The Embassy of Germany in Prague, Czech Republic / Nemecké velvyslanectví v Praze
N 50° 05.237 E 014° 23.882
33U E 456937 N 5548508
The Embassy of Germany in Prague to the Czech Republic is located on Vlašská street, in Lesser Town (Malá Strana) in historic centre of Prague...
Waymark Code: WM68JA
Location: Hlavní město Praha, Czechia
Date Posted: 04/23/2009
Views: 192
The Embassy of Germany occupies the large Lobkowicz palace and possesses an extensive garden.
In 1989, as the West German Embassy, it became the temporary home of thousands of East German refugees who camped out in its grounds. While there were small groups hiding there occasionally since the embassy was opened in 1974, the number rose in September to thousands, causing problems.
When Hans-Dietrich Genscher announced on 30 September an agreement making their travel to West Germany possible, the crowd cheered on the keyword "Ausreise". This marked an emotional and significant moment in German history. Yet, many more refugees fled to the embassy in the weeks to follow, wearing down the patience of the Czech authorities which gave in eventually, letting all East Germans travel directly to West Germany on 3 November. Thus, they broke their part of the Iron Curtain, the Czechoslovakian border fortifications during the Cold War. These events are commemorated by a golden statue of a Trabant in the garden of the embassy.
Soon, the Berlin Wall would fall, and the Czechs would succeed with in the Velvet Revolution.