Translation via Google from German to English Opening of the border in Hungary A breach in the Iron Curtain Andreas Oplatka Today, June 26, 2014, 05:30 A family from the GDR cross on 11 September 1989, the open border to Austria. A family from the GDR cross on 11 September 1989, the open border to Austria. (Photo: DPA / Keystone) Hungary has removed the Iron Curtain in the spring of 1989, and tens of thousands of East German refugees allowed to leave in September. The move led to the collapse of the GDR. Posterity remembers often prefer to powerful symbol because of actual actions. The image of the Hungarian Foreign Minister Gyula Horn and his Austrian counterpart Alois Mock, as they cut through the wires of the Iron Curtain with heavy scissors, holds such a symbolic act. The resulting on 27 June 1989 shooting of two ministers went since then countless times around the world, and for that it means always, Hornm sharing the way for the country gathered in the East German refugees in the west. In reality, the road was still blocked; the actual opening of the border only took place on September 11. Long history Two decisions resulted in Hungary in the early autumn of 1989 for the mass emigration of East German citizens towards Austria; both have their long history. The first decision was the demolition of the Iron Curtain. The border fence in Hungary no longer resembled the already long equipped with mines and sentry guns obstacles which entertained the GDR on the inner German border. There was only a signal system that alerted the border guards when touched. But now everything was working poor in the socialist countries, and the signal system was no exception. As the technical system came into the year, it happened more often that the startled border guards marched out under cover of night, merely to determine that a gust of wind moved the wires or a hare had attempted to escape. Photo: See NZZ article Alois Mock (left) and Gyula Horn cut with scissors the Iron Vorhang.Alois Mock (left) and Gyula Horn cut with scissors the Iron Curtain. (Bern. Holzner / AP) The life of the frontier troops was to hell, and after discussion in the officer corps, the commander of the Border Guard proposed three possibilities: overtake the signal system, replacing it with new plants or cease. The first option would have brought a solution only for a few years, the second was expensive, the third, the demolition, recommended to be the cheapest. The Communist Party leadership, economic distress, was receptive to the financial argument and agreed in February 1989 to the degradation of the signal system to. Before that, had the leading reformist politicians of the country, Pozsgay, publicly declared that the Iron Curtain had become historically, politically and morally untenable. And since the end of November 1988 Acting Prime Minister Miklos Nemeth, soon became one of the most radical reformers emphasized in the state budget for 1989 the amount for the maintenance of border barriers. Nemeth brought up the subject in early March in Moscow in 1989 against the party leader Gorbachev to language; formally he shared with only the decision, Hungary will cancel the boundary obstacles. Gorbachev said, surprisingly, he saw in the measure no problem. However, appeased the Hungarian side their partners at the time still, the border remains secure, youll make by other means that no one can walk to Austria. Of course, you had to make the western boundary only in the interests of allies and especially the GDR tight since the Hungarian nationals since January 1, 1988 had the right to a passport and allowed to travel freely. On May 2, 1989 soldiers began the Hungarian army in order to roll up at the border wires. Journalists pursued the work, which was preceded by a press conference. Here began the second, the GDR inclusive part of this strange story. Because the statements to the press and the pictures of the demolition of the border fortifications found on the West German television station the same day you the way into countless living room in the GDR. The message, how they cope laid the GDR citizens for itself, said that in Hungary in the Iron Curtain a breach had been beaten and that there was the possibility to freely reach the West. The mediated in the same type of image sequences of 27 June, as Horn and Mock cut through the wires, strengthened this impression. Now began the summer holidays, put a stream of East German tourists in Hungary; Thousands came with the intention to continue their journey across Austria in the Federal Republic. However, the interpretation of the horn and Mocks great performance was erroneous. For one, opened the two foreign ministers the Iron Curtain not, because when they took the wire cutters in his hand, stood only remnants of the obstacles. Border guards later testified that they had the wires even have to stretch so that the two men were able to do their work photogenic. On the other horn and Mock had given way to the West in any way. Hungary insisted at first that here, no green border arises; they would not continue to allow unauthorized border crossings. Decision for Bonn The East German citizens found disappointed that the onward journey to Austria was not possible. But they also had the experience that those who caught the border guard while trying to escape, although returned to the interior, but were not given to the representatives of the East German state security. The Hungarian authorities gradually renounced also that you enter for foiled escape attempts statements in the statements of GDR citizens. Despite the insistence of East Berlin, Hungary refused then to consider the repatriation of East Germans. The escapees pulled out of all of the (correct) conclusion that Hungary would last allow her to leave yet. Their number increased steadily, to be opened by mid-August had refugee camp. Hungary had previously joined the Geneva Convention short, and although the GDR citizens had not asked for asylum to Budapest held his principle not to extradite political refugees. Now began the