Günter Schabowski, a former official for the East German Communist Party, died at the age of 86, on Sunday. Schabowski is known all over the world as the man who accidentally announced that the East and West Berlin border had been opened.
Schabowski, a former spokesman for the East German administration, died in a nursing home, located in Berlin. No particular cause of death has been announced, but his death was preceded by several strokes in the past, according to USA Today. He also had diabetes.
The East German official garneed worldwide attention when he announced early that the implemented travel restrictions from German citizens on either side of the Berlin wall would be lifted, during a news conference in 1989.
He was asked when the restrictions would be lifted, to which he answered: "As far as I know, this enters into force ... this is immediately, without delay," Fox News reported. The announcement was set to be announced the next day. His speech on Nov. 9, 1989, ended Berlin's 28-year split.
His announcement commenced the crossing of those in East Germany to the West. Officials tried to alter rules the following day, but the crossing of Germans had already led to the demise of the Berlin Wall, according to BBC. East and West Germany became a whole nation again within the year.
In 2009, he was interviewed regarding his role during the fall of the Berlin Wall.
"Man is not able to turn off his egotism and therefore it's always a mistake to try socialism." East German minister Guenter Schabowski
— Liam Fisher (@liamkfisher) November 2, 2015
"I wouldn't say I was a hero who opened the border - truth be told, I acted to try to save the GDR," Schabowski said regarding the German Democratic Republic, according to Agence France-Presse. "On November 9, I was still a committed communist."
