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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An East German woman hugs her crying child as they are reunited after being separated during the rush across the border into Austria on August 19.
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An East German couple walks near the Csilleberc refugee camp outside Budapest on September 4. More than 1,000 East German citizens were housed at the camp as they waited to make the trip to West Germany.
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East Germans leave the Zugliget camp in Budapest on September 10 after hearing that they would be allowed to leave Hungary that night. At midnight, the Hungarian government announced that it would open its borders to East German "tourists" without the approval of the East German or Soviet leadership.
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An East German shows off a newly acquired West German passport just before crossing into Austria overnight on September 10-11.