In the months that followed, the SED tried in vain to get people off the streets with the magic word "dialogue". The citizens of Leipzig, who in 1989 marched to the inner city ring after the traditional peace prayers in St. Nicholas Church, initially in their hundreds and later in their hundreds of thousands, were not satisfied with cosmetic changes. With their courage, their strong will and their renunciation of violence, they made history. The stirring images of the "Monday demonstrations" in autumn 1989 went around the world: Determined people shouted "We are the people" and demanded basic democratic rights in a rigid society. Leipzig - the stepchild of the GDR state - had rediscovered its language through peaceful means. The foundation stone for German reunification had been laid.
Under the motto "Autumn '89 - Awakening to Democracy", the city commemorates the events surrounding the Peaceful Revolution every year. On October 09th - the city's day of remembrance - the Festival of Lights is always the highlight of this series of events. Thousands of citizens and visitors meet on Augustusplatz and commemorate the events of 1989 with atmospheric illuminations.
More information about cycling in the Leipzig Region as well as more interesting routes: www.herbst89.de and www.lichtfest.leipziger-freiheit.de
The path from Leipzig 1989 to a united Germany on October 03, 1990 - A chronology
January 15, '89 – First unauthorized demonstration of the 80s in the GDR
In Leipzig, around 500 citizens demonstrate for reforms. There are 53 arrests.
May 2, 89 – Hungary removes the security fence, which blocks the way to Austria. This is the first step towards the spectacular mass escapes.
May 7, '89 – Election fraud in the local elections in the GDR. According to Egon Krenz's announcement, 98,85% of voters voted for the candidates of the National Front. The election truth was: about 10% voted against and about the same number refused to vote. About 1.000 citizens protested against the fraud in Leipzig.
June 4, '89 – Massacre in China – The Chinese military crushes the democracy movement in Tiananmen Square in Beijing. Many people die. The “Chinese solution” hangs like the sword of Damocles over further public activities.
June 10, '89 – The first Leipzig street music festival, organized by grassroots groups, is violently stopped by the police. The musicians are brutally loaded onto trucks with their instruments and “delivered”.
6 to 9 July '89 – The Protestant Church Congress of the State Church of Saxony takes place in Leipzig. Critical groups are excluded from the official Church Congress and organize an “instead of Church Congress” in the St. Luke’s Church, in which around 2.500 people take part.
July '89–Beginning of the escape movement from GDR citizens via Hungary to Austria.
August 14, 89 – Some embassies close (eg in Budapest) due to overcrowding. Erich Honecker proclaims: “Neither ox nor donkey can stop socialism in its tracks.”
August 19, 89 – mass exodus - About 700 GDR holidaymakers staying in Hungary use an event at the Austrian/Hungarian border to escape to freedom.
September 4, '89 – Demonstration at the Leipzig Autumn Fair – Stasi employees destroy banners with slogans such as “For an open country with free people.” These events are filmed by Western cameramen and broadcast around the world.
September 11, 89 – border opening - Hungary opens the border to Austria for people leaving the GDR.
September 19, 89 – “New Forum” – Opposition groups found the initiative group “New Forum” and are the first to apply for official recognition as a citizens’ movement.
September 22, '89 – Instruction – Erich Honecker instructs the first secretaries of the SED district leaderships “that these hostile actions must be nipped in the bud, that no mass basis for them must be allowed.”
September 25, '89 – ban - The "New Forum" is banned by the Ministry of the Interior. 5.000 people protest at the Monday demonstration in Leipzig. - The then Federal Foreign Minister Hans-Dietrich Genscher declares in Prague that the 6.000 embassy refugees are allowed to travel to the Federal Republic of Germany.
September 30, ’89 – “We shall overcome” About 8.000 demonstrators sing after the peace prayer in St. Nicholas Church, which has been taking place there since 1982.
October 2, '89 – Violence – This Monday, around 20.000 people demonstrated for reforms in Leipzig. A brutal police operation ensued.
October 4, '89 – Second mass exodus – More than 7.600 refugees travel in special trains from Prague through Dresden to the Federal Republic of Germany after visa-free travel between the GDR and Czechoslovakia was suspended.
October 6, '89 – Attempted intimidation – The “LVZ” prints a letter to the editor from a combat group commander, in which he states: “We are ready and willing to protect what we have created with our own hands in order to put a definitive and effective stop to this counter-revolutionary action. If necessary, with weapons in hand!”
October 7, 89 – 40th anniversary of the GDR - Demonstrations take place throughout the GDR. In Leipzig, the state uses dogs and water cannons against around 4.000 demonstrators. 200 people are arrested. Gorbachev speaks to the Politburo in Berlin and says: “If we stay behind, life will punish us immediately.”
October 8, 89 – wave of arrests – From 1 to 8 October, 3.318 people are brought into the GDR.
October 9, 89 – The decisive Monday demonstration Despite great fear of armed conflict – 8.000 police officers are on standby – over 70.000 citizens gather after the peace prayers in five Leipzig churches. Kurt Masur reads a call for prudence and dialogue over the city radio, which SED secretaries also support. This large demonstration triggered a huge number of resolutions that mean the end of the SED-GDR. The so-called “Autumn Society” begins.
