After television coverage showed people dismantling sections of the Wall, East Germany announced ten new border crossings.
The announcement followed the dramatic events of 9 November 1989, when East Berliners and West Berliners gathered at the Wall after Schabowski’s confused announcement about new travel rules. Television coverage showed citizens climbing onto the barrier and chipping away pieces, turning the Wall’s physical breach into an international spectacle.
The ten new crossings included historically important locations such as Potsdamer Platz, Glienicke Bridge, and Bernauer Straße. These openings complemented the checkpoints that had begun allowing people through during the night. They were part of the rapid dismantling of the border regime rather than a carefully staged single moment in which every section of the Wall disappeared at once.
A common misunderstanding is that the Wall was completely removed immediately on 9 November. Demolition began that evening but continued for months, while some sections remained as memorials or were incorporated into later urban development. The new crossings helped reconnect roads, neighborhoods, and transport routes that had been severed since the Wall was built in 1961.