Bornholmer Straße

The northmost checkpoint within the city stretched from Bösebrücke bridge to Malmöer Straße. This border crossing was the first to be breached after the fall of the wall. It was opened by the border guards after crowds amassed on either side, and they had no choice but to open the border.
Nearby: A 200m section of the “inner security wall”, “Mind the Gap,” Memorial stone commemorating the fall of the Wall

The chain of events began with Günter Schabowski’s confused press conference on the evening of 9 November 1989, in which he inadvertently announced that new travel regulations would take effect “immediately, without delay.” Thousands of East Berliners rushed to Bornholmer Straße, where border commander Harald Jäger and his overwhelmed guards faced a growing, increasingly impatient crowd. At around 11:30 pm, Jäger made the historic decision to open the barrier without authorisation from his superiors – the first breach of the Berlin Wall.

The chain of events began with Günter Schabowski’s confused press conference, in which he inadvertently announced that new travel regulations would take effect “immediately, without delay.” Thousands of East Berliners rushed to Bornholmer Straße, where border commander Harald Jäger and his overwhelmed guards faced a growing, increasingly impatient crowd. At around 11:30 pm, Jäger made the historic decision to open the barrier without authorisation from his superiors.

A 200-metre section of the inner security wall still stands near the bridge, and the memorial “Platz des 9. November 1989” marks the spot where the barrier was lifted. Information boards with photographs and personal accounts document the events of that extraordinary night. The nearby Bösebrücke bridge itself has become a symbol of peaceful revolution.

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