"We heard in the media about the opening of a new border crossing. Of course, we wanted to go see what would happen again. And we were not alone. The news of the Wall opening was enough to attract large numbers of onlookers. Typical Berlin! Just tell people there is something to see and they will go look. Those who managed to get a place on the West Berlin viewing platform could see over the Wall, where border soldiers were clearing the 'death strip' and preparing the new crossing. We also saw how the West Berlin police climbed onto the roofs of their paddy wagons to see for themselves, and they weren't the only ones. It must have been quite a strange situation for the border guards. After all, their task up to then had been to secure the border.
The bright colours on the Wall were in stark contrast to the threat it had once posed. And on the East Berlin side, beyond the cleared area and death strip, we could just about make out the former contours of Potsdamer Platz and Leipziger Platz. The buildings were gone but the streets were still there."
Dagmar Lipper (West-Berlin)
