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Leipzig's Monday DemonstrationsLaunching the "Peaceful Revolution" of 1989From: Leipzig, Germany
East Germany's "Peaceful Revolution" didn't occur overnight, but the Monday Demonstrations of September and October, 1989 brought matters to a head in Leipzig and other cities of the German Democratic Republic, or GDR. After months of "Peace Prayers" in Leipzig's Nikolaikirche and other public protests, some 70,000 people gathered in the streets of downtown Leipzig on October 9 to demand reform from the SED (German Communist Party) regime. Thousands of police and military personnel were on hand to stop the demonstrations, and soldiers with machine guns were posted on rooftops to intimidate the protesters. Fortunately for the citizens, cries of "No violence" were heeded, and one organizer's ploy was particularly effective: The pastor of the Nikolaikirche suggested that marchers carry candles, which require two hands: one to hold the candle, the other to protect the flame from blowing out. With two hands occupied, protesters wouldn't be tempted to throw rocks! A 20th Anniversary press release by Andreas Schmidt, Leipzig's PR Manager for Tourism, describes what happened next:
Schmidt adds:
Other information resources:
Wikipedia: Monday Demonstrations in East Germany
Wikipedia:
Peaceful Revolution
Nicolaikirche:
October 9 - Day of the Peaceful Revolution Back to: Leipzig, Germany About the author: Durant Imboden is a professional travel writer, book author, and editor who focuses on European cities and transportation. After 4-1/2 years of covering European travel topics for About.com, Durant and Cheryl Imboden co-founded Europe for Visitors (now including Germany for Visitors) in 2001. The site has earned "Best of the Web" honors from Forbes and The Washington Post. For more information, see About Europe for Visitors, press clippings, and reader testimonials. Photo: LTS. |
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