The opening of the Berlin wall on 9 November 1989, and East–West television cooperation

Click to increase image sizeClick to decrease image size

Notes

Jürgen Habermas, Die nachholende Revolution (Frankfurt/Main, 1990), p. 157.

Helmut Hanke, Kommunikation in Aufruhr—Medien im Wandel, Rundfunk und Fernsehen, 3 (1990) p. 319; Helmut Hanke, Macht und Ohnmacht des Mediums, Zeitschrift für Sozialisations—und Erziehungssoziologie (ZES), 1 (additional edition 1990).

Helmut Hanke, Kommunikation in Aufruhr—Medien im Wandel, Rundfunk und Fernsehen, 3 (1990), p. 322.

In this article the term ‘Television of the GDR’ includes both Deutscher Fernsehfunk (DFF) and Fernsehen der DDR; these terms were used during different eras.

The different approaches after 1949: from a Western viewpoint West Berlin constituted an ‘integrated part’, that is, federal state of the FRG. From an Eastern perspective, West Berlin was an ‘independent, self‐governing part’. For more information on the argument between the media systems, see Rüdiger Steinmetz, Von der anti‐imperialistischen Solidarität zu den Stärken des Sozialismus. Ein Blick zurück ins zweite Jahrzehnt des Festivals, in Fred Gehler and Rüdiger Steinmetz (eds), Dialog mit einem Mythos. Ästhetische und politische Entwicklungen des Leipziger Dokumentarfilm‐Festivals in vier Jahrzehnten (Leipzig, 1998), pp. 38–40.

See Lothar Loewe, Erfahrungen bei der Fernseh‐Berichterstattung aus der DDR, in Karl Friedrich Reimers' Monika Lerch‐Stumpf and Rüdiger Steinmetz (eds), Von der Kino‐Wochenschau zum aktuellen Fernsehen. Diskussion und Materialien (Munich, 1983), pp. 293–307 (= kommunikation audiovisuell, 3).

Hauptabteilung international relations: the relationship of the Television of the GDR to ARD, 21 November 1988, DRA, no signature given.

VM = ‘Valuta‐Mark’. This term was used in the GDR, describing the strong West German currency of The D‐Mark and other western currencies.

The independent regional broadcast corporations of the FRG, which are organized under the roof of ARD (Arbeitsgemeinschaft der öffentlich‐rechtlichen Rundfunkanstalten der Bundesrepublik Deutschland; in English: Association of Public Broadcasting Corporations in the Federal Republic of Germany), and the East German Council of Ministers' National Television Committee agreed upon mutual cooperation with regard to television. 6 May 1987, DRA, no signature given.

From 21 March 1960 to 30 October 1989, Karl Eduard von Schnitzler edited and commented 1,519 episodes of Schwarzer Kanal. He edited together footage of West German programs, rhetorically commentating on it in the style of Cold War propaganda. Resulting from its obvious ideological bias, the number of viewers of Schwarzer Kanal continually decreased.

HA international relations: the relationship of the Television of the GDR to ARD, DRA, no signature given. NSW = abbreviation for ‘nicht‐sozialistisches Wirtschaftsgebiet’ (the non‐socialist economic territory).

ARD/DEGETO‐acquiring agents possibly thought the feature film serial Polizeiruf and court show Staatsanwalt would allow a better view on the non‐accessible reality and everyday life in the GDR.

HA international relations: the relationship of the Television of the GDR to ARD, German Broadcast Archive (DRA), no signature given.

HA Internationale Verbindungen: the relationship of the Television of the GDR to ARD, 21 November 1988, DRA, no signature given.

Excerpt from the Diary of the ARD Chairman, 10 February 1988, ARD director of the program, no signature, DRA.

Adameck to Joachim Herrmann, 5 February 1988, DRA, no signature given.

Ibid.

Ibid.

Ibid.

Ibid.

Excerpt from the Diary of the ARD Chairman, 10 February 1988, ARD director of the program, no signature.

According to Richter's statements during a discussion with the regional ARD channel NDR (Hamburg) about one of his reports, on 6 December 2002 in Hamburg.

Central Committe of Agitation/Geggel to Herrmann, 28 May 1985, Ge/He. SAPMO‐BArch DY 30/vorl. SED 38896.

Adameck to Geggel/Central Committee of Agitation, 21 May 1985 (same quote from Geggel to Herrmann) about his conversation with Stolte on ‘questions regarding television work’ on 20 May, SAPMO‐BArch DY 30/vorl. SED 38896.

A corporate satellite program by West German ZDF, Austrian ORF and Swiss SRG.

