This autumn it will be 20 years since the fall of the Berlin Wall.
150,000 people came together in Leipzig on 9th October 2009 to commemorate the Peaceful Revolution of 1989, which had laid the basis for democratic changes and the re-unification of Germany, ended the 'cold war' and changed the world.
The celebrations culminated in the “Festival of Lights 2009”. Following the motto “Aufbruch Leipzig `89” (Dawning of a New Era – Leipzig `89), the route of the historic Monday demonstrations on the inner city ring road – from Nikolaikirchhof square to the former Stasi headquarters in the “Round Corner” building – was artistically remodelled and illuminated.
With light installations, 30 international artists looked back on the events 20 years ago, which only one month later had led to the fall of the Berlin Wall.
In 1989, in Leipzig and other parts of the former East German state, citizens protested in the streets and demanded their basic rights and democracy.
The decisive day in Leipzig was 9th October 1989, when a massive Monday demonstration with 70,000 people took place. The protesters walked peacefully along the inner city ring road and confronted the armed security forces with candles in their hands and chanting “We are the people”.
The demonstrations remained peaceful and spread across all of East Germany. With their courage, determination and non-violent protests Leipzig’s citizens wrote history at the Monday demonstrations.
The pictures of the protests in the autumn of 1989 went around the world.
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