Kevin & Karyn's Hungarian Adventure 2012: Pan-Euro Reunion

10/12-13/2012

Open Door Memorial at the Border of Austria/Hungary

After leaving Esterhazy Palace we headed to the Iron Curtain Memorial a location just outside of Sopron on the Hungarian/Austrian border where the 1989 Pan-European Picnic was held in August 19, 1989. Over 600 East Germans escaped to Austria during a protest picnic on the Hungarian side of the Iron curtain. We were joined by the Austrian Fulbright Scholars and their guides. It was amazing to be standing together, US Fulbright Scholars stationed in Austria & Hungary reuniting at a Historic place where the 1st crack in the Iron Curtain occurred. We had a speaker relate the events of 8/19/1989 who was present when the East Germans ran across the border. Our speaker,Dr. Laszlo Vass, was the First Secretary of the Minister of State in Hungary at the time and was sent as an emissary to represent Hungary and encourage civility at the picnic. Little did he know that several East Germans who were in Hungary had heard about the picnic protest and planned to rush the gate to get to Austria and freedom. It was very emotional for the speaker since he has not been back to this location for over 20 years. At the time 1989 there were still orders to "shoot to kill" anyone who crossed the boarder. It was a key point in the change for democracy and the 1st crack in the Iron Curtain, the guards turned their backs and did nothing to stop the East Germans from leaving that day.

http://thevieweast.wordpress.com/2009/08/19/cracks-in-the-iron-curtain-remembering-hungarys-pan-european-picnic/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pan-European_Picnic