struggle over the decision to open the border, the second chapter. Hungary still belonged to the Warsaw Pact, about 80 000 Soviet soldiers were in the country. The government Nemeth, who had resolved at the time of the Communist Party already, the Kremlin did not ask for permission, but she made allusions; their diplomacy sought the Soviet reactions to calculate and came to the conclusion that Moscow would accept the dismissal of East German citizens to the West. The Soviet leadership later actually contented himself with merely unusual call to the Hungarian step. Meanwhile, the Federal Republic stepped in and urgently asked for the opening of the border. The Hungarian government had to choose between Bonn and East Berlin. With proper political instinct and no small courage, she decided to Bonn. Also contributed to the fact that the pressure on the border in late summer increased. Not only smaller groups managed the crossing to Austria, it was also repeated to mass escapes. The assumption was obviously wrong that one could limit even after the demolition of the Iron Curtain seal off tightly. These ranged the technical means of border protection is not enough. The death of a GDR citizen on the border on 21 August - while wrestling with a border soldiers shot had come loose - took the last drop of the barrel to overflowing. Drop the cubes In a circle of only four members of the government - Prime Minister Nemeth, Foreign horn, Home Secretary and Secretary of State Horvath Borics the Ministry of Justice - the decision was taken on August 22, 1989 to open the border. The decision precipitated the head of government. It was agreed to suspend certain points in the contract for travel, which consisted with the GDR and Hungary to committed not to allow the emigration of East German citizens in a third country. It was agreed then, Chancellor Helmut Kohl to request an urgent meeting. First, however, the problem of the West German Embassy in Budapest should be solved: The building was so full of East German refugees that they had to stop the operation. In a secret operation, which came about through the International Committee of the Red Cross, were on the night of 23 to 24 August 108 embassy refugees brought by a Swiss plane to Vienna, from where they continued their way to West Germany . On August 25, Prime Minister flew Nemeth and Foreign horn with a military plane on a secret mission to Bonn. To evade the East German intelligence, received the German hosts the Hungarians at Schloss Gymnich. In only four out conversation - in attendance were the two leaders Nemeth and carbon as well as the Foreign Minister Genscher and Horn - Nemeth assured the Chancellor the opening of the border. By mid-September, the problem will be resolved. Kohl thanked stirred and inquired what was expected in return. Hungary does not sell men, was the confident reply. In order to preserve the parallelism in the treatment of the two German states, Foreign Minister Horn informed on 31 August and the GDR on the Hungarian decision; his meeting with Foreign Minister Oskar Fischer in East Berlin last took on stormy forms. After a few tactical shifts due date - a nervous strain on the persevering escapees - the border went finally on 11 September at zero clock on. In the first four days afterwards to some 14 000 East German citizens from traveling to Hungary; to early November, just before the fall of the Berlin Wall, was their number 50 000 After a formulation Chancellor Kohl were the Hungarians, who beat out the first stone of the Berlin Wall. In fact, the population in the GDR had to be said that some could still be possible if it was possible, what had happened in Hungary. The Hungary itself was the satisfaction of having done well as a small country a significant contribution to German unification and the European upheaval of 1989. Andreas Oplatka, former editor and correspondent of the NZZ, author of the book The first crack in the wall. September 1989 - Hungary opens its border, Paul Zsolnay Verlag, Vienna, 2009. Pan-European Picnic Border AO ⋅ The Iron Curtain is gone, lets celebrate a feast. The people of Austrian and Hungarian villages near the border, separated a long time to come together on the boundary line, fry bacon and take it as a souvenir a piece of wire from the remnants of the fence. That was the idea of Pan-European Picnic. It was pre-Bracht in June 1989 in the city of Debrecen after a lecture of Otto von Habsburg. The proposal pleased. Otto von Habsburg was immediately asked to take over as president of the Pan-European Union patronage; he accepted. As a second patron won the initiators Minister of State Pozsgay. The opposition parties in the border town of Sopron took over the organization; as the scene of an area northeast of the city was chosen, and as the date of Saturday, August 19, 1989, determined. Government grants were available, there would be this afternoon 15-18 clock an improvised border crossing. On the day in question then dipped briefly was 15 clock unexpectedly a column of about 150 East Germans on and rushed to the crossing point to. On the Hungarian side was only a five man comprehensive border guard. Their commander, Lt. Col. Arpad Bella, ordered not to face the Germans in the way. Any attempt to stop the amount would have probably triggered riots and possibly required fatalities. The visited by thousands border picnic afterwards took its festive course, but took until the evening against 700 GDR citizens the opportunity to escape. Who had spread the information about the picnic under the East Germans, who led the first group of refugees, how intelligence agencies were using in the game, is still unknown. On the other hand, we know that the Nemeth government was using the picnic, to test the reaction of the Soviet Union. Moscow remained silent. The first mass exodus thus became the main sample of the opening of the border. nzz.ch/international/europa/eine-bresche-im-eisernen-vorhang-1.18330432
Posted on: Thu, 26 Jun 2014 16:20:05 +0000
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