Leipzig in the beginning: The way from the peace prayer to mass mobilization in the GDR

The events in Leipzig between 1987 and 1989 mark a decisive section in the resistance against the GDR dictatorship and were groundbreaking for the course of the peaceful revolution. While in the late 1970s, peace prayers in Leipzig, as in many other cities in the GDR, began primarily as religious gatherings, they developed over the yearsincreasingly important platforms for social and political protests. From 1987, the first opposition groups formed in Leipzig, which were not only active in the churches, but also publicly advocated changes, organized protest actions and thus laid the foundations for the upcoming upheaval. The combination of religious engagement, growing displeasure andSocial mobilization eventually led to Leipzig becoming one of the most important centers of the peaceful revolution in autumn 1989. This period was characterized by tensions, conflicts and a steady exacerbation of the situation, which ultimately led to the fall of the Berlin Wall and the opening of the GDR.

The Development of Peace Prayers in Leipzig: From religious prayer to the political forum

Since the late 1970s, peace prayers have established themselves in Leipzig and other cities in the GDR as a form of silent religious meditation. These prayer events, originally intended to pray for world peace, increasingly became public expressions of social resistance. The Nikolaikir Church in Leipzig was a central place where thisprayers took place and they were open to all citizens. The organization was in the hands of the so-called “Solidarity Church” and various base groups who acted independently and independently. The prayer evenings have long been more than just religious gatherings; They became a place of exchange, discussion and political engagement. The participants used theOpportunity to articulate their dissatisfaction with political conditions, and prayers were repeatedly accompanied by protest actions that attracted public attention.

A historical turning point in GDR history

After the dramatic events in Berlin in January 1988, in which thousands of people took to the streets, the Peace Prayers in Leipzig experienced a real wave of incoming arrivals. Those willing to leave the country in particular, who wanted to leave the GDR, flocked to the prayer events, which intensified the importance of prayers as a protest instrument. The prayer evenings developedto a gathering point for everyone who called for changes. After the prayer meetings and discussions, there were always public demonstrations in Leipzig and other cities, including Schwerin, Dresden, Zwickau, Bautzen, Erfurt, Stralsund, Pasewalk, Jena and many more. The commitment was wide-ranging and showed how deep the desire for reforms in the populationwas rooted in the . In Leipzig itself, the engagement in 1988 was visible through numerous demonstrations. Especially in spring and summer, meetings took place regularly on Mondays, where the people in the Nikolaikirche prayed, gathered on the church forecourt or made their demands loud in small groups. On March 14, 1988, a special action was carried out:After a peace prayer with 800 to 900 participants in the Nikolaikirche, a silent demonstration of around 100 to 120 people formed, who moved to the Thomaskirche. The participants formed a circle on the church forecourt, in order to then return to the Nikolaikirche in a closed manner. The action was prepared by the “Solidarity Church” and caused a stir in the eveningthe media. The images of this demonstration were shown in the news programs of ARD and ZDF and helped to increase the pressure on the government.

Tensions and conflicts over control of peace prayers

Despite the public support and the increasing participation in the peace prayers, the initiatives met with resistance from the church leadership and state power. The Church was not enthusiastic about the dedication of her peace prayers into a political protest instrument. Although the Nikolaikirche has been open to everyone since 1986 and there were discussion groups that promoted the exchange,the politicization of prayers was viewed critically by many. In particular, the connection between those willing to leave the country and those opposition who wanted to change society together went too far within the church. In order to regain control, Superintendent Friedrich Magirius decided that in the future the peace prayers would no longer be prepared independently by the groups andwere allowed to be organized. In August 1988, the affected groups were officially informed that they should only play a minor role in the future. Since the spring of 1988, there have been arguments about the design of the peace prayers. The meeting on June 27, 1988 became a symbol of these conflicts, because the collective collection on this evening was used to create a highto pay fines of several thousand marks. Jürgen Tallig had to pay this penalty because in February 1988 he had put up a quote from Gorbachev in a pedestrian tunnel: “We need democracy like the air to breathe.” The authorities’ reaction showed how much pressure on the opposition groups was getting. State security increased its surveillance, and thePressure on the church leadership intensified. Pastor Christian Führer, the long-time supporter of the Peace Prayer, was replaced by Pastor Christoph Wonneberger to control the organization. After the summer break, the peace prayers continued again from August 29, 1988. But the tensions remained high. At the events there were several demonstrations, whereParticipants with mouth pads wore “banning on speech”. On October 24, 1988, several members of the groups demonstrated with banners directed against the restriction of peace prayers and the social ailments in general. These conflicts helped the opposition to take their protests to the streets even more specifically to make their demands more visible.

