East Berlin Raw Footage - Mikhail Gorbachev Joins DDR 40th Anniversary Celebrations (1989)

On 7 October 1989, East Berliners lined the streets for a chance to see leader of the Soviet Union Mikhail Gorbachev as he arrived in the capital of the German Democratic Republic (Deutsche Demokratische Republik; DDR) to mark the 40th anniversary of the socialist state. ITN's cameras filmed soldiers on parade and the city's civilians gathering in anticipation at the Neue Wache war memorial on Unter Den Linden; a particulatly excited section of the crowd was made up of members of the Free German Youth (Freie Deutsche Jugend; FDJ), the state's official youth organisation. Outside the Neue Wache, Gorbachev spoke to people in the crowd and held a brief press conference on the pavement. He was later taken to Schönhausen Palace, then known as Schloss Niederschönhausen, the official guest house for state visitors to the GDR. There he met and posed for photographs with East German leader Erich Honecker.

00:00 Introduction
00:44 Crowds wait for Gorbachev
02:59 Gorbachev arrives
05:52 Gorbachev press conference (English subtitles)
12:33 "Gorby! Gorby! Gorby!"
13:36 Mikhail Gorbachev and Erich Honecker photocall

#EastBerlin #GDR #DDR #EastGermany #DeutscheDemokratischeRepublik #GermanDemocraticRepublic #SovietUnion #Soviet #USSR #SovietWave

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