Riccardo Ehrman
Riccardo Ehrman ( often written in German lyrics Riccardo Ehrman, born 1929 in Florence ) is an Italian journalist. He received on 9 November 1989 notoriety when he posed this question at the press conference of the Central Committee of the SED Schabowski:
"My name is Riccardo Ehrman, I represent the Italian news agency ANSA. Mr. Schabowski, you spoke of errors. Do not you think that it was a big mistake, this trip bill, which they have presented a few days ago? "
This more general question answered Schabowski by he read from a list gekramten out the following:
" Private trips abroad can be applied without proof of eligibility ( travel familial relationships ). The permits are issued shortly. The responsible departments of passport and registration in the police district offices in the GDR are instructed to issue visas for permanent departure without delay, without the need for keeping still applicable requirements for a permanent exit. [ ... ] Permanent departures may be made to the FRG and West Berlin over all Berlin border crossing points of the GDR. "
In the following two demands? " From when" and " when will come into force? " Schabowski was the - unknowingly wrong for him - Information " According to my information, immediately, without delay". After this had been a few minutes later disseminated through radio and television, studied thousands of East Germans to cross the border crossing points to West Berlin and the Federal Republic of Germany, which were then opened. This was a crucial event on the way to the fall of the Berlin Wall and the German reunification. Ehrman told later that East Berlin had taken him for his question on shoulders.
Origin and activity
Ehrmans parents, Jewish Poles from Lviv, had remained after their honeymoon in Italy in Florence. In 1943 he was interned with his parents in an Italian concentration camp. After the war he studied law and worked in Florence as a reporter. Later, he worked for various newspapers and agencies, such as AP correspondent in Rome. Currently, the Berlin Wall fell Ehrman worked as Berlin correspondent for the Italian news agency ANSA. Today he is retired and lives with his Spanish wife in Madrid, Spain.
Open Questions
The MDR told Ehrman regarding his question on the exit control: "One of these friends - I can not remember the name - he has told me, 'You have to go to the travel freely ask. It is very important '. " Another source quoted Ehrman something concrete for the same interview in MDR: " This person said,' I am the man from the submarine. There is a place in Berlin, an office that is located under the lake. It is known as a submarine. And that person is ' " in this office the boss. That would mean that Günter Pötschke, then chief of the East German news agency ADN, the tipster has been. Pötschke was indeed friends with Ehrman, the representation of Ehrman, however, has never been confirmed, and Ehrman has over time a series of at least questionable and made of demonstrably false information.
Honors
October 29, 2008 Ehrman was awarded the Order of Merit on ribbon for his contribution to the reunification. For this purpose, it was reported that he had in the press conference on 9 November 1989, the question " from when? ", According to other sources " when does the effect? " Asked. But firstly confirmed Ehrman in his public response to the ceremony these quotes as its own, but was expressed in very general terms: "I am proud that you look after so many years still remembered that I was at the event there." He was pleased to have contributed to the reunification " a small part ", and show footage of the press conference that these demands were actually taken by the then BILD reporter Peter Brinkmann. On the other hand Ehrman made 2009 decisions, can not on their own initiative, but at the instigation of the Tip - timer from the " submarine " asked to have.