Vechta reminds: Fall of the Berlin Wall expert Kolhoff shines with exciting revelations!

Vechta reminds: Fall of the Berlin Wall expert Kolhoff shines with exciting revelations!

On July 15, 2025, the focus will be on the memories of the division of Germany and the subsequent reunification. A very special occasion will take place in Vechta on October 1, 2025, when the ex-speaker of the Berlin Senate, Werner Kolhoff, will give exciting insights into the political events surrounding the fall of the Berlin Wall. Kolhoff, who played a key role in the negotiations for the unification treaty in 1989, will guide you through the events of that time at 7:00 p.m. in the Museum in the Armory, Zitadelle 15.

With an entrance fee of just 3.50 euros, you can hope for insights that are not in the history books. Kolhoff will report on the Berlin Senate's preparations for the opening of the Wall ten days before November 9, 1989 and also address the behavior of Chancellor Helmut Kohl at this critical time. The federal states' intrigues against Berlin as the capital are also discussed, accompanied by a discussion about the assessment of German unity from today's perspective, moderated by Christoph Heinzel, a well-known journalist and historian.

The history of the wall

The division of Germany began after World War II in 1949, when the German Democratic Republic (GDR) was founded in the east and the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) in the west. Between these two states stretched the “inner German border” and the Berlin Wall, which separated not only physically but also symbolically. Traveling between the two parts of Germany was often only possible for citizens with great effort and special permits.

Discontent in the GDR grew rapidly, especially in the 1980s. In the summer of 1989 alone, over 50,000 people fled to the West, many via Hungary, which had by then dismantled some of its border fortifications. A highlight was the “Pan-European Picnic” on August 19, 1989, where around 700 GDR citizens were able to flee the Hungarian-Austrian border. These refugee movements culminated in the famous “Monday demonstrations,” which culminated in Leipzig on October 9, 1989, when around 70,000 people demonstrated for freedom and reform.

The fall of the wall

The story took a decisive turn on November 9, 1989, when the spokesman for the GDR government, Günter Schabowski, announced permission for free travel at a press conference. This led to massive flows of people at the Berlin border crossings, which were then opened. In the weeks after the fall of the Wall, citizens took their own pieces of the masonry with them as souvenirs and symbols of their newfound freedom.

The discussion about future relations between the two German states gained momentum. Although reunification initially seemed distant, Chancellor Helmut Kohl presented a ten-point plan for German unity at the end of November 1989. These steps ultimately led to the establishment of a “round table” in which civil rights groups and the GDR government took part. German unification was ceremoniously completed on October 3, 1990 - an event that is now celebrated on “German Unity Day,” a holiday that brings millions of people in Germany together.

Kolhoff's event in Vechta not only promises to offer an exciting look back at this time, but also at the political context that places the initially chaotic events in a historical context.