Which East German official announced the new travel rules at the 9 November 1989 press conference?

Günter Schabowski announced the new travel rules at the 9 November 1989 press conference.

Schabowski, a leading official of East Germany’s ruling Socialist Unity Party, read from notes describing new regulations for private travel. When asked when the rules would take effect, he answered “immediately, without delay,” although the intended administrative procedure had not been fully completed.

News reports quickly spread the impression that all border crossings were open. Crowds gathered at the Berlin Wall, and border guards eventually allowed people through because they could not control the growing pressure. This chain of events led to the wall’s unexpected opening that night.

Egon Krenz was East Germany’s leader at the time, while Erich Honecker had resigned weeks earlier. Schabowski’s role was the public announcement that transformed a confused policy briefing into a historic moment.