Aftermath of the Berlin Wall coming down Video

We took this video footage at the East/West German Border near Hof, West Germany two days after the Berlin Wall came down. It shows the East German citizens streaming into West Germany in their "traubies" (two-stroke Russian-made cars), most for the first time in their lives. The emotions of both the East Germans coming into West Germany and the West Germans welcoming them is visible in the faces and voices of the people in the video.

The West German government gave each East Germany visitor 250DM in "begruessungsgelt" (welcome-money) since the East Germany currency was worthless in West Germany and otherwise they would not have been able to afford to visit. The line outside the Red Cross building is for East Germans to collect their money.

The normally high-speed German autobahns were crowded with the slow-moving traubies, making for many traffic jams and very unsafe driving conditions.

All-in-all it was a tremendously emotional and moving event to witness.