When did the Berlin Wall fall?
The Berlin Wall fell on November 9, 1989, when East German authorities opened the border crossings and crowds poured through. Germany reunified on October 3, 1990.
East Germany built the wall in August 1961 to stop its citizens from fleeing to West Berlin. For 28 years it divided the city, and around 140 people were killed trying to cross it. By 1989, protests and reforms across Eastern Europe were putting heavy pressure on East Germany's government.
On the evening of November 9, government spokesman Günter Schabowski announced new travel rules at a press conference and, when asked, said they took effect immediately. Thousands rushed to the checkpoints. Overwhelmed border guards opened the gates, and Berliners climbed onto the wall and began chipping pieces away.
What came next
Official demolition began in 1990, and Germany reunified less than a year after the wall fell. The fall of the Berlin Wall became a symbol of the end of the Cold War, which ended with the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991.
Did You Know?
Some sections of the wall still stand. The East Side Gallery, a 1.3-kilometer stretch covered in murals, is one of Berlin's most visited sights.