EAST. TOM BROKAW WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF IT ALL SHEN
TOM BROKAW WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF IT ALL SHEN IS THERE ONCE AGAIN.
MIDDLE OF IT ALL SHEN IS THERE ONCE AGAIN. TOM?
IS THERE ONCE AGAIN. TOM? >> Reporter: GOOD
TOM? >> Reporter: GOOD EVENING, IT WAS 30
>> Reporter: GOOD EVENING, IT WAS 30 YEARS AGO TONIGHT, A
EVENING, IT WAS 30 YEARS AGO TONIGHT, A NIGHT I WILL ALWAYS
YEARS AGO TONIGHT, A NIGHT I WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER, WHEN THE
NIGHT I WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER, WHEN THE BERLIN WALL CAME DOWN
REMEMBER, WHEN THE BERLIN WALL CAME DOWN AND THOUSANDS OF EAST
BERLIN WALL CAME DOWN AND THOUSANDS OF EAST GERMANS POURED ACROSS
AND THOUSANDS OF EAST GERMANS POURED ACROSS THE BORDER TO BE
GERMANS POURED ACROSS THE BORDER TO BE UNITED WITH THEIR
THE BORDER TO BE UNITED WITH THEIR FELLOW CITIZENS.
UNITED WITH THEIR FELLOW CITIZENS. IT WAS A PROCESS THAT
FELLOW CITIZENS. IT WAS A PROCESS THAT LED TO THE END OF THE
IT WAS A PROCESS THAT LED TO THE END OF THE SOVIET EMPIRE.
LED TO THE END OF THE SOVIET EMPIRE. [ CHEERS ]
SOVIET EMPIRE. [ CHEERS ] LOOKING BACK, IT’S
[ CHEERS ] LOOKING BACK, IT’S SOMETIMES HARD TO
LOOKING BACK, IT’S SOMETIMES HARD TO BELIEVE IT HAPPENED AT
SOMETIMES HARD TO BELIEVE IT HAPPENED AT ALL.
BELIEVE IT HAPPENED AT ALL. GOOD EVENING LIVE FROM
ALL. GOOD EVENING LIVE FROM THE BERLIN WALL ON THE
GOOD EVENING LIVE FROM THE BERLIN WALL ON THE MOST HISTORIC NIGHT IN
THE BERLIN WALL ON THE MOST HISTORIC NIGHT IN THIS WALL’S HISTORY --
MOST HISTORIC NIGHT IN THIS WALL’S HISTORY -- SUDDENLY, THE MOST
THIS WALL’S HISTORY -- SUDDENLY, THE MOST FORBIDDING SYMBOL OF
SUDDENLY, THE MOST FORBIDDING SYMBOL OF THE COLD WAR CAME
FORBIDDING SYMBOL OF THE COLD WAR CAME TUMBLING DOWN.
THE COLD WAR CAME TUMBLING DOWN. [ CHEERS ]
TUMBLING DOWN. [ CHEERS ] NO MATCH FOR PEOPLE
[ CHEERS ] NO MATCH FOR PEOPLE WHO JUST WANTED A
NO MATCH FOR PEOPLE WHO JUST WANTED A CHANCE TO EXPERIENCE
WHO JUST WANTED A CHANCE TO EXPERIENCE TRUE FREEDOM.
CHANCE TO EXPERIENCE TRUE FREEDOM. WE WERE HERE THAT WEEK
TRUE FREEDOM. WE WERE HERE THAT WEEK REPORTING ON THE
WE WERE HERE THAT WEEK REPORTING ON THE GROWING PROTESTS
REPORTING ON THE GROWING PROTESTS AGAINST COMMUNIST RULE
GROWING PROTESTS AGAINST COMMUNIST RULE AND THE HARDLINERS
AGAINST COMMUNIST RULE AND THE HARDLINERS WERE TRYING TO COME UP
AND THE HARDLINERS WERE TRYING TO COME UP WITH SOME KIND OF A
WERE TRYING TO COME UP WITH SOME KIND OF A PLAN THAT WOULD EASE
WITH SOME KIND OF A PLAN THAT WOULD EASE THE TENSION.
PLAN THAT WOULD EASE THE TENSION. LATE THAT AFTERNOON,
THE TENSION. LATE THAT AFTERNOON, THE EAST GERMAN
LATE THAT AFTERNOON, THE EAST GERMAN PROPAGANDA MINISTER
THE EAST GERMAN PROPAGANDA MINISTER MADE A FATEFUL
PROPAGANDA MINISTER MADE A FATEFUL MISTAKE.
