Monday demonstrations in East Germany
The Monday demonstrations were an important part of the peaceful revolution in the GDR in the fall of 1989. There were mass demonstrations that took place in Leipzig since 4 September 1989. In autumn 1989 regular mass demonstrations took place in other cities of the GDR, for example, in Dresden, Halle, Karl- Marx-Stadt Magdeburg, Plauen, Arnstadt, Rostock, Potsdam, Schwerin, instead, partly on other weekdays. With the cry of " We are the people" came forward week after week, hundreds of thousands of GDR citizens across the country to speak out and protest against the political situation. The goal was a peaceful, democratic reform, in particular the end of the SED regime.
Leipzig, beginning in September 1989
In Leipzig, the Monday demonstrations joined the prayers for peace at St. Nicholas Church, which have been since the mid- 1980s, coordinated by the pastors, Christian leaders and Christopher Bliss Berger, who worked closely with opposition grassroots groups. The first Monday demonstration took place on 4 September 1989. It was initiated by the civil rights activists had Katrin Hauer and Gesine Oltmanns, distributed after the peace prayer five banners on demonstration willing and even the one " for an open country with free people " unfurled with the inscription. The rally on the Nikolaikirchhof called for " freedom " and under the influence of the mass exodus of many GDR citizens, especially freedom of travel and other fundamental human rights. Be emigrants went to her desire to leave the GDR, attentive: " We want out " before West German journalists who were allowed to be at the Leipzig Trade Fair site, the State Security tore down the banners and tried to break up the demonstration. Then reaped the secret police loud " Stasi out! " Calls.
The traditional date of the prayers for peace at St. Nicholas Church and three other churches in the center of Leipzig, Mondays at 17:00 clock proved to chosen as sent. He allowed one hand to take part in prayer and demonstration to have to stay without work - while SED members were traditionally bound by their party Monday's meetings in their operating party organizations. On the other hand, it was also before the closing time of the Leipzig city center, so it was relatively safe to stop without the attention of the security forces to move there to be. He also allowed the West German TV stations to regularly take the start of the demonstrations in the main news programs. The images had to be smuggled out there Leipzig, as the city was closed to Western journalists at that time.
The security forces of the GDR went to Leipzig partly with violence against the demonstrators in front, especially on 2 October 1989 and also during the celebrations for the 40th anniversary of the founding of the GDR on 7 and 8 October 1989. A veritable wave of arrests began already at the September 11, 1989 a, than 89 protesters were arrested arbitrarily.
Dresden, October 4, 1989
In Dresden, the " valley of the clueless ", seemed to escalate the violence. In connection with the departure of East German refugees on the Prague embassy four trains were passed through the main station in Dresden on October 4, 1989. Before and at the station gathered about 5,000 people, partly by force to engage with the target in the trains. When the police intervened and cleared the station, there were violent clashes in which citizens pelted the police with cobblestones and demolished parts of the station. A police car was set on fire there. Police used water cannons, tear gas and batons and took until October 8, 1300 citizens, including many innocent bystanders in the protests, fixed ( so-called supply and hours of detention ). Responsible team leader was the head of Dresdner BDVP Lieutenant General Willi Nyffenegger in coordination with the district operations management under the direction of first SED district secretary Hans Modrow. In the press and other media was first informed and hardly spoken of " antisocial elements ". The events were, however, known about West German media and mentioned a few days later by some teachers in different ways, because pupils asked questions. On October 7, many citizens were arrested and detained for hours after returning from events and demonstrations came in again.
Plauen, October 7, 1989
After the second time trains with emigrants from the embassy in Prague had been passed through Plauen in the night of 4 October 5, a spontaneously scheduled peace devotions took place on 5 October at the St. Mark's place, which is a second due to the large crowds had to be held again.
