once it was open much more happened," Gauck said of the border opening. "A collapse followed."

The bridge crossing was one of a series of events marking Monday's anniversary of the border's opening after the wall kept East German citizens penned in for 28 years.

Music from Bon Jovi and Beethoven was to recall the joy of the border's opening, which led to German reunification less than a year later and the swift demolition of most of the wall - which snaked for 96 miles (155 kilometers) around West Berlin, a capitalist enclave deep inside East Germany.

Memorials also were planned to the 136 people killed trying to cross the border. Candles were lit and 1,000 towering plastic foam dominoes placed along the wall's route to be tipped over later Monday.

Also expected in Berlin for the ceremonies were the leaders of all 27 European Union countries and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.

The wall's opening came hours after a botched announcement by a senior communist official on a cold, wet night in 1989.

At the end of a plodding news conference, Politburo spokesman Guenter Schabowski offhandedly said East Germany was lifting restrictions on travel across its border with West Germany.

Pressed on when the regulation would take effect, he looked down at his notes and stammered: "As far as I know, this enters into force ... this is immediately, without delay."

Schabowski has said he didn't know that the change wasn't supposed to be announced until the following morning.

East Berliners streamed toward border crossings. Facing huge crowds and lacking instructions from above, border guards opened the gates - and the wall was on its way into history.

Merkel said she was among the East Germans who, hearing Schabowski's words, thought "something might happen on the evening of Nov. 9." Like many others, she made her way across.

By the Brandenburg Gate, the symbol of Germany's division and then of its reunification, which for nearly three decades stood just behind the wall in no man's land, Dieter Mohnka, 74, and his wife Helga, 71, shared a bowl of French fries on Monday afternoon and recalled the night the wall was opened.

"We were shocked when we heard that announced, simply astounded," said Helga. "The next morning we went straight to visit my aunt in the West."

Dieter, a high school teacher at the time, said he had long been fascinated with West Germany.

"I was born in East Germany, I went to school in East Germany. I was supposed to teach the kids about the wonderfulness of the East, when I was secretly watching TV from the West," he said.

"This is not just a day of celebration for Germans," Merkel said. "This is a day of celebration for the whole of Europe; this is a day of celebration for all those people who have more freedom."

[lami987]

Berlin wall down, American/Mexican wall up. What a shame. That wall can never stop illegal immigrants from crossing the border. The only way to stop illegals from crossing the border is to enforce the law that companies who employ illegals be prosecuted. May be those politicians who wamted the wall were actually wanted to help the companies get low wage labor.

[picklepants7]

by Ms_enza November 9, 2009 4:06 PM EST
Thank you President Obama for not replacing The Wall with a very expensive nonfunctional Poland-based NMD Shield.

Reagan has as much to do with the Wall coming down as Nixon did with the Kennedy assasination.


typical uneducated liberal dumbacrate. trying to rewrite the history books, but yet has never opened one. to say reagan had noting to do with the berlin wall comming down is just plain ignorant.

and shame on you cbs for not mentioning reagan in the article. it just cements your bias to republicans.

[bquadbikeboy]

SHAME ON YOU CBS NEWS. I graduated High School in 1989 and remember it well. Ronald Reagan said..."Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall." The United States faced down communism. The Soviet Union was broke and going under. THIS IS FACT. And some wonder why a lot of people don't trust a lot of the media. This school teacher doesn't.

[thatchmo62]

The only thing Gory did was lose the Cold War. Give credit to Reagan as most former "prisoners" of the Soviet Block do. But of course revisionist history is in full swing from all of the posts and reports I've read so far that give Gorby way too much credit. I'm sure he would of preferred to keep the wall in place if he could.

[taxchurches]

Ahhh, a Hate Radio fan. Giving Reagan credit for the fall of communism is idiotic. Reagan acted the way American presidents always had during the Cold War -- with hatred born of fear -- Gorbachev on the other hand, had the courage to work for change, which placed him in actual personal danger in a country not known for being terribly progressive.

But the simple truth is, communism fell because it fell. It was bankrupt, ineffectual, corrupt and antiquated. It was destined to fail. A doddering Reagan, who did nothing more than maintain policies of every U.S. president since 1945, just happened to be in office at the time. And, had Carter still been in office, I'm sure you would agree.

[louiville35]

Ahhh, a Hate Radio fan. Giving Reagan credit for the fall of communism is idiotic. Reagan acted the way American presidents always had during the Cold War -- with hatred born of fear -- Gorbachev on the other hand, had the courage to work for change, which placed him in actual personal danger in a country not known for being terribly progressive.-by taxchurches November 9, 2009 3:15 PM EST
==========================================================================
Sure sure that's right I remember Gorbachev standing up for openness and saying "Tear down this wall", right??

