1 November 1989 (Wednesday)

During a working trip to Moscow, Egon Krenz gives the General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union a detailed account of the difficult economic situation in the GDR. Mikhail Gorbachev tells him in no uncertain terms that the Soviet Union is not in a position to provide economic help to the GDR. With regard to the future form of the German-German relationship, Gorbachev makes it clear that the German question is not on the agenda, saying it was not a political problem that needed to be solved at present. - Before leaving Moscow, Krenz talks about the issue of reunification at a press conference.

• RIAS report on the press conference given by Egon Krenz in Moscow, 1 November 1989 (in German)

• Transcript of the talks between Egon Krenz and Mikhail Gorbachev in Moscow, 1 November 1989 (in German)

Because of popular pressure, travel from the GDR to the CSSR is permitted again without passport and visa. GDR citizens again arrive in droves at the West German embassy in Prague to effect their departure for the Federal Republic.

• “Tourists going to the CSSR again”, Neues Deutschland, 2 November 1989 (in German)

Tens of thousands demonstrate in many East German cities, such as Neubrandenburg, Frankfurt (Oder), Freital and Ilmenau, calling for change.

In 1989, 133,429 GDR citizens succeed in fleeing to the West.