The first anniversary of the Berlin events: Call for a memorial demonstration

In January 1989, a year after the dramatic events in Berlin, a joint initiative of various opposition groups was established in Leipzig. The “Initiative for the Democratic Renewal of Society”, an association of various Leipzig groups, called for a memorial demonstration to commemorate the murdered leaders Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht. The goal wasto stand up for the basic freedom rights: freedom of expression, freedom of assembly, freedom of the press – and at the same time to protest against the ban on the magazine “Sputnik” and against the censorship of critical Soviet films. The appeal was spread with great commitment. It was planned to start the demonstration on January 15, 1989 at 4 p.m. at the market in front of the Old Town Hall.From there, a march to the Memorial for Liebknecht and Luxembourg was to take place in silence. According to their own statements, the groups printed around 10,000 leaflets, of which 6,000 to 7,000 had already been distributed by January 12th. The preparations were in full swing, but the police became aware of the action through a denunciation. A man who worked as IM for the MfS,Observed two leaflet distributors and called the police. Within a short time, eleven people were arrested, numerous leaflets were confiscated and the distribution disturbed.

Despite the tension, the mood remained calm

Despite the repression, around 150 to 200 people gathered in Leipzig on January 15, 1989. Fred Kowasch gave a short speech in which he announced the arrests. After that, the participants silently moved through the city center and other people spontaneously joined. In total, there were between 300 and 500 participants who demonstrated peacefully and disciplined. Despite theThe mood remained calm, and the participants followed the rules, waiting for green phases at the traffic lights to avoid risking any provocations. The police disbanded the demonstration and temporarily arrested 53 people. By the evening everyone was released. The arrested were later released, but the events showed how much the fear of the population was andHow courageous individuals found the courage to stand up against the regime. Honecker himself ordered that he take action more closely in the future in order to prevent situations similar to those in the previous year. The solidarity with those arrested was great: Intercessionary devotions were held in various cities, and Western media reported continuously. also the international actors, such as US Secretary of StateShultz and Federal Foreign Minister Genscher, demanded the demonstrators’ release and signed important diplomatic documents. The Leipzig events thus gained a cross-state importance, which even those responsible had hardly foreseen. Mielke ordered to take action against demonstrations even faster and harder in the future to keep control.

The increasing mobilization and the escalation in 1989

In the spring of 1989 the situation continued to worsen. On March 13, around 300 people demonstrated in the city center for the right to leave the country and freedom of travel, chanted “Stasi out!” and called for reforms. The security forces were hardly able to intervene because the Leipzig Spring Fair, where tens of thousands of visitors and numerous media representatives were present, was running at the same time. The reportingIn the media, the protests beyond Leipzig also contributed to the fact. In the evening, ARD and ZDF showed detailed reports that made the situation in the GDR visible. Not only the demonstrations increased, but also the dispute over the organization of the peace prayers. In early 1989, the church council decided in February that the groups would resume the Monday prayerscould organize independently. However, this decision led to heated discussions within the church. Conservative and loyal pastors in particular protested against the increasing politicization of the events. Bishop Hempel tried to find a solution and suggested calling the prayers “Monday prayers” in order to preserve the religious character. towardSeveral meetings in May 1989 finally reached an agreement: The peace prayers should be designed independently by the groups again, but under a new name.

Leipzig – the symbol of resistance on the way to autumn

These developments were just the beginning of an even more dynamic phase of the opposition. The internal church conflicts, the growing number of demonstrations and the increasing willingness of the population to openly oppose the government laid the foundation for the mass protests in autumn 1989. Leipzig developed into a central place of resistance, and the peace prayersbecame a symbol of peaceful upheaval. The events in Leipzig were a clear sign that the GDR was on a path that could no longer stop it – a path that finally led to the fall of the Wall and German reunification.