Ah yes more revisionist rhetoric from a self loathing American with blinders on.

[Wolf1944]

The only thing Reagan accomplished during his four years was quadrupling the national debt.

And subsidizing mass murder, rape and torture in Nicaragua.

Well, he did set a record for taking vacation (broken by Bush 2).

[thatchmo62]

taxchurches:
Keep drinking your revisonist kool-aid. Reagan contributed to the downfall of the Soviet Union and the Wall because, if you are old enough to remember at the time, the U.S. was re-building during Reagan's presidency, its armed forces and defense after many years of neglect. The Soviet Union couldn't keep up and imploded unto its own failed Communist ideology. Gorbachev didn't work for change, he knew communism wasn't going to work much longer in his Soviet empire and he wanted to be on the winning side. Unfortunately you leftists fell for his actions.

[obtacz]

Except Carter never had the nerve to say it, Reagan did. Deal with it. Argue with history all you want but it's a fact. The bigger issue facing America today is how the news media like CBS distills the story and tries to change history by not mentioning Reagan, not talking about why Obama isn't there.

[Harden_Tar]

I disagree, Gorby knew the USSR was doomed. He knew he couldn't carry Reagan's jock, but he held on as long as he could because he didn't want to wake up dead curtesy of the KGB and politburo. As they ran out of stuff, they most likely looked to neighboring countries where they could get well, but Ronnie was there waving his finger saying "I don't think so comrad. Gorby was a tool.

[lovenpeace1]

Hey Charlie2422,

At the current rate of OutSourcing and InSourcing (H1B and L1 Visas) by American Corporations, America is getting very close to that 20% Unemployment rate.

http://www.visabureau.com/america/news/03-11-2009/demand-for-highly-skilled-workers-for-american-visa-program-will-increase.aspx

[FauxNews]

The Berlin Wall did not collapse, it expanded. It happened on the day the Soviets realized there was more communism outside the wall than inside. If you are not already a government employee or on welfare, just look on your paycheck?not at the money you make, the money the government takes.

[missme4]

"If you are not already a government employee or on welfare..."


KUDOS!! Thank you for bringing to light the real america! Welfare or government employee (glorified welfare), take your pick in the new america.

[lovenpeace1]

Folks,

Republican Ex-President Ronald Reagon never did anything to 'bring down this wall' as Conservatives would frequently tell you. In fact, Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev got a Nobel Peace prize for his direct actions that made this possible 20 years ago.

[lovenpeace1]

by charlie2422 November 9, 2009 1:39 PM EST
And West Germany's unemployment rate shot up to 20 phuckkkin %. Why? How do you tell a buncha Communists they're in charge'a their own destiny?

*******************

Hey Charlie2422,

At the current rate of OutSourcing and InSourcing (H1B and L1 Visas), America is getting very close to that 20%.

http://www.visabureau.com/america/news/03-11-2009/demand-for-highly-skilled-workers-for-american-visa-program-will-increase.aspx

Be careful of what you wish for in a communist country like China and in a Socialist country like India.

[bquadbikeboy]

Just because you choose to re-write history and deny truth doesn't make it so. Facts are facts. But of course, you've got to be a hate-filled Right-Winger American to believe that, right??

[rexrox2]

To lovenpeace, your name is not, nor will ever have anything to do with wresting power away from a tyrannical government. Get back to me when you find the example of your name sake causing peace to break out where there was none. While the communist economy was crumbling, Reagan was building up our weapons programs and stockpiles. When the Soviet economy was a calamity they did not head outside their borders to conquer another state for it's cheap labor, or natural resources. That's what has been the normal scenario for Tyrannical Governments when their states begin to collapse. There would be no expansion this time. Reagan saw to that. It's such a shame that we can't give credit to our own people when credit is due be they: democrat, republican or independent.

[dwilson59]

Thank You President Ronald Reagan.

[missme4]

For what?

[anti-global3]

while I am not a huge fan of President Reagan there is no doubt he deserved credit for the fall of the Berlin Wall. Gorby played a role but by then Reagan's policies had helped bankrupt the Soviet Union making it impossible for them to sustain their territories and keep control.
His philosophy on foriegn affairs was the one thing i admired about him and should be used today.When asked what his policies were meant to bring about he stated it's simple, we win they lose.