The beginning of a profound social change in the GDR in 1989

In 1989, the GDR was in a phase of profound social change, which was characterized by a large number of movements, protests and social initiatives. Initially, participation in the first actions was relatively small and unremarkable, but the momentum increased significantly over the months. The social mood changed increasingly, andMore and more people were actively promoting their demands for change publicly. This social awakening was driven by a large number of calls, signature actions and public statements. It was a time of upheaval when society began to reorient itself, question old certainties and new ways ofexploring political and social commitments. Social development was characterized by an increasing willingness to deal with the existing grievances and actively look for solutions. The social forces that formed at that time helped to draw the image of a society that was no longer willing toto accept problems blindly. Rather, it was a phase of departure that was characterized by a large number of initiatives, newly founded organizations and a noticeable willingness to change. Overall, the basic social mood in 1989 was an unprecedented departure that laid the foundation for the peaceful revolution andsociety in motion.

The beginning: low participation and first signs of change

Initially, participation in the first protests and social movements was still comparatively low. Already in September, only a few people had signed the call for the “New Forum”, the number was around one hundred. Even if the number of signatures remained low due to the interception measures of the MfS and the reluctance of many people, one already showedfirst movement. At the end of September, the number of declarations or signatures that were approved was around 3,000, while other opposition groups were able to show significantly lower figures. Although the opposition seemed to be splintered in the first few months, due to historical reasons that had left their mark in previous years, this beganfragmentation in September to be increasingly seen as an advantage. Because of the fact that most of the opposition members were hardly known, many people were able to identify with the various initiatives without having personal acquaintance or close contact with the individual activists. This circumstance led to the fact that society gradually became a new willingnessshowed to deal with the demands and ideas that came up at the time. The public calls, explanations and letters that were published in rapid succession created the impression that more and more people no longer just wanted to watch passively, but wanted to actively protest against the crisis. It was felt that in many places different groups werewere hardly in contact before, now together articulated the desire for change. It was hardly visible to outsiders that the initiators knew each other well and were usually familiar with each other for a long time. Suddenly a new alternative emerged: not only leaving or staying, but also silence or interfering in the political processes. The media, especially the western onescontributed significantly to the fact that these calls were made known and discussed in public. This began a social debate, in which everyone wondered where they were and how they wanted to react to the developments. This phase marked the beginning of a flood of calls, resolutions, open letters and later also the establishment of new organizations thatset the country in motion for several weeks. As early as September, the magazine “Zeit” began to gradually gain in importance in the GDR, which was to be significantly intensified in October.

The first significant explanation: Platform for prominent personalities

A decisive development was initiated by a resolution of September 18th. For the first time, well-known personalities who were socially and culturally viewed in the GDR expressed themselves in this letter. Bärbel Bohley and Toni Krahl, known for the band “City”, organized a closed event in an East Berlin club, at which about 50 artistsof different genres came together to discuss the political situation. The result was a statement in which signatories expressed their concern about the state of the country. They criticized the mass exodus of young people, the crisis of meaning in society and the ignorance of the state and party leadership, which trivialize the conflicts and on a rigid courseholds on. It was emphasized that it is not about reforms that abolish socialism, but about those that continue to make it possible in the GDR. The letter welcomed the initiatives of the “New Forum” and recognized it as a reflection of one’s own thoughts. It was called for finally to have an open dialogue with all social forces, the media for discussionsopen and fundamentally change the existing states. It was emphasized that only by solving the contradictions an actual solution to the crisis is possible, while ignoring the problems only increases the risk of further escalations. The signatories, which included well-known musicians, actors, writers and intellectuals, stood behind the demandAfter more openness and dialogue. This appeal made a significant contribution to fueling the social debate and increasing the pressure on the government to deal with the demands for reform. The response to the letter was enormous, and it was signed by numerous prominent personalities recruited from different social fields.In particular, the support of well-known musicians, songwriters and artists gave this call additional weight, which significantly increased the importance for social development in the GDR.

