Disclaimer: The following blog post is not a reflection of the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s opinion on the below topics.
The Fall of the Berlin Wall was a monumental moment in history, signifying liberation for East Germans and the reunification of Germany. Now taught as the symbolic end of the Cold War, the collapse of this physical representation of the Iron Curtain abolished the oppressive Soviet regime over East Germany, the German Democratic Republic (GDR).[1] However, not quite as celebrated are the thousands of people who risked their lives for democracy; the vast number of voices whose collective determination and courage sparked Germany’s ultimate transition to parliamentary democracy. The GDR had been under Soviet rule for over 40 years, enforcing censorship, strict freedom of speech laws and action bans.[2] Many East Germans were separated from family and friends who lived in West Germany, and any travel outside the GDR was forbidden. People lived in fear of punishment by the Stasi, the secret police of the GDR, if they were to speak against the regime. As a result, bribery and blackmail were common tactics the Stasi would use to gain intel on civilians by forcing them into betrayal of people around them, targeting those who needed money or threatening to prosecute people over debts or homosexuality.[3] Many fled through Czechoslovakia to West Germany; Over a hundred thousand people applied to immigrate to West Germany in only the first six months of 1989.[4] Interviews held with numerous civilians in Leipzig emphasize a clear common attitude of resentment and dejection for the political state of East Germany. They were fed up with living with their heads down, following the orders of the regime, and not having free-will or a voice.[5] People privately questioned the communist regime, discussing what they wanted to have in their country, specifically openness, free elections, and democracy; originally Germany’s potential reunification wasn’t even part of the discussion because of how inconceivable it seemed.[6] Yet, even with tyrannical surveillance, protests were held throughout East Germany, in streets, squares, schools, and workplaces.[7][8]
The Peaceful Revolution started in Leipzig. Beginning in 1989, small groups of people gathered in ‘Prayers for Peace’ at the Nikolai Church on Mondays. Holding candles and banners, they would march out to chants that expressed calls for freedom.[9] Nonviolence was the key element of all of these demonstrations. They knew the Stasi would use any sign of aggression as an excuse to inflict violence. To prepare the demonstrators for what this would require of them, a Prayer for Peace was held on September 25 to give the people instructions on how to behave while facing the police, how to avoid being provoked, and how to practice nonviolence in the face of potential violence.[10] These marches continued on for weeks, becoming known as ‘The Monday Demonstrations,’ amassing more and more participants, making it increasingly challenging for the Stasi to control. In one instance, the Stasi drove their vans into a crowd in an attempt to overpower the masses, but one van ultimately had to retreat because of the overwhelming numbers.[11] Still, protestors’ conviction didn’t waver when faced with police brutality. On October 7, the 40th anniversary of the GDR, celebratory marches and music were held by the regime to the outrage of civilians who wanted officials to acknowledge the dire state of East Germany and implement change. That day, thousands demonstrated for democracy all across the country shouting, “We’re staying here!” and “No Violence!”[13] They were faced with the GRD’s armed forces who met them with extreme brutality, violently beating protestors and arresting many more. And yet, civilians were gaining confidence to resist with decades of strife fueling their determination to fight back.[15][16]
East Germans began anticipating the massive protest on October 9th as the ultimate decision day:‘Tag der Entscheidung.’[18] At this point, East Germans either could choose to attempt escape, stay and accept the regime, or try to bring about change. They had been feeling the loss of their neighbors and friends who had escaped the GDR, and yet many still did not want to leave their country. They did not want communism to force them out of their homes.[19] However, the GDR was also planning accordingly. The new head of state of the GDR had said only days earlier that he was in favor of performing the ‘Chinese Solution,’ referring to the measures taken in Tiananmen Square only months prior in June.[20] Yet despite these threats, and despite the risk of being shot, 70-100,000 people gathered to march; many had written instructions on what should happen to their children in case they never returned home.