On 04/01/12 21:41, Wolfgang Schwanke wrote:
I think Hungary was similar.

As I recall it East Germans could travel to Hungary, and as things
started changing they could travel from there to Austria. Tens of
thousands started doing so, the DDR government asked the Hungarians to
stop them[1], the Hungarians refused and at that point the wall became
pointless.

Ian

[1] Previously the DDR government had paid a bonus to Bulgarian border
guards every time they shot and killed and East German trying to
emigrate. I don't know if they made the same kind offer to Hungarians.