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 welcome each other at the customs booth in Nickelsdorf.

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Others celebrate with a bottle of sparkling wine at the customs gate.

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A family removes their DDR (Deutsche Demokratische Republik) badge after crossing into Klingenbach, Austria.

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An East German car follows a handwritten sign for West Germany, or Bundesrepublik Deutschland (BRD).