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Archival description
Only top-level descriptions Genscher, Hans-Dietrich, b 1927, German Foreign Minister State security
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FALL OF THE WALL: television documentary archive on the end of Communist rule in East Germany

  • FALL OF THE WALL
  • Collection
  • 1994

Complete transcripts of 38 filmed interviews concerning events leading up to the 9 Nov 1989 when the border between the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) and the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany) was opened, and the demolition of the Berlin Wall began. The interviews were recorded for the production of the television documentary _Fall of the Wall, _which was broadcast in 1994. The collection also includes programme scripts and press releases for each of the hour long documentary episodes titled 'A Hole in the Wall' and 'The Fatal Error'. Interviewees were either present or involved in the decisions and events which led up to the final destruction of the wall and include government leaders in Czechoslovakia, Hungary, German Democratic Republic (GDR), Federal Republic of Germany (FRG), and the Soviet Union, government officials and Politburo members, organisers of the Pan European Picnic, 19 Aug 1989, East German and Czechoslovakian civilians, border guards and security forces, a Foreign Ambassador, and an East German dissident. Most notable are Mikhail Gorbachev, Soviet leader 1985 - 1991, Hans Dietrich Genscher, West German Foreign Minister during 1989, Miklós Németh, Hungarian Prime Minister 1988 - 1990, Milos Jakes (First Secretary of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia 1987 - 1989, and Egon Krenz, East German General Secretary of the Socialist Unity (Communist) Party and Chairman of Council of State Oct - Dec 1989. Subjects discussed include the significance of Soviet policies under Mikhail Gorbachev and Eduard Scheverdnadze such as perestroika and glasnost, the demise of the Breshnev doctrine on Soviet intervention and the Warsaw Pact; reforming influences in government in Poland, Hungary and Czechoslovakia; tacit support of West Germany and the USA for soviet reformers and later agreements for provision of economic aid; Hungary's signing of the Convention relating to the Status of Refugees of 28 July 1951 , Mar 1989; Hungary's announcement that is will cease to maintain its electronic border fence, 2 May 1989; the visit of Gyula Horn, Hungarian Foreign Minister, and Alois Mock, Austrian Foreign Minister, to Sopron, Hungary to view the dismantling of the fence, 28 Jun 1989; visit of George Bush, US President, to Budapest, 11-13 Jul 1989; origin and development of plan to hold a Pan European Picnic at Sopron on 19 Aug 1989, an event promoted by the Democratic Forum under the patronage of Otto Von Habsburg and Imre Poszgay, to mark the dismantling of the fence; meetings between Hungarian and West German leaders concerning the Hungarian border opening; West Germany's principle of accepting all East Germans refugees; arrangements for a ceremonial crossing of the border by an official party during the Pan European Picnic which were upstaged by a group of East German refugees forcing the gates to cross into Austria; peaceful response of the Hungarian border guards; East German 'tourists' in Czechoslovakia seeking refuge in the West German Embassy in Prague, Czechoslovakia; the Fortieth anniversary celebrations of the German Democratic Republic (GDR) on 7 Oct 1989 and visit of Mikhail Gorbachev and other soviet state leaders; the East German government agreement to issue allow these refugees to legally cross to West Germany; special transport trains were passing through East Germany to the west; rioting occurring in Dresden as trains passed through; popular demonstrations in Leipzig during Sep and Oct 1989; influx of troops and police brought in to quell the demonstration in Leipzig planned for 9 Oct 1989 and diffusion of this situation; the resignation of Erich Honecker as East German head of state and party leader, 19 Oct 1989; succession of Egon Krenz as East German leader; East German television announcement of general issue of exit visas for East Germans citizens; and the forcing of the border between East and West Berlin on the evening of 9 Nov 1989.

Brian Lapping Associates

DEATH OF YUGOSLAVIA: television documentary archive

  • DEATH OF YUGOSLAVIA
  • Collection
  • 1941

The Death of Yugoslavia archive, 1941,1985-1996, consists of interview transcripts, videotapes, transmission scripts, files, press cuttings and published material concerning the disintegration of the Socialist Federative Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRY) during 1987-1994. It includes VHS videos of episodes 1-5 of the documentary Death of Yugoslavia , and transcripts of eighty-seven interviews, mostly uncut (though questions are sometimes omitted), with eyewitnesses the Republics of Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (containing only the Republics of Serbia and Montenegro), who describe their experiences of the rise of nationalism, constitutional developments, civil war and ethnic conflict, and members of the international community, involved in the search for a solution. Interviewees include government and military personnel from the highest levels of the SFRY, and officials of the European Community and the United Nations, such as Slobodan Milosevic, Chairman of Central Committee of the Serbian League of Communist, 1986-1989, President of the Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS), 1990, President of Serbia, 1989-1992, President of Republic of Serbia, 1992-1997; Dr Mirjana Markovic, Belgrade university professor, Founder of Yugoslav United Left (JUL) and wife of Slobodan Milosevic; Alija Izetbegovic, Bosnian Muslim, founding leader of Party for Democratic Action (SDA), and President of Bosnia Herzegovina, 1990-1998; Radovan Karadzic, Bosnian Serb leader, head of Serbian Democratic Party (SDS) from 1990 Milan Babic, leader of Krajina Serbs; Mile-Jastreb Dedakovic, Croatian commander of Vukovar; Gen Milutin Kukanjac, Commander Yugoslav Peoples' Army (JNA) Second Army District based in Sarajevo, 1992; Sefer Halilovic, First Commander of the Bosnian Army; Gen Petar Gracanin, Yugoslav Peoples' Army (JNA), Serbian President, 1988-1989, Yugoslav Federal Interior Minister [1990]; Borislav Jovic, Serbian representative to Yugoslavia and, President of the Yugoslav Federal Presidency, 1990-1991; Milan Kucan, Slovene Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party, 1986-1990, and Slovene President from 1990; Dobrica Cosic, Serb nationalist writer, President of Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, 1992-1993; Azem Vllasi, ethnic Albanian Party leader in Kosovo; Ivan Stambolic, Serbian President 1985-1986; Franjo Tudjman, first elected President of Croatia, 1990-1999 and founder of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ); Gianni De Michelis, Italian Foreign Minister, 1989-1992; Maj Gen Lewis MacKenzie, Canadian United Nations Protection Force (UNPROFOR) Chief of Staff, Sarajevo, 1992; Larry Hollingworth, United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) Officer in Bosnia; Lt Gen Sir (Hugh) Michael Rose, British Commander of United Nations Protection Force (UNPROFOR), Bosnia, 1994-1995; Sir David Hannay, British Ambassador to the United Nations (UN), 1990-1995; Hans Dietrich Genscher, German Foreign Minister 1982-1992; Peter Galbraith, US Ambassador to Croatia, 1993-1998; Rt Hon Peter Alexander Rupert Carington, 6th Baron Carrington (Lord Carrington); Chairman of the European Community conference on Yugoslavia, 1991-1992; and Rt Hon David Anthony Llewellyn Owen, Baron Owen of the City of Plymouth (Lord Owen), European Community (EC) mediator and co-chairman of the EC Conference on former Yugoslavia, 1992-1995.

Brian Lapping Associates