November 09, 1989
CONVERSATION BETWEEN CHANCELLOR HELMUT KOHL AND SOLIDARITY LEADER LECH WALESA
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In this extraordinary conversation, Solidarity’s leader fears the collapse of the Wall would distract West Germany’s attention - and money - to the GDR, at the time when Poland, the trail-blazer to the post-communist era in Eastern Europe, desperately needed both. "Events are moving too fast," Walesa said, and only hours later, the Wall fell, and Kohl had to cut his Poland visit short to scramble back to Berlin, thus proving Walesa’s fear correct."Conversation between Chancellor Helmut Kohl and Solidarity Leader Lech Walesa," November 09, 1989, History and Public Policy Program Digital Archive, "Dokumente zur Deutschland Politik; Deutsche Einheit: Sonderedition aus den Akten des Bundeskanzleramtes 1989/90," Hans Jürgen Kusters and Daniel Hofmann, eds. (Munich: Oldenbourg Verlag, 1998), document number 76, pp. 492-496. Published in National Security Archive Electronic Briefing Book No. 22. Translated by Catherine Nielsen. https://digitalarchive.wilsoncenter.org/document/116236 - Share
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