On October 7, the day of the Republic, the first major demonstration ( estimates are between 10,000 and 20,000 people) at the theater and Otto Grotewohl space (tunnel ) was held by 15 clock. It was organized by typewritten leaflets and mainly by word of mouth. Because it's not the police managed to clear the square, two water cannon (tank fire trucks of the fire department ) were used against the protesters about 15:30 clock. However, this did not bring the desired result, but meant that the applied amount went before the town hall. The street between the City Hall and Luther church was cordoned off by the police and armed with machine guns fighting groups of the working class. The unit of riot police, which should clear the entrance of the city hall beat, brutal on the demonstrators, which then fell back in the direction of Otto Grotewohl Square. Against 16 clock it came to the use of a helicopter circled as low as possible over the place. Around 16:15 clock was formed, a demonstration, for the time being pulled towards the station road and about 17:30 clock arrived back in front of the town hall. In this banners with slogans such as "We need reforms ," " Reforms and freedom to travel against mass exodus - especially peace " or " travel freedom - freedom of expression - freedom of the press " carried. Before the town hall were loud, who demanded that the mayor, Dr. Norbert Martin should come out to talk with him. Through the judicious use of Superintendent Thomas Küttler who mediated between the City Hall / Police and protesters, the demonstration remained peaceful and broke up with the cry " We'll be back " 18 clock slowly, after it was decided to demonstrate once again next Saturday.
Some protesters refused to leave the area and stayed still in the vicinity of City Hall. Were still about 130 people outside the town hall and another 100 in the immediate vicinity Against 22:15 clock. Then, military transport vehicles were ascended and the crowd broke up. After deduction of Transportation about 70 people gathered 23:00 to 23:45 clock again before the City Council; some of them were arrested by the security forces again ascended and brutally interrogated. Overall, there was on that day 61 arrests.
From this point on, found every Saturday until the first free elections on 18 March 1990 demonstrations in Plauen instead.
The demonstration on October 7 was the first mass demonstration on the GDR, which could not be resolved by the security forces. To commemorate this pioneering role October 7 was declared a local Memorial Day, the "Day of Democracy" and a turning monument in Plauen was inaugurated on October 7, 2010.
Dresden, October 8, 1989
In the course of two major demonstrations in the afternoon and evening of October 8, it came in the city center of Dresden to significant abuses of regulatory power to the protesters.
In the afternoon, several 1000 people gathered in the theater space. It is not clear who called it. This collection was dispersed by the police and it was formed in a protest march. This split later on. Several hundred protesters were rounded up and arrested on Fetscherplatz. They were taken to vexatious treatment to Bautzen, where they were detained and interrogated until evening of the next day.
Before then the evening was come, in another demonstration on Prager Strasse to a further escalation, succeeded where a group of police turned kess parent demonstrators, initiated by the moral courage of Kaplan Frank Richter, a conversation a deputation of their number with the then Mayor Berghofer to enforce their demands. This delegation which ( the so-called original members ) comprised just over 20 people, referred to himself as the "Group of 20". She played - in the course of its existence, more times around and neubesetzt - in the period following a major role in the political development of the city of Dresden and is the story of the peaceful revolution of particular importance. It succeeded here probably for the first time, to avoid further confrontations and to establish an open dialogue between representatives of the state power and the protesting people. The goal of state power, however, reduce in this way the protest movement that could not be achieved. In the following days and weeks, the demonstrations in Dresden were getting bigger, but always stood in the shadow of the media from these perceived as significantly suspense Monday demonstrations in Leipzig.
The path of demonstrators led in Dresden always of the Cross Church at the Old Market on post Place, Theatre Square, the Augustus Bridge, the Golden riders and today's Ministry of Finance over, back on the Dr. -Rudolf -Friedrichs - bridge direction Pirnaischer place and then over the Ernst Thalmann street or Grunaer road. Final rallies often also took place on Fucikplatz.
