This Day in History: , East Germany Opens br the Berlin Wall.br November 9, 1989.br The East German action followed a decision br by Hungarian officials a few weeks earlier br to open the border between Hungary and Austria.br This meant that East Germans could circumvent the Wall by going through Hungary, into Austria and into West Germany.br The following day, br celebrating Germans br began to tear the wall down.br One of the ugliest and br most infamous symbols of the br Cold War was soon reduced to rubble.br The decision to open the br wall was a reflection of immense br political change in East Germany.