Commemorating the Peaceful Revolution
An important part of commemorating the Peaceful Revolution in the public sphere goes hand-in-hand with creating and designing suitable places of remembrance. Since 1999 the City of Leipzig has kept alive the tradition of the Peaceful Revolution of 1989 in a targeted way by combining an active culture of commemoration with the visible anchoring of this remembrance in the public sphere. Newly created monuments bear witness to the events of the year 1989, above all in the immediate vicinity of the actual locations associated with the Peaceful Revolution and with a direct reference to these locations.
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9th October as Leipzig's day of remembrance
As its most decisive day 9th October marks a key date in the Peaceful Revolution. The peaceful march of 70,000 Leipzig residents together with citizens from the entire region of Middle Germany on the city's inner ring road in spite of the massive threat represented by the forces of the state proved the turning point in the events of the autumn of 1989. For this reason on the occasion of the twentieth anniversary of the Peaceful Resolution in 2009 the City of Leipzig established 9th October as an annual day of remembrance for the city. However, the purpose of this is not to make the process of commemoration just a matter of remembering the past. As the "Day of Freedom" the 9th of October is permanently anchored in the memory of the city and has an important role as the stimulus for activities that look to the future.
Leipzig theses
In the year 2002 the initiative "Day of the Peaceful Revolution – Leipzig 9th October 1989“ published its "Leipzig theses".
These call for a fundamental discussion of Germany's two totalitarian dictatorships and represent the opinion that both the country's constitution and the Peaceful Revolution are part of the historic "master narratives" of the German people and have made a major contribution to the political consciousness of the Federal Republic.
9th October in Leipzig since 1990
In the immediate years after the Peaceful Revolution of 1989 the people of Leipzig began to celebrate the events of 9th October in a number of ways, such as the traditional Prayer for Peace in St Nicholas’s Church, public rallies on Augustusplatz Square, street music, citizens' forums, concerts and the opening of the town hall to the public.
It is the declared aim of the City of Leipzig to increase the focus on the "Peaceful Revolution of 1989" and to highlight the occasion. At the same time the "Day of the Peaceful Revolution" is to become a clearly identifiable message within the city's marketing operations.
Permanently anchoring its remembrance within the public sphere is the basic requirement for the continuous maintenance and presentation of the heritage of the Peaceful Revolution in Leipzig as something which goes beyond the "Day of Remembrance" and the immediate activities associated with it.
9th October in Leipzig since 1990
In the immediate years after the Peaceful Revolution of 1989 the people of Leipzig began to celebrate the events of 9th October in a number of ways, such as the traditional Prayer for Peace in St Nicholas’s Church, public rallies on Augustusplatz Square, street music, citizens' forums, concerts and the opening of the town hall to the public.
It is the declared aim of the City of Leipzig to increase the focus on the "Peaceful Revolution of 1989" and to highlight the occasion. At the same time the "Day of the Peaceful Revolution" is to become a clearly identifiable message within the city's marketing operations.
Permanently anchoring its remembrance within the public sphere is the basic requirement for the continuous maintenance and presentation of the heritage of the Peaceful Revolution in Leipzig as something which goes beyond the "Day of Remembrance" and the immediate activities associated with it.
Focus and organisational structure
Today the focus of remembrance is particularly on 9th October as the "Day of the Peaceful Revolution" in Leipzig. A visible indication of this focus is the change in the presentation of the commemorative events. The traditional slogan of "Marching towards Democracy" is now always accompanied by the words "Day of the Peaceful Revolution – Leipzig 9th October"
Since 2003 the planning, organisation and coordination of the commemorative events has been the responsibility of the "Day of the Peaceful Revolution – Leipzig 9th October 1989" initiative, which regards its role as keeping alive the memory of the Peaceful Revolution and in particular the role played in it by the City of Leipzig. The initiative is accordingly the driving force behind the vital process of commemorating the years 1989/90 as a decisive landmark in German history and one which is of international significance.
In line with that historic day the initiative aims to tackle the challenges which our society faces today, and to send encouraging signals with regard to shaping the future. The members of the initiative consist of citizens of Leipzig and organisations, institutions, museums and other facilities which have a direct link to the autumn of 1989. The initiative is supported by the City of Leipzig and Leipzig Tourism and Marketing Agency.