Leipzig, October 9, 1989
The Monday demonstrations developed into a mass movement. The slogans " on the road ", "We are the people" and " No violence! " Had their effect. The turning point of the Monday demonstrations was October 9, 1989 - the first protest demonstration of unexpectedly high mass participation in the many parties of all sides had the violent reaction of the Chinese authorities is on the Tiananmen Square in mind, but ultimately nothing of the sort happened. Members of opposition groups printed on the eve of St. Luke church in bliss Christoph Berger a call for nonviolence. The 25,000 leaflets addressed to " Forces" and demonstration willing equally with the incantatory formula:
"We are one people! Violence among us leaves forever bleeding wounds! For the serious situation resulting primarily party and government must be held responsible. "
For peaceful outcome was also the evening call six prominent Leipzig at the Gewandhaus Orchestra Prof. Kurt Masur, theologian Dr. Peter Zimmermann, cabaret artist Bernd- Lutz Lange and the secretaries of the SED district leadership Leipzig Dr. Kurt Meyer, Jochen Pommert and Dr. Roland Wötzel at:
"Our common concern and responsibility have brought us together today. We are affected by the development in our city and look for a solution. We all need a free exchange of views on the continuation of socialism in our country. Therefore those named today promise all citizens to use their full power and authority to ensure that this dialogue is conducted not only in the district of Leipzig, but also with our government. We urge you to prudence, so that a peaceful dialogue is possible. "
The six personalities had been kept out of concern about an imminent escalation of violence, ( contributed for Pommert as beaufsichtigender secretary for agitation and propaganda, the co-responsibility ) both by rumors and by a one-sided reporting in the Leipzig People's Daily probable in Masur taken home and the call -authored. The three SED secretaries had not coordinated its plans with the party leadership in the district. Nevertheless, the call of Masur was read and broadcasting to the public before the start of the evening demonstration on urban radio in the city of Leipzig. Even in the churches of the call had been read. Particular interest in a peaceful course also had the prudent behavior of the pastor at the Nikolai Church bliss Christoph Berger, Christian leaders and Superintendent Friedrich Magirius and Bishop Dr. Johannes Hempel. The worshipers left the church with lighted candles in their hands as a sign of their peaceful disposition. In front of the church, they were already waiting for a crowd.
After the security forces did not intervene on this day in the city of Leipzig against the demonstration (they had only received orders for self-protection in the event of violent attacks ), the march to the city center of Leipzig ring could develop peacefully. The train, which consisted of about 70,000 people, also led to the Leipzig Stasi headquarters on Dittrichring, the infamous "Round Corner " over.
The reasons that led to the withdrawal of security forces, are not finally resolved until today. The representation of the SED General Secretary Egon Krenz is controversial. He later claimed that he had personally given the order to retreat. The decision was, however, dropped to Leipzig plane and go well with cases of insubordination among the various security forces together: Tonight's first secretary of the SED district leadership and chairman of District operations management Helmut Hackenberg had addressed a position description to Berlin, but received only long after the demonstration had dissolved, a sustained response by Egon Krenz. Since they did not want to take responsibility for the impending carnage, met the meantime Hackenberg as political responsibility and the Leipzig police chief (also responsible for fighting groups of the working class ) BDVP Major General Gerhard Straßenburg, as team leader, the decision to withdraw the forces. The actual order to prevent a demonstration, was not run. One of the reasons were the incidents in the Military Technical College of the Air Force / Air Defense " Harry Kuhn " in neighboring Bad Duben. Members of this school should turn out to reinforce the security forces to Leipzig. Vehicles and equipment ( no weapons, but truncheons) were provided. The sergeant training the winter months have mostly high school graduates, which was related to the study allocation policy in the GDR. Much of this 1200 Sergeant students refused to take action against citizens of the GDR, and made the indignation even with banners from sheets significantly. The marching order was subsequently not granted. A deputation was ordered in the following days to Strausberg from command of the LSK. Commandant of the school at the time was Colonel Werner. More responsible commander in Leipzig at that time were Lieutenant General Manfred Hummitzsch, head of district administration and the Stasi Major General Klaus Wiegand, chief of the National People's Army Military District III, Leipzig.
This decision apparently fell into gross miscalculation of the dynamics, which had developed the events in recent weeks.
Leipzig, October 16, 1989
On 16 October 1989 already took some 120,000 protesters ( military units were still held in reserve ), a week later, the number grew to 320,000. This was until then the largest Monday demonstration in Leipzig. The protests ended in March 1990, shortly before or after the first free parliamentary elections.
Further development of the Monday demonstrations
In the Monday demonstrations, there was often a dialogue with the rulers of the state and party. On the Monday demonstrations many population groups participated.
Decisive involved were newly formed democratic groupings, such as the "New Forum " and new or emerging parties like the SDP (Social Democratic Party) and Alliance 90 But many disgruntled SED members marched with. The new democratic groups and parties should shape the time after the peaceful revolution of the discussions at the "round table " instrumental.
During the demonstrations information were distributed by various parties.
The basic objective of the demonstrations was the creation of democratic rights and their enforcement peaceful. " No violence " was the overarching slogan. In the subsequent pronouncements also demands for a German reunification and prosperity were loud.