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Journalist who prompted the fall of the Berlin Wall dies

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

Let's remember an Italian journalist who is famous for asking a question that shaped history, a question that helped lead to communist Germany opening up the Berlin Wall. Riccardo Ehrman has died at the age of 92.

A MARTÍNEZ, HOST:

Back in 1989, as Communist rule was being chipped away all over the Eastern Bloc, demonstrators took to the streets of East Germany in unprecedented numbers to demand reform, and the communist government came under intense pressure to let its citizens travel freely. At a chaotic press conference on November 9, Ehrman pushed the government spokesperson, Gunter Schabowski, on a new set of travel regulations.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

RICCARDO EHRMAN: (Non-English language spoken).

MARTÍNEZ: In that clip, you can hear Riccardo Ehrman in the background pushing Schabowski on when the new policy comes into effect. The spokesperson responds by saying it comes into effect immediately without delay.

INSKEEP: And both West and East Germans immediately rushed to the Berlin Wall. Within hours, this happened.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER #1: It's a great day for Berlin and for all German people that the border is finally open...

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER #2: There are thousands of people here in front of the wall at the Brandenburg Gate at this hour. The West Berlin police are keeping the crowd away from the wall, but the sense of excitement is undeniable.

(CHEERING)

INSKEEP: In the hours and days that followed, the wall was torn down. Years later, Riccardo Ehrman reflected on that day in an interview with the Spanish-language History Channel.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

EHRMAN: (Non-English language spoken).

INSKEEP: My question was surely just a spark, he said, but the response was an earthquake.

MARTÍNEZ: Riccardo Ehrman worked for the Italian news agency ANSA. He died in Madrid this week at the age of 92. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.

Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.

SOMOS CONNECTICUT is an initiative from Connecticut Public, the state’s local NPR and PBS station, to elevate Latino stories and expand programming that uplifts and informs our Latino communities. Visit CTPublic.org/latino for more stories and resources. For updates, sign up for the SOMOS CONNECTICUT newsletter at ctpublic.org/newsletters.

SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.

Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.