The more restrictive approach to granting travel permission soon makes itself felt. Bonn’s Permanent Representative in the GDR, Hans Otto Bräutigam, goes to see Egon Krenz. He tells Krenz that "in the view of the West German government, there must be no noticeable fall in travel numbers."more
After many years of negotiation, the foreign ministers from the USA, the USSR, Pakistan and Afghanistan sign an agreement in Geneva to resolve the conflict in Afghanistan. Among other things, it stipulates the complete withdrawal of Soviet armed forces from the country and the return of more than five million refugees.
19 April
1988
The number of permits to leave the GDR has fallen greatly after 1985 (1985: 20,147; 1986: 16,902; 1987: 10,420). At the end of 1987, 112,000 applications to leave have been presented to the GDR authorities. The pressure from applicants and their willingness to take part in organised and open protest rises.
An analysis that the Central Committee security secretary Egon Krenz passes on to Erich Honecker states: "Recently, migration applicants have increasingly been carrying out actions against the socialist state. In particular, mob gatherings, illegal meetings, provocations and silent demonstrations and marches have been taking place. (…) For example, in Berlin, 1,344 citizens presented themselves on one day (09.02.88) to the councils in city districts. As a rule, it is not possible to talk objectively with them. Their behaviour is extremely aggressive, mocking and arrogant."
Report from Egon Krenz to SED General Secretary Erich Honecker on the "current situation regarding applications to migrate", 14 April 1988 (in German) To reduce the pressure, SED leader Honecker orders that the number of departure permits granted in a month be raised from 1,000 to 2,000-3,000.less
26 April
1988
The workers go on strike in the largest Polish steelworks, Nowa Huta near Kraków, demanding both a pay rise and the reappointment of workers who have been fired because of their participation in the banned union "Solidarity".
