Featured moment · World history

Opening of the Berlin Wall

9 November 1989

East Germany opened its border crossings, allowing Berliners to pass through a barrier that had divided the city for decades.

People crossing near the Berlin Wall after border restrictions began to collapse in 1989 — Photograph: Raphaël Thiémard / Wikimedia Commons. View image, creator and licence on Wikimedia Commons.

What happened?

On the evening of 9 November 1989, crowds gathered at checkpoints after East German officials announced new travel rules. Border guards opened crossings and people celebrated across the city.

Why it mattered

The opening of the Wall became a symbol of communist governments’ collapse in Central and Eastern Europe, and preceded German reunification in 1990.