Which country did Egon Krenz reopen East Germany's border with on 1 November 1989?

Egon Krenz reopened East Germany’s border with Czechoslovakia on 1 November 1989.

The decision restored visa-free travel between East Germany and Czechoslovakia after the route had been restricted. It quickly became politically explosive because thousands of East Germans used Czechoslovakia as a corridor toward the West German embassy in Prague and onward to West Germany.

The growing refugee movement placed intense pressure on both the East German and Czechoslovak governments. Prague warned that it might seal the border unless East Germany dealt with the crisis. The reopening therefore relieved one immediate restriction but helped expose the wider collapse of East Germany’s travel system.

Hungary is an easy mix-up because it had opened its border with Austria earlier in 1989, helping East Germans reach the West. Poland and Austria were also central to the broader refugee story, but the 1 November reopening ordered under Krenz concerned Czechoslovakia.