Source question: assess the value of the source for revealing the attitudes of East Germans towards the fall of the Berlin Wall

Question 1

Relevant facts; Migration

Answer 1

• 133,000 East Germans had crossed the border by the end of November 1989, 2000 a day were crossing and daily crossing peaked at 9000
• 10,000 had crossed into FRG from GDR via Czechoslovakia between 1st and 3rd of November after Krenz lifted a travel ban between GDR and other communist countries, suggesting a desire for the wall to fall
• the 100,000s of people arriving from the GDR were given 100 marks from Kohl to preserve some kind of structured relationship with the collapsing GDR government

Question 2

Relevant facts; protests after the fall

Answer 2

• 11th december- 300,000 East Germans gathered in Dresden waving German flags and calling for reunification, shows sustained attitude to the unification of East and west, the Berlin Wall collapsing had inspired them that further reform was possible
• 19th december- Kohl visited Dresden on this day, welcomed by 100,000 of east Germans keen to hear him talk.

Question 3

Relevant facts; domestic opposition (to unification)

Answer 3

• Hans Morrow, leader of the SED, called elections in march in the GDR to slow down the process of unification
• oskar Lafontaine (FRG SPD leader) encouraged people in the GDR to vote for the SPD to slow down the process because he feared the economic impact of unification. Both attitudes that could’ve been reflective of those who weren’t happy with the fall of the Berlin Wall