Mr Schabowski, the spokesman for the country's ruling Politburo, appeared to demonstrate to the world that the East German regime was broken when he failed to grasp that there was an embargo on his announcement.
Speaking on live television he declared that travel restrictions had been removed and the Berlin Wall would be opened to allow the citizens of the German Democratic Republic (GDR) to leave.
To the one word question "when?" he answered prematurely: "immediately". Within hours the tide of people clamouring to cross the border was unstoppable.
