The Collapse: The Accidental Opening of the Berlin Wall On November 9, 1989, the Berlin Wall, an iconic symbol of a divided Europe, was accidentally opened by mid-level bureaucrats, marking the end of nearly forty years of oppression, fear, and enmity in divided Berlin. Award-winning historian Mary Sarotte's book, [Title TK], tells the story of how this critical moment in the thawing of the Cold War was not a deliberate concession to outside influence but rather the result of a series of accidents, negligence, and bravery. The story begins with East German dissidents who were determined to bring an end to the regime's restrictions on foreign travel. In the months leading up to the fateful day, protests and demonstrations grew in Leipzig, a city close to the border with Czechoslovakia, and quickly spread throughout East Germany. Two daring dissidents, Aram Radomski and Siegbert Schefke, managed to evade the Stasi and film the largest of these marches from a church tower, which was then smuggled to West Germany and broadcast nationwide. This footage galvanized activists across East Germany and precipitated the stunning developments on November 9. Under pressure from its own citizens, the East German Politburo planned to put off meaningful change by issuing a deceptive ruling that would appear to offer more freedom but maintain strict control over its citizens' movements.

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