"The Night The Wall Fell: Freedom, Fatherhood Collide" [audio 7 min 46 sec[
Germans are celebrating 20 years since the fall of the Berlin Wall that divided the city and served as the symbol of a Europe divided between communist East and democratic West.
The spark that led to the wall's fall happened largely by accident. Weeks of mass protests had put enormous pressure on the East German communists to ease travel restrictions, a key demand by demonstrators.
At a press conference on Nov. 9, 1989, an official of the German Democratic Republic, or East Germany, announced — prematurely and mistakenly — that visa restrictions would be eased effective immediately.
Read entire article at NPR Morning Edition
The spark that led to the wall's fall happened largely by accident. Weeks of mass protests had put enormous pressure on the East German communists to ease travel restrictions, a key demand by demonstrators.
At a press conference on Nov. 9, 1989, an official of the German Democratic Republic, or East Germany, announced — prematurely and mistakenly — that visa restrictions would be eased effective immediately.