Thirty years ago, Hungary lifted restrictions on travel to Austria, enabling tens of thousands of East Germans to flee to the West. The September 1989 events in Hungary are often described as the first cracks in the Berlin Wall.
September 11, 1989: When Hungary Tore A Hole In The Iron Curtain
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East Germans cross the border from Hegyeshalom, Hungary, into Austria on September 11.
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A child rides in an East German car at the Hegyeshalom border crossing.
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A Hungarian customs officer checks passports belonging to East Germans on September 11.
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East Germans refugees smile next to their Trabants after crossing into Nickelsdorf, Austria.