October 16, '89 - Pictures go around the world – The powerful Leipzig Monday demonstrations are developing on the inner city ring road. On this Monday, 150.000 people are demonstrating, not satisfied with cosmetic changes. Many television crews are filming. Even the “Aktuelle Kamera” is reporting briefly.
October 18, 89 – The fall of Honecker – Erich Honecker is replaced as SED chairman by Egon Krenz. However, there is no decrease in the demonstrations, which spread across the entire country.
October 23, '89 – “Free elections – true numbers!” “Visa-free to Shanghai!” – With these and similar slogans, around 300.000 demonstrators gathered in Leipzig and expressed their hope for a fundamentally new policy. The “New Forum” announced the location of its office in Leipzig.
October 24, '89 – Power struggle – Egon Krenz becomes Chairman of the State Council and the National Defense Council.
October 30, '89 – “We are the people!” – The voices of the demonstrators are getting louder and louder. The demonstration in Leipzig once again includes around 300.000 participants who are coming from all parts of the GDR.
November 6, '89 – The largest Monday demonstration – It takes place in pouring rain. Around 400.000 participants demand consistent reforms of the social system and shout “Stasi in the national economy!”
November 7, 89 – The GDR government resigns.
November 9, 89 – The wall is open to GDR citizens. Politburo member Günter Schabowski announces (accidentally?) that there will be unlimited freedom of travel with immediate effect. This means the fall of border fences and restricted areas.
November 28, '89 – Ten-Point Program – Chancellor Helmut Kohl announces a ten-point program to overcome the division of Germany.
December 1, 89 – SED's claim to leadership – the People’s Chamber deletes it from the constitution.
December 6, '89 – Resignation the Chairman of the State and National Defense Council, Egon Krenz
December 7, '89–The “Round Table” meets for the first time in East Berlin. The following are represented: the SED, the bloc parties and the most important opposition groups. The drafting of a new constitution is agreed and May 6, 90 is set as the date for new elections to the People's Chamber.
8/9 December '89 – provisional renaming the SED in SED-PDS. Gregor Gysi becomes chairman.
December 11, '89 – Calls for reunification – The main topic of the speakers at the Leipzig Monday demonstration is the reunification of Germany.
December 18, '89 – Silent Conclusion – Around 200.000 citizens hold a “silent conclusion” to the Leipzig Monday demonstrations of '89 with burning candles and torches at the first approved Monday demonstration. The bells of all Leipzig churches ring in memory of the victims of mental oppression and violence.
December 24, 89 – Open inner-German borders –Visa requirements and compulsory exchange are no longer applicable for German citizens when travelling to the GDR.
January 15, '90 – “Down with the SED!” More than 100.000 demonstrators are demanding this in the city center of Leipzig. Various parties are using this Monday demonstration for their election campaign.
February 5, '90 – “Germany – a united fatherland!” is the main demand of the approximately 100.000 demonstrators in Leipzig. The election date has been brought forward to March 18th. From today onwards, the SED-PDS party will only call itself the PDS.
February 10, '90 – A milestone towards unification – Gorbachev assures Chancellor Kohl in Moscow that the Germans have the right to live in one state.
February 13, '90 – The German Question – The “Two Plus Four Conferences” between both German governments and the four victorious powers are agreed upon. The position of the united Germany in Europe is determined. First meeting of NATO and the Warsaw Pact in Ottawa.
March 12, '90 – The last Monday demonstration – Once again, around 70.000 participants came. The civil movements complain that the character of the demonstration has changed and tolerance is declining.
March 14, 90 – Kohl's appearance in Leipzig –“The goal of completing the unity of Germany is now within reach,” said Chancellor Helmut Kohl in front of around 300.000 people attending the CDU election rally on Leipzig’s Karl-Marx-Platz (today Augustusplatz).
March 18, 90 – The first free election to the People's Chamber of the GDR. The course has been set for reunification in accordance with Article 23 of the Basic Law.
April 12, '90 – The new government under Lothar de Maizière (CDU) is formed. It is a grand coalition of CDU and SPD with the inclusion of the DSU and the FDP.
May 6, '90 – local elections – The CDU is once again far ahead. In Leipzig, the SPD wins with the new mayor Dr. Hinrich Lehmann-Grube from Hanover.
July 1, '90 – The Monetary, Economic and Social Union comes into force. The D-Mark is now the official means of payment in the GDR. Long queues form at all payment points. At the same time, the social market economy is introduced and the GDR social insurance is adapted to the West German insurance system.
July 22, 90–New Federal States – The People’s Chamber decides to reinstate the former five states (Saxony, Thuringia, Saxony-Anhalt, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Brandenburg) on the territory of the GDR.
August 31, '90 – The Unification Treaty is signed in East Berlin.
2 to 8 September '90 – The Leipzig Autumn Fair is taking place for the first time after the Economic and Monetary Union in the 825th year of its existence.
September 12, 90 – “Two-plus-Four” Treaty – Signing of the Sovereignty Treaty for a united Germany in Moscow.
October 3, 90 – Reunification of Germany
Sources: The chronology was created on the basis of the following publications: “Wende-Tage-Buch”, Militzke Verlag, Leipzig, 1998; “From Leipzig to Germany”, Forum Verlag Leipzig, 1991; “Leipzig remembers the autumn of '89”, City of Leipzig, 1999; “Today 10 years ago”, Citizens' Committee Leipzig eV, 1999