MADE A FATEFUL MISTAKE. HE SAID THE NEW RULES
MISTAKE. HE SAID THE NEW RULES ALLOWING PEOPLE TO
HE SAID THE NEW RULES ALLOWING PEOPLE TO LEAVE EAST BERLIN
ALLOWING PEOPLE TO LEAVE EAST BERLIN WOULD GO INTO EFFECT
LEAVE EAST BERLIN WOULD GO INTO EFFECT IMMEDIATELY.
WOULD GO INTO EFFECT IMMEDIATELY. >> IT IS POSSIBLE FOR
IMMEDIATELY. >> IT IS POSSIBLE FOR THEM TO GO THROUGH THE
>> IT IS POSSIBLE FOR THEM TO GO THROUGH THE WALL AT SOME POINT --
THEM TO GO THROUGH THE WALL AT SOME POINT -- >> IT IS POSSIBLE FOR
WALL AT SOME POINT -- >> IT IS POSSIBLE FOR THEM TO GO THROUGH THE
>> IT IS POSSIBLE FOR THEM TO GO THROUGH THE BORDER.
THEM TO GO THROUGH THE BORDER. >> Reporter: THAT
BORDER. >> Reporter: THAT WASN’T THE OFFICIAL
>> Reporter: THAT WASN’T THE OFFICIAL PLAN, BUT IT WAS TOO
WASN’T THE OFFICIAL PLAN, BUT IT WAS TOO LATE.
PLAN, BUT IT WAS TOO LATE. THE BERLIN WALL CAN NO
LATE. THE BERLIN WALL CAN NO LONGER CONTAIN THE
THE BERLIN WALL CAN NO LONGER CONTAIN THE EAST GERMAN PEOPLE.
LONGER CONTAIN THE EAST GERMAN PEOPLE. [ CHEERS ]
EAST GERMAN PEOPLE. [ CHEERS ] THEY SIMPLY HAD HAD
[ CHEERS ] THEY SIMPLY HAD HAD ENOUGH OF A SYSTEM OF
THEY SIMPLY HAD HAD ENOUGH OF A SYSTEM OF OPPRESSION THAT HELD
ENOUGH OF A SYSTEM OF OPPRESSION THAT HELD THEM PRISONER, TRAPPED
OPPRESSION THAT HELD THEM PRISONER, TRAPPED BEHIND A WALL IN
THEM PRISONER, TRAPPED BEHIND A WALL IN ANOTHER WORLD.
BEHIND A WALL IN ANOTHER WORLD. THE EAST GERMAN SECRET
ANOTHER WORLD. THE EAST GERMAN SECRET POLICE MONITORED EVERY
THE EAST GERMAN SECRET POLICE MONITORED EVERY ASPECT OF THEIR LIVES.
POLICE MONITORED EVERY ASPECT OF THEIR LIVES. EVERY ONE OF THESE
ASPECT OF THEIR LIVES. EVERY ONE OF THESE FILES IS A CITIZEN, IS
EVERY ONE OF THESE FILES IS A CITIZEN, IS A HUMAN BEING.
FILES IS A CITIZEN, IS A HUMAN BEING. IN JUST THIS ONE AREA,
A HUMAN BEING. IN JUST THIS ONE AREA, FOUR MILES OF FILES.
IN JUST THIS ONE AREA, FOUR MILES OF FILES. ROLAND YON, A FORMER
FOUR MILES OF FILES. ROLAND YON, A FORMER EAST GERMAN DISSIDENT,
ROLAND YON, A FORMER EAST GERMAN DISSIDENT, MAINTAINS THE ARCHIVE
EAST GERMAN DISSIDENT, MAINTAINS THE ARCHIVE TO HELP PEOPLE
MAINTAINS THE ARCHIVE TO HELP PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THAT DARK
TO HELP PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THAT DARK PAST.
UNDERSTAND THAT DARK PAST. HE TELLS ME "WE CAN
PAST. HE TELLS ME "WE CAN USE THESE RECORDS TO
HE TELLS ME "WE CAN USE THESE RECORDS TO BE MORE SENSITIVE
USE THESE RECORDS TO BE MORE SENSITIVE ABOUT WHAT DEMOCRACY
BE MORE SENSITIVE ABOUT WHAT DEMOCRACY AND BASIC HUMAN RIGHTS
ABOUT WHAT DEMOCRACY AND BASIC HUMAN RIGHTS MEAN FOR ALL PEOPLE."
AND BASIC HUMAN RIGHTS MEAN FOR ALL PEOPLE." GERMAN CHANCELLOR
MEAN FOR ALL PEOPLE." GERMAN CHANCELLOR ANGELA MERKEL GREW UP
GERMAN CHANCELLOR ANGELA MERKEL GREW UP IN EAST GERMANY.