[21] The protests had begun only one month prior with a few hundred people, now 70,000 people marched, “fearful yet unyielding” through the streets of Leipzig together chanting “Wir sind das Folk!”: We are the people![22] Since many activist groups knew that this would be Decision Day, approximately 50,000 pamphlets had been printed urging people to remain nonviolent. As they marched they carried these pamphlets in their hands, continuing to spread the message. The repeated sentiment on the pamphlets was “Gewalt hinterlässt ewige blutende Wunden”: “Violence leaves eternal bleeding wounds.”[23] Not only did this keep the marches relatively peaceful, but it also made the protestors hold each other accountable. At least 8,000 armed forces met the protestors, ready for orders to shoot into the streets.[24] The regime had prepared a violent crackdown, expecting 30-40,000 protestors but, instead, there were up to 100,000 people which stopped any marching orders from being given at the expense of massive bloodshed.[25] All of Germany was aware that there would be a mass demonstration in Leipzig and anxiously awaited news of what had happened. Uwe Schwabe, one of the leaders of the Nikolai Church movements, recalls the powerful moment when, upon hearing the nightly national news report that the police didn’t intervene and the demonstration ended peacefully, two young people climbed a church tower and began ringing the bells signaling to East Germans that Leipzig was safe and that it was time for them to join the movement.[26]
“[There] was a consensus among protestors that nobody should use violence against the police because it was clear they were facing a state apparatus armed to its teeth just waiting for protesters to throw a stone or attack a police officer…the power of the spoken word and the sheer number of people effectively disarmed the GDR leadership and police forces.” – Historian Sascha Lange recalls his experience at 17 in the protest[27]
On the night of October 9, 1989, unbeknownst to the GDR, Siegbert Shefke, an East Berliner, was secretly videotaping the Peaceful Revolution, atop a church tower. Western Journalists had been forbidden from entering East Germany as of September, so it would’ve been impossible for any footage of the protest to be conveyed to the West. If Shefke and his partner Adam Radomski hadn’t snuck out of Berlin to get filmed atop the church tower this historical moment on film, the West wouldn’t have felt the immensity of the protest. Shefke told the story of his experience, in a panel at Harvard hosted by post-Cold War historian, Mary Sarotte. He was planning on going to Leipzig for the protest on October 9, but he couldn’t leave his house without being followed by three to five Stasi police. He escaped via his roof, meeting up with Radomski. They switched cars three times to avoid being tracked, before arriving in Leipzig. On their way they passed by armed militia sitting atop military trucks and, fearing the worst, decided they needed to find a secure camera position, not knowing what they were about to witness. Knowing the threats the head of state had made, the risk of death was very imminent among all members of the resistance. But Shefke and Radomski knew that they were the only ones who had the means to be able to record what was about to happen, and for years to come, theirs were the only recordings that existed.[29] When Shefke returned home via ten rooftops in Berlin, he saw that the Stasi were still stationed outside of his window. The same day the cassette was smuggled into West Germany allowing all of East and West Germany to witness the footage from Leipzig that very evening on the nightly news show in front of their television.[30]
October 9th was a monumental day for East Germans because it was the first time police forces retreated in the face of protest. As a result of nothing happening to the demonstrators of Leipzig, the number of East Germans participating in protests increased immensely in the following weeks. Every Monday, 100,000 more protestors would join the peaceful march.[31] And as censorship began to crumble, there was domestic coverage.[32] GDR leader Erich Honecker, after 18 years in power, was overthrown that October. On November 4, 1989, the “largest critical demonstration in the history of the GDR” took place on East Berlin’s Alexanderplatz.[34] An estimated one million people gathered together to demand democratic reform and the end of Soviet occupation, singing, chanting, and holding banners. Five days later, on November 9th an East German politician improvised an answer to a question about new wall regulations, making it sound as though travel through the wall was now open. Shefke and colleagues immediately decided to go to the checkpoints of the wall and insist that the border guards let them through.[35] In the next few days, citizens began demolishing the Berlin Wall with sledgehammers as East Germans poured into the West in jubilant reunification. Demonstrations wouldn’t end until March of 1990, when the first multi-party, democratic elections were held, Germany officially reunified.[36] Through persistence and tenacity East Germans pried open a space for democracy in a former dictatorship.