Television of the GDR/HA international relations: the relationship of the television of the GDR to ZDF, 21 November 1988, DRA, no signature given.

Report by comrade Heinz Adameck, member of the Central Committee, at the fourth meeting of the regional bureau of television, 30 June 1989, DRA, no signature given, matik/Vorsitzender/Montagsberatung, 1989.

Abbreviation for ‘Freie deutsche Jugend’ (Free German Youth), GDR youth organization.

Records of meetings of the Committee, 5 September 1989, DRA, no signature given, between 8 October and 19 November.

Records of meetings of the Committee, 9 September, 3, 10 and 17 October, 1989, DRA, no signature given.

Records of meetings of the Committee in 1989, 19 September 1989, DRA, no signature.

Ibid.

See Ekkehard Kuhn, Der Tag der Entscheidung. Leipzig, 9. Oktober 1989 (Berlin and Frankfurt/Main, 1992), p. 87, Dietrich Staritz, Geschichte der DDR (Frankfurt/Main, 1996), p. 369.

Secretary of the Committee (Wandelt): records on chairman's decisions of Monday meeting, 23 October 1989, DRA, no signature given (Attendants: comrades Leucht, Sauer, Schäfer, Möller, Wandelt, Rothe, Jeutner, Mannheim, Dinger, Jäger, Wärk, Genossin Vogel, Braumann).

Program executive/executive of transmission: program schedule of Thursday, 9 November 1989; 7 November 1989/pe., including handwritten entries of program changes on 9 November, DRA.

Günter Schabowski, Der Absturz (Berlin, 1991), p. 306, Egon Krenz, Wenn Mauern fallen. Die Friedliche Revolution. Vorgeschichte, Ablauf, Auswirkungen (Vienna, 1990), p. 182.

Author's transcription on basis of videotaped version of entire press conference, Television of the GDR, 9 November 1989, DRA.

Author's transcription of Schabowski's presentation of his handwritten notes in the feature by Robin Lautenbach and Dagmar Mielke, Die Nacht der Nächte (The Night of the Nights) Eine Chronik des 9. November 1989, First broadcast SFB 1997, rerun on Phoenix channel, 9 November 2002.

Own transcription on basis of videotaped version of entire press conference, Television of the GDR, 9 November 1989, DRA.

Dpa = Deutsche Presseagentur, the biggest and most important West German news agency.

Program of heute No. 430/89, Thursday, 9 November 1989, 7 pm, and schedule of heute, ZDF, historical archive.

Karl‐Heinz Angsten (letter from reader regarding publication of article, note 1), ‘Ziemliche Panik’, epd medien No. 13, 2 February 2003.

Historical archive of WDR and analysis of U‐matic‐recording of Aktuelle Stunde from 9 November 1989, archive of WDR. Angsten remembers the comment: ‘If we understand this correctly, that means that the Wall will be opened’. Karl‐Heinz Angsten, op. cit.

Own transcription on the basis of videotaped version of Berliner Abendschau from 9 November 1989, SFB archives.

Own transcription on basis of videotaped version of Aktuelle Kamera from 9 November 1989, DRA.

That night, the persons in charge were: Klaus Schickhelm as chief editor, Dietze as office holding editor‐in‐chief, and news editor‐in‐chief Hilbert. Revised AK schedule of 9 November 1989, DRA, no signature given.

Updated AK schedule of 9 November 1989, DRA, no signature given.

Television of the GDR/program executive: report on the program of Thursday, 9 November 1989. Confidential! 9.11.1989‐kl, DRA.

Author's transcript of feature by Robin Lautenbach and Dagmar Mielke, Die Nacht der Nächte.

Ibid.

Ibid.

Ibid.

See Dietrich Staritz, Geschichte der DDR (Frankfurt/Main, 1996), p. 381 (rev. new edition).

Udo Lomas/children's television, evaluation of the program of 11 November 1989, I. Program, DRA.

Ibid.

Ibid.

Heike Zauder, analyst of the program of 9 November 1989, DRA.

e.n.: ARD und ZDF : DDR‐Berichterstattung. Rheinischer Merkur/Christ and Welt No. 46, 17 November 1989.

Hermann Kant in Berlin heute Abend, DDR 1, live broadcast, DRA.

Bernd Dammasch/analyst, evaluation of the 1. program, 11 November 1989, DRA.

Martina Hasselmann/Prisma, analyst of the 1. program, 11 November 1989, DRA.

P. Heinrich/editorial office of music, analyst of the 2. program, 11 November 1989, DRA.

Survey week 51, How did television change after the Wende? DRA, p. i.