In an interview with Reuters, Fischer recounted giving away 400 tickets to East German refugees to an all-Beethoven concert the BFO was performing in Budapest on August 18.
"It was on the 18th of August (1989) we had a concert (in Budapest) and it was an all-Beethoven programme, and the news in those days was full of the East German refugees who invaded the Prague Embassy and then went to Budapest. I had this sudden idea they should listen to Beethoven and we offered them 400 free tickets," Fischer told Reuters.
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"In the intermission my dressing room was invaded by a large delegation of West German diplomats ... and according to them I did an unbelievable gesture because nobody does anything but talk about these East Germans and this is wonderful. At the end of the concert they announced to these 400 young people that next morning they should go to the (Austrian) border where there was a picnic organised by Otto von Habsburg," Fischer said.
During the "picnic", a border gate was opened to allow Austrians to participate at the event, but more than 600 East German citizens availed of the opportunity to flee to the West.
"I didn't want to change the world," Fischer told Reuters. "The only thing I wanted is for these young people to listen to Beethoven. If anybody, I think Beethoven changed the world, Beethoven started the fall of the Berlin Wall."
Source: Hungarian News Agency (MTI) / Photo: MTI
