During the Cold War, Hungary was a very popular destination among German tourists. Lake Balaton was considered an important meeting place for the separated families of East and West Germany. In the summer of 1989 this statement was particularly true.

25 years ago, the new, reform-minded communist Hungarian government made a major decision: they began dismantling the country's 240 kilometre-long border fence with Austria. Why? Firstly, the state treasury was quite empty with high debt rates so the decision makers had to think about every expense. According to the legend, the new Prime Minister Miklós Németh simply removed the cost of the border fence from the budget list. Secondly, the international atmosphere, the détente of Soviet-US relations and the passive political behaviour of the Soviet Union also helped the Hungarian government.

The fence, as the embodiment of the Iron Curtain, was one of the symbols of the Cold War. However, dismantling it generated a false illusion that the border control did not exist any more. But it did. Due to this, the number of East Germans illegally crossing into Hungary rose significantly in 1989. They hoped to be able to cross the border more easily. But in reality, the task was not so simple and the Hungarian Border Guard took its job seriously.

By July, hundreds of East Germans were staying in Hungary without valid residential permissions. They did not want to return to the German Democratic Republic (GDR) but wanted instead to go to the West. Many of them found refuge at the Federal Republic of Germany's (FRG) embassy in Budapest. Others stayed near the border waiting for its opening, which was a rumour circulating at that time. Some GDR tourists spending their holidays in Bulgaria and Romania travelled immediately to Hungary.

To break the deadlock, on 19 August, within the framework of the "Pan-European Picnic" event, 600–900 East Germans left the country for Austria. Five days later, about 100 refugees from the FRG embassy were taken to Vienna by the Red Cross, Hungarian and West German secret agencies. But these were only specific events; there was an urgent need to remedy this untenable situation.

The whole situation of course caused tensions between the FRG, Hungary and the GDR. After prior consultation with the West German and Soviet leaders on behalf of the Hungarian government, Foreign Minister Gyula Horn declared the free border crossing for GDR citizens on Hungarian television on 10 September 1989. The Western media reported on the event immediately (see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1vMRjfNNdk"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1vMRjfNNdk).

The East German government did not agree; however, they had no influence on this.
There was no way back. Thus several thousand citizens of the GDR were able to flee
via Hungary to the West in 1989. The decision of 10 September 1989 accelerated
the dissolution of the socialist bloc and the reunification of Germany.

Image: MTI FVETT19890819004; (NAH)
The photo on the left shows East German tourists fleeing across the frontier at the Pan-European Picnic event on 19 August in Sopronpuszta. Contrary to public belief, this temporary border crossing did not serve for the escape of GDR citizens. The Border Guard had not got any order from the Ministry of Interior. However, the local commandant forbade the use of firearms so owing to his presence of mind, the event did not end in tragedy.

MNL OL – XIX–B–10–1989–XIII–2
(NAH)
Circa 18 March.
Memo of conference of the National Headquarters of the Border Guard about the details of the removal of the border fence. (1/4)

MNL OL – XIX–B–10–1989–XIII–2
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MNL OL – XIX–B–10–1989–XIII–2
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MNL OL – XIX–B–10–1989–XIII–2
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MNL OL–XIX–B–10–1989–XIII-3. 2 August 1989
(NAH)
Report by the National Headquarters of the Border Guard to the Deputy Minister of the Interior about the growing number of illegal border crossings. In comparison with 1985 when around a thousand illegal border crossers were arrested, in 1989, 15,000 illegal border crossings occurred until August! (1/5)

MNL OL–XIX–B–10–1989–XIII-3.

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MNL OL–XIX–B–10–1989–XIII-3.

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MNL OL–XIX–B–10–1989–XIII-3.

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MNL OL–XIX–B–10–1989–XIII-3.

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BArch DY 30/IV 2/2.039/304 (folio)
(BA)
Note on the conversation of the member of the Politburo of the Central Committee of the SED Günter Mittag with the Hungarian Foreign Minister Gyula Horn on 31 August 1989 about the staying of several thousand East Germans in Hungary and the possibility of their going via Hungary into the Federal Republic. Also present was the East German Minister for Foreign Affairs Oskar Fischer.

Gyula Horn made it clear that for Hungary an "inhumane" solution for the East Germans in Hungary who refused to return to East Germany was intolerable. He also described the current situation in Hungary as "untenable". Horn tried to convince the GDR politicians to allow the GDR citizens safe passage to Austria and delivered an ultimatum to the GDR: if by 11 September 1989 no solution had been found, Hungary would allow all GDR citizens who could demonstrate through an entry visa that they would be accepted in Austria, to depart.


Günter Mittag declared himself satisfied with the current economic development between the GDR and Hungary but also stated that an exit permit to Austria was unthinkable for the GDR. However, the current problems should on no account determine „the nature of the relationship" between the two states. But the GDR was responsible for the exit permit of GDR citizens and the FRG was not empowered to intervene.

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BArch DY 30/IV 2/2.039/304 (folio)
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BArch DY 30/IV 2/2.039/304 (folio)
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BArch DY 30/IV 2/2.039/304 (folio)
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BArch DY 30/IV 2/2.039/304 (folio)
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Bundesarchiv, Bild 183-1989-0831-041 /Foto: Oberst, Klaus
(BA)
Conversation between the Minister for Foreign Affairs of the GDR Oskar Fischer and the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Hungary Gyula Horn on 31 August 1989.

BArch DC 20/11300 (folio 69-79)
(BA)
Lists of the State Central Administration of Departure Statistics of the GDR.
The tables provide the numbers of GDR citizens who fled for the FRG and West Berlin in 1989; they are broken down by month, by districts from which the emigrants came and by age group.

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BArch DC 20/11300 (folio 69-79)
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MNL OL – XIX–J–1–k–1989–VI–62–8920-1 (156. d.)
(NAH)
5 October 1989.
Official letter of the Hungarian embassy in Brussels to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs about the decision of the European Parliament.

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MNL OL – XIX–J–1–k–1989–VI–62–8920-1 (156. d.)
(NAH)
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MNL OL – XIX–J–1–k–1989–VI–62–8920-1 (156. d.)
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MNL OL – XIX–J–1–k–1989–VI–62–8920-1 (156. d.)
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MNL OL – XIX–J–1–k–1989–VI–62–8920-1 (156. d.)
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MNL OL – XIX–J–1–k–1989–VI–62–8920-1 (156. d.)
(NAH)
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Bundesregierung, B 145 Bild-00020238 /Fotografin: Karin Karow
(BA)
GDR citizens coming via Hungary and Austria to the FRG border at Passau on 11 September 1989.