The influence of the artists and the state reactions

In contrast to other resolutions, predominantly written by writers or intellectuals, the actions of the musicians and bands contributed significantly to the popularity of the “New Forum”. Since September 19, numerous musicians have been leaving the appropriate explanations at their concerts or distributed them to the audience. These actions showed how strong thesocial movement was carried by the cultural scene. Despite the state security attempts to intimidate the musicians, concerts were canceled or the technology was restricted, even power cuts were attempted, but all these measures were unsuccessful. The artists were not intimidated and continued their actions. The rejection of an associationGermany was also visible in this context, since social currents became openly visible that rejected or critically accompanied a quick union. From about September 25, a flood of resolutions and calls began throughout the country. It quickly captured all regions, social groups, institutions and companies. the most importantInitiatives came from the “New Forum”, “Democratic Awakening”, “Democracy Now”, the Social Democratic Party (SDP), the “United Left” and the “Rock Musicians”. These groups were the main multipliers that drove and strengthened the social movement. Their activities led to a broad social platform being developed within a short time, whichincreased the pressure on government and made the demand for reforms ever louder. The broad support from the cultural scene made a significant contribution to further strengthening the movement and increasing social pressure on the government. Despite the state’s attempts to intimidate, the artists and activists stuck to their actions and helped toto make social demands even more visible. Their presence at concerts, in churches and at public events made it clear that the social movement in the GDR in September 1989 had become a strong force that could hardly be stopped.

The reactions of the churches and the escalation of repression

In the course of September 1989, the churches in the GDR increasingly spoke out in favor of reforms. The Association of Evangelical Churches called for clear changes and an opening of society to channel social pressure. As the protest movement expanded, state repression also intensified, especially in Leipzig after September 11th.Unlike before, when the arrested were released within a short time, some were actually held, received formal arrest warrants and spent a long time in prison. In addition, penalties of over 60,000 marks were imposed, which met both opposition and people who only expressed their wishes for departure. In Leipzig, one was created”Coordination Group for Intercession Demonstrations” who regularly held contact with the Markus community and kept in touch with the social situation. The intercession devotions, which took place almost every day in the churches, served to solidarity with the arrested and public information. The population was informed about the arrests via leaflets and minutes. This network woreto mobilize the population, but also to fuel the fear of an escalation that could cause the government to take even tougher measures. In the Monday prayers in Leipzig, the number of participants almost doubled to around 1800 people. After the prayer in which the pastor reported on the events and showed solidarity with the arrested, most of them left theChurch, but within a short time about 3,000 people flocked to the square, which led to renewed arrests. The police arrested 31 people again, including several who received penal orders. This escalation highlighted the increasing tension between social movements and state repression measures. The “New Forum” applied for the Ministry of the Interior and inSeveral districts allow to organize the opposition legally. An event in the Gethsemane Church became a place where the demand for reform and the support of the opposition movements became openly visible. The government initially assessed the activities as insignificant, but social reality spoke a different language. the moodThe population was characterized by growing displeasure and the desire for change. The various opposition groups and initiatives strive to expand the social base by organizing solidarity actions, collections of signatures and information events throughout the country. The parties involved were always in risks because repression andIntimidation measures increased uncertainty. Nevertheless, the movement remained dynamic and broad, which significantly influenced social changes and increased social pressure on the regime. The social situation was in motion, and people were determined to make their demands for freedom and reform publicly visible, despiteof all risks and repressions.

The increasing demonstrations and public actions

During September and October 1989, the whole country witnessed massive public actions. People flocked to the churches, gathered in the squares and marched through the cities in demonstrations. The Monday demonstrations in Leipzig, where several thousand people met, became a symbol of resistance. For example, on September 25thin the Nikolaikirche between 2000 and 2500 people who had to leave the church due to the overcrowding. Many sang the well-known song “We Shall Overcome” together and demanded freedom. Over the next few days, thousands roamed the streets, called for freedom, chanted slogans like the “New Forum” and showed their solidarity with the demands for reforms. thisDemonstrations became a visible expression of social awakening that no one could stop. The figures for the participants and signatures are only estimates, since hardly anyone could count exactly. Official bodies tended to underestimate the numbers, while oppositional sources often mentioned higher values. This discrepancy is typical of thisTime because the actual participation was hardly exactly measurable. Nevertheless, the figures show that the social movement grew exponentially and the willingness of the population to actively stand up for change became ever stronger. The mood was characterized by hope, courage and a deep insecurity. People were willing to take risks to meet their demands for freedomand make reforms visible. The demonstrations and rallies formed the spiritual and social framework for the events that were to lead the GDR into a new era a few months later, in which society finally wanted to assert the desire for change.