Dhe House of History in Bonn must allow the “Bild” newspaper to inspect the copies of the two sales contracts of the “Schabowski note”. With this decision, the administrative court in Cologne upheld the lawsuit of a “Bild” journalist with reference to the Freedom of Information Act, as a spokeswoman for the court announced (Az.: 13 K 5228/19). The verdict is not yet legally binding. No information was given on the reasons for the decision because the written justification is still pending.
“That occurs to my realization…is that immediately, without delay”
The note written with a ballpoint pen by the then member of the Politburo of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany (SED), Günter Schabowski, ended up in the collection of the Bonn museum in 2015. It is the speech that Schabowski read at the memorable press conference on November 9, 1989 in connection with the new regulations for GDR citizens traveling to western countries. At that time, Schabowski said in front of the cameras: “As far as I know, it is immediately, immediately.” This statement about the immediate entry into force of the travel regulation led to the unplanned opening of the Berlin Wall a few hours later.
The museum foundation had acquired the note, which had long been considered lost, for a purchase price of 25,000 euros. The note had been sold to the museum by a second seller who had bought the document from someone else.
Politburo member Günter Schabowski at the press conference on November 9, 1989, at which he announced the opening of the border.
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Image: dpa
The procedure is not the first that “Bild” has brought to the Cologne Administrative Court in this matter. As early as February 2022, a lawsuit brought by the newspaper was partially upheld in press law proceedings. At that time, the House of History was ordered to name the first and second seller of the Schabowski note. However, the museum filed a complaint, which the Higher Administrative Court of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia in Münster has yet to decide.
“Bild” had reported that the widow and son of Schabowski, who died in 2015, wanted to clarify whether the handwritten note was lawfully acquired by the foundation. According to the newspaper report, an acquaintance of the ill Schabowski allegedly borrowed the historical document but never returned it. The widow then demanded that the note be handed over, but the foundation’s lawyers contradicted the demand.
