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Ungarn

02/05 The iron curtain becomes porous

deutsch Ungarn baut den Grenzzaun zu Österreich ab (Quelle: Kronenzeitung/AP) Hungary opens its border to Austria The iron curtain ran the whole length of Europe north to south, separating the members of the Warszaw Pact from those of the NATO in the West. Beginning in March ’89, Hungary’s government hinted at the possibility they would…

26/04/89: Honecker about Hungary/über Ungarn

  Text auf deutsch Honecker loosing his grip on reality Just days before the border between Austria and Hungary is opened, Erich Honecker, chairman of the Zentralkomitee (Central Committee) of the Socialist Unity Party (SED) is worried about the situation with his neighbours. Using a language that’s equally stinted and oldschool he rambles on and…

21/03/89 The soviet army shrinks/Truppenreduzierung der Sowjets

A step towards independence A key factor leading to the revolution in 1989 is Michail Gorbatschow’s doctrine, that the “brother states” of the Warzsaw Pact will be responsible for their own destiny. Mikhai Gorbachev (Yuryi Abramochkin,RIA Novosti archive, image #359290) This means that a) the Soviet Union won’t stand in the way of national reforms,…

19. August 1989 Paneuropäisches Picknick in Sopron

Der Eiserne Vorhang wird immer löchriger Bereits am 27. Juni durchtrennen die beiden Außenministers Österreichs und Ungarns symbolisch den Grenzzaun zwischen beiden Ländern in einer symbolischen Geste. Der nächste Schritt bei der Durchlöcherung des Eisernen Vorhangs stand dann bereits am 19. August 1989 an. Initiiert von der Paneuropa Union  unter Vorsitz des CSU-Politikers Otto von Habsburg und der…