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On 9 November 1989, East German leaders announced a loosening of travel restrictions between East and West Germany following months of mass protests across the country. Communist Party spokesperson Günter Schabowski held a press conference to announce the new measures, in which he was asked by a journalist when the changes would take effect. Having missed part of the briefing earlier in the day, Schabowski replied: “Das tritt nach meiner Kenntnis... ist das sofort... unverzüglich” (“As far as I know... effective immediately, without delay“). East and West Berliners erupted in jubilation, and spontaneous demonstrations and celebrations saw thousands mount the wall that had divided the city for decades. East Berliners began pouring into West Berlin while civilians set about destroying the wall. Mixing newly-resurfaced and previously unseen footage, this ITN Archive documentary tells the story of the first days of the fall of the Berlin Wall – known in Germany as der Mauerfall. #BerlinWall #EastBerlin #WestBerlin #ColdWar #DDR #GDR #FRG #BRD #Communism #SovietUnion #USSR #SovietWave #Mauerfall #DieMauer #BerlinWall #EastGermany #Communist #WestGermany To license the footage featured in this clip, follow the link below: OR R091189002* OR R121189001*&sort=best&license=rf,rr To search the ITN Archive collection on Getty Images, follow the link below: 🎥 Subscribe to our YouTube channel (tap the bell icon and stay up to date with all the latest ITN Archive videos!) - @ITNArchive 🎥 Follow us on Twitter - 🎥 Like us on Facebook - 🎥 Check out our TikTok - @itnarchive1955