ANGELA MERKEL GREW UP IN EAST GERMANY. AT THE WALL MEMORIAL
IN EAST GERMANY. AT THE WALL MEMORIAL TODAY SHE HONORED
AT THE WALL MEMORIAL TODAY SHE HONORED THOSE WHO LOST THEIR
TODAY SHE HONORED THOSE WHO LOST THEIR LIVES TRYING TO
THOSE WHO LOST THEIR LIVES TRYING TO ESCAPE.
LIVES TRYING TO ESCAPE. BUT FOR MANY EAST
ESCAPE. BUT FOR MANY EAST GERMANS, EVEN THE
BUT FOR MANY EAST GERMANS, EVEN THE PASSING OF 30 YEARS
GERMANS, EVEN THE PASSING OF 30 YEARS HASN’T ENTIRELY ERASED
PASSING OF 30 YEARS HASN’T ENTIRELY ERASED THE SENSE OF SUDDEN
HASN’T ENTIRELY ERASED THE SENSE OF SUDDEN DISLOCATION.
THE SENSE OF SUDDEN DISLOCATION. >> ALL OF A SUDDEN
DISLOCATION. >> ALL OF A SUDDEN PEOPLE REALIZED FOR
>> ALL OF A SUDDEN PEOPLE REALIZED FOR WEST GERMANS NOTHING
PEOPLE REALIZED FOR WEST GERMANS NOTHING HAS REALLY CHANGED
WEST GERMANS NOTHING HAS REALLY CHANGED EXCEPT IT’S A BIGGER
HAS REALLY CHANGED EXCEPT IT’S A BIGGER COUNTRY.
EXCEPT IT’S A BIGGER COUNTRY. BUT FOR EAST GERMAN
COUNTRY. BUT FOR EAST GERMAN PEOPLE, EVERYTHING HAS
BUT FOR EAST GERMAN PEOPLE, EVERYTHING HAS CHANGED.
PEOPLE, EVERYTHING HAS CHANGED. EVERY SINGLE THING IN
CHANGED. EVERY SINGLE THING IN LIFE HAS CHANGED.
EVERY SINGLE THING IN LIFE HAS CHANGED. >> Reporter: FAR RIGHT
LIFE HAS CHANGED. >> Reporter: FAR RIGHT POLITICAL PARTIES NOW
>> Reporter: FAR RIGHT POLITICAL PARTIES NOW ARE PLAYING ON THAT
POLITICAL PARTIES NOW ARE PLAYING ON THAT FEELING OF LOSS AS
ARE PLAYING ON THAT FEELING OF LOSS AS THEY HAVE AROUND THE
FEELING OF LOSS AS THEY HAVE AROUND THE GLOBE.
THEY HAVE AROUND THE GLOBE. BUT TONIGHT, A TIME TO
GLOBE. BUT TONIGHT, A TIME TO CELEBRATE AND MARVEL
BUT TONIGHT, A TIME TO CELEBRATE AND MARVEL AT THE POWER OF
CELEBRATE AND MARVEL AT THE POWER OF ORDINARY PEOPLE TO DO
AT THE POWER OF ORDINARY PEOPLE TO DO EXTRAORDINARY THINGS.
ORDINARY PEOPLE TO DO EXTRAORDINARY THINGS. NOW AS THEN.
EXTRAORDINARY THINGS. NOW AS THEN. IT’S A NIGHT TO
NOW AS THEN. IT’S A NIGHT TO REMEMBER.
IT’S A NIGHT TO REMEMBER. SO JOSE, 30 YEARS
REMEMBER. SO JOSE, 30 YEARS LATER, THERE IS A
SO JOSE, 30 YEARS LATER, THERE IS A UNITED GERMANY, BUT
LATER, THERE IS A UNITED GERMANY, BUT PROBLEMS STILL EXIST
UNITED GERMANY, BUT PROBLEMS STILL EXIST NOT JUST FOR THIS
PROBLEMS STILL EXIST NOT JUST FOR THIS COUNTRY BUT FOR THE
NOT JUST FOR THIS COUNTRY BUT FOR THE REST OF THE WORLD
COUNTRY BUT FOR THE REST OF THE WORLD BECAUSE WHAT WE DID
REST OF THE WORLD BECAUSE WHAT WE DID NOT KNOW THAT NIGHT IS
BECAUSE WHAT WE DID NOT KNOW THAT NIGHT IS THAT WHAT WAS TO COME