Excerpt of the transcript of the GDR International Press Conference:[37]
“Shabowski: …we have decided today (um) to implement a regulation that allows every citizen of the German Democratic Republic (um) to (um) leave the GDR through any of the border crossings
…
Question: When does it come into effect?
Shabowski: (Looks through his papers…) That comes into effect, according to my information, immediately, without delay (looking through his papers further).”
[1] Minda de Günzburg Center for European Studies, “25th Anniversary of the Berlin Wall’s Collapse: The Peaceful Revolution That Sparked the Fall,” October 30, 2014.
[2] Hanna King, “East Germans Protest for Democracy (The Peaceful Revolution), 1988-90,” Global Nonviolent Action Database, October 10, 2010.
[3] Minda de Gunzburg Center for European Studies, “25th Anniversary of the Berlin Wall’s Collapse.”
[4] Robert Havemann Gesellschaft Archiv Der DDR-Opposition, “Revolution 89,” Revolution Mauerfall of the Wall, 2015.
[5] Leipzig im Herbst, directed by Andreas Voigt and Gerd Kroske(1989; DEFA Film Library) Translated.
[6] Goethe-Institut New York, “Unification in Freedom and Democracy: From the Peaceful Revolution to a United Germany,” November 30, 2022.
[7] Gareth Dale, The East German Revolution of 1989 (Manchester: Manchester University Press).
[8] Robert Havemann Gesellschaft Archiv Der DDR-Opposition, “Revolution 89.”
[9] Dale, The East German Revolution of 1989.
[10] Minda de Gunzburg Center for European Studies, “25th Anniversary of the Berlin Wall’s Collapse.”
[11] Dale, The East German Revolution of 1989.
[12] FIND CITATION
[13] Robert Havemann Gesellschaft Archiv Der DDR-Opposition, “Revolution 89.”
[14] FIND CITATION
[15] Robert Havemann Gesellschaft Archiv Der DDR-Opposition, “Revolution 89.”
[16] Ibid.
[17] Ibid.
[18] Minda de Gunzburg Center for European Studies, “25th Anniversary of the Berlin Wall’s Collapse.”
[19] Ibid.
[20] Ibid.
[21] Ibid.
[22] Jeremiah Riemer, “The Triumph of Nonviolence in Leipzig,” German History in Documents and Images (GHDI), 2019.
[23] Minda de Gunzburg Center for European Studies, “25th Anniversary of the Berlin Wall’s Collapse.”
[24] Ibid.
[25] Ibid.
[26] Ibid.
[27] Marie Bierbach, “The Peaceful Protests that Brought Down East Germany,” Deutsche Welle (DW), October 9, 2019.
[28] Robert Havemann Gesellschaft Archiv Der DDR-Opposition, “Revolution 89.”
[29] Minda de Gunzburg Center for European Studies, “25th Anniversary of the Berlin Wall’s Collapse.”
[30] Dale, The East German Revolution of 1989.
[31] King, “East Germans Protest for Democracy.”
[32] Minda de Gunzburg Center for European Studies, “25th Anniversary of the Berlin Wall’s Collapse.”
[33] “Page 1,” and “Page 3,” Neues Deutschland, November 6, 1989.
[34] Robert Havemann Gesellschaft Archiv Der DDR-Opposition, “Revolution 89.”
[35] Minda de Gunzburg Center for European Studies, “25th Anniversary of the Berlin Wall’s Collapse.”
[36] King, “East Germans Protest for Democracy.”
[37] Günter Shabowski, interview by Ricardo Ehrman, November 9, 1989, Press Conference in GDR International Press Center, transcript, Wilson Center Digital Archive.
[38] Robert Havemann Gesellschaft Archiv Der DDR-Opposition, “Revolution 89.”