Frieder Reimold, who once held the position of Berlin bureau chief for a renowned news agency’s German service, and is best known for his pivotal 1989 announcement that East Germany had lifted restrictions at its borders, has passed away at the age of 80. His daughter, Nancy Stephan, confirmed that Reimold succumbed to complications from cancer on Thursday in Berlin.
Reimold began his journalism career in the late 1970s as a political correspondent in Bonn after initially working for a German newspaper. He eventually became the bureau chief in Berlin, where he spent significant time reporting on political turmoil and public protests in East Germany. On November 9, 1989, Reimold prepared to cover a televised briefing led by Politburo member Günter Schabowski that would become a significant moment in history.
During this news conference, Schabowski made an unexpected announcement regarding the lifting of travel restrictions into West Germany. When asked when these changes would take effect, he hesitantly remarked that they would take effect immediately. Reimold, absorbing the full impact of this statement, quickly crafted what would become a historic bulletin: “DDR öffnet Grenzen,” signifying that East Germany was opening its borders.
Reflecting on that moment, Reimold expressed in a past interview that his alert played a crucial role in accelerating a process that was already underway. He dispatched the alert at 7:05 PM, a move that many believe helped propel the unfolding events on that significant night. His announcement was so influential that it is now commemorated on a plaque at the Bornholmer Strasse crossing, where East and West Germans first met in unison.
Born on April 21, 1944, in the small Bavarian village of Irschenhausen, Reimold’s family relocated to Hannover a few years later. After completing high school, he moved to Canada where he initially worked in logging before returning to academia to study languages at a university in Vancouver.
In Reimold’s three decades with the news agency, he held various roles, including covering the foreign ministry and reporting from Vienna during the tumultuous Yugoslav wars. Former colleagues remembered him as a brilliant journalist and a supportive mentor who provided essential context and historical understanding regarding events he reported on, particularly during the Cold War years.
Annette Ramelsberger, another journalist who worked alongside Reimold during the Berlin Wall’s fall, described him as exceptionally intelligent, precise, and understanding, all while maintaining a lighthearted demeanor. After retiring in 2009, Reimold embraced hobbies such as archery and gardening in Stahnsdorf, located on the outskirts of Berlin, and nurtured passions for history, culture, and travel, according to his friends and family.
Reimold’s commitment to journalism remained strong throughout his life; as his niece Rebekka recounted, he was diligent and always focused on the facts, even during his final days as he discussed his health candidly. His legacy as a journalist and a friend endures in the memories of those who worked with him and the significant historical events he documented.
