On this day, November 9, 1989, the Berlin Wall fell.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

HISTORY

How NPR covered the fall of the Berlin Wall

November 7, 20225:00 AM ET
JACK MITCHELL



West-Berliner climb on the Berlin Wall on Nov. 9, 1989, to ask for its fall. After months of mass protests against regime and amid a widening exodus of citizens to the West via Hungary, thousands of East Berliners on Nov. 9, 1989 started streaming toward checkpoints leading to West Berlin.

Francoise Chaptal/AFP via Getty Images

"In the past 24 hours, the political landscape of Europe has been irrevocably changed."

That's how NPR's Linda Wertheimer began an All Things Considered broadcast alongside co-host Robert Siegel, 33 years ago this week — as the Berlin Wall began to crumble.

The wall stood for almost three decades as a fortified monument to the Cold War, carving the German capital into communist east and democratic west. When it finally toppled on Nov. 9, 1989, Berliners let loose a tidal wave of pent-up emotion.

The BBC's Graham Leach was there, filing reports that aired on NPR. Take a listen to his reporting on the raucous celebrations that night:

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Thu Nov 9, 2023: On this day, November 9, 1989, the Berlin Wall fell.

Wed Nov 9, 2022: On this day, November 9, 1989, the Berlin Wall fell.

[underpants]

1. I joined the Army 8 days later

I don’t think there was an actual connection just a happenstance of timing. Left for basic January 2nd. What better time to be in the Army?

Fast forward to Gulf War I. Looking back there was no real chance for my unit to go unless the whole 3rd ID went. I’m in Germany at an ammo dump we guarded for a couple weeks a couple times a year. We get alerted. I’m laying in a nice paved ditch. One Sargent runs by telling each of us along the ditch line that coalition forces have breached the Kuwaiti border, we are at war, Sgt. ____ will follow with live ammo. I remember looking out into this field in front of me (we were in zero danger) and thinking to myself, “What the F did you get yourself into?!??!”

It’s was really a flippant decision but it’s paid off a lot over the years. I also happened to be really good at the job I was assigned. I’m glad I never had to kill anyone or see the people I lived with get hurt or die.