Marie-Josée and Henry R. Kravis Distinguished Professor of Historical Studies, Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS); Local Affiliate, Minda de Gunzburg Center for European Studies, Harvard University
John F. Kennedy Jr. Forum, Harvard Kennedy School, 79 JFK Street, Cambridge
Twenty-five years ago this November, the Berlin Wall—infamous symbol of divided Cold War Europe—seemed to be falling. But the opening of the gates wasn’t planned by the East German ruling regime, nor was it the result of a bargain between Reagan, Bush and Gorbachev. It was an accident. Tom Brokaw was there that night, broadcasting live from the Brandenburg Gate. Join Brokaw as he recalls this momentous event and its legacy in conversation with prize-winning historian Mary Sarotte, author of The Collapse: The Accidental Opening of the Berlin Wall.