Alexanderplatz demonstration
Alexanderplatz demonstration | |
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Part of the Peaceful Revolution | |
Date | 4 November 1989 |
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The Alexanderplatz demonstration (German: Alexanderplatz-Demonstration) was a demonstration for political reforms and against the government of the
Background and preparations
In early October 1989, East German authorities celebrated the 40th anniversary of the
The Alexanderplatz demonstration was the first officially permitted demonstration in East Germany that was organized by individuals and not by the authorities. The first idea for a demonstration on the Alexanderplatz in the center of the capital of East Germany came from actors and employees of theaters in East Berlin, who had been struck by the assaults on peaceful protesters by the Volkspolizei and the Stasi during the celebrations of the 40th anniversary of East Germany on 7 October 1989.[3] On 15 October 1989 at 11 am, an assembly of actors and employees of theaters in East Berlin met at the Deutsches Theater and decided to hold a demonstration for democratization and against the East German government. It was not the first meeting as on 7 October, the 40th anniversary of the German Democratic Republic, actors of the Volksbühne had invited their colleagues to discuss the political situation.[4] The application for a permit to hold a demonstration was submitted two days later to the authorities by Wolfgang Holz of the Berliner Ensemble.[5] The application was met with confusion by the SED and Stasi who could not decide whether to ban, allow or subvert the planned demonstration. After long deliberations the authorities decided on 26 October to permit the demonstration. A list of speakers was prepared by the organizers, including representatives of the regime, members of the opposition and artists.[3] After having permitted the demonstration authorities tried to subvert the demonstration by spreading rumors – rumors such as that the Friedrichshain hospital is scheduling extra shifts for their doctors, that the German Reichsbahn will transport agent provocateur to Berlin or that the protesters are planning to march toward the Brandenburg Gate at the Berlin Wall. At the same time the organizers hired marshals who would wear a yellow sash with the words "No violence!".[6]
Demonstration
On 4 November 1989 the demonstration started at 9:30 with a protest march to
The opening speeches were given by
When I saw that his hands were trembling because the people were booing I said to Jens Reich: We can go now, now it is all over. The revolution is irreversible."[7]
The speakers were, in order of appearance: lawyer Gregor Gysi, Marianne Birthler of the opposition group Initiative for Peace and Human Rights, Markus Wolf, Jens Reich of the opposition group New Forum, LDPD politician Manfred Gerlach, actor Ekkehard Schall, SED Politburo member Günter Schabowski, writer Stefan Heym, theologian and dissident Friedrich Schorlemmer, writer Christa Wolf, actor Tobias Langhoff, film director Joachim Tschirner, dramatist Heiner Müller, university rector Lothar Bisky, university student Ronald Freytag, writer Christoph Hein, Hungarian student Robert Juhoras, and actress Steffie Spira.[4][8]
Banners
The most often and commonly used protest slogan of the Monday demonstrations as well as the Alexanderplatz demonstration was "We are the people" (German: Wir sind das Volk) which became "We are one people" (German: Wir sind ein Volk) after the
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Commemorations
In early 1990 banners of the demonstration were used to decorate and cover the exhibits of the by then politically outdated permanent exhibition "Socialist mother country GDR" at the
Notes
- A^ : The number of participants differs across sources. Initially media reported numbers of around 500,000, as for example did The New York Times[10] or numbers of one million as for example did Die Zeit.[11] Later the organizers claimed one million participants, estimated from aerial photographs.[4] Other sources such as the historian Karsten Timmer mention only half a million protesters.[3] Irrespective of the exact number of protesters most sources agree that this was the largest demonstration in the history of East Germany, with some sources even claiming that it was the largest demonstration in German history.[12] A contrary viewpoint is held by the historian Ilko-Sascha Kowalczuk, who estimates that at most 200,000 protesters participated. His estimate is based on four person per square meter and the fact that the Alexanderplatz has an area of 50,000m^2, the limited capacity of public transport in East Berlin and the incentives of the organizers, the media and other groups to exaggerate the number of participants to increase the pressure on the ruling party.[8]
- B^ : The pamphlet reads: "Information by the association of theater workers. Demonstration against violence and for constitutionally guaranteed rights (Demonstration is officially registered) Time: 4 November 1989 10:00 am. Meeting point: ADN-building (Mollstrasse/Prenzlauer Allee) Banners are welcome."
References
- ISBN 978-0-7881-8179-5.
- ISBN 978-0-8133-8125-1.
- ^ ISBN 978-3-525-35925-9.
- ^ a b c d e "In guter Verfassung (4. November 1989. Berlin/Alexanderplatz)". DHM-Magazin (in German). 11. Deutsches Historisches Museum: 1–24. Fall 1994. Retrieved 10 November 2009.
- ^ Heinke, Lothar (3 November 2009). "Das Ende der Angst" (in German). Der Tagesspiegel. Archived from the original on 6 November 2009. Retrieved 10 November 2009.
- ^ "Bühne der Freiheit". Der Tagesspiegel (in German). 4 November 2009. Archived from the original on 8 November 2009. Retrieved 10 November 2009.
- ^ Steingart, Gabor; Ulrich Schwarz (7 November 1994). "Wir waren abgedriftet" (in German). Der Spiegel. pp. 40A. Retrieved 9 November 2009. (German: Als ich sah, daß seine Hände zitterten, weil die Leute gepfiffen haben, da sagte ich zu Jens Reich: So, jetzt können wir gehen, jetzt ist alles gelaufen. Die Revolution ist unumkehrbar.)
- ^ ISBN 978-3-406-58357-5.
- ^ Flierl, Thomas (1999). "Wir waren das Volk" (in German). Bezirksamtes Mitte von Berlin. Retrieved 9 November 2009.
- ^ Schmemann, Serge (5 November 1989). "500,000 in East Berlin rally for Change". The New York Times. Retrieved 10 November 2009.
- ^ Schmidt, Helmut (10 November 1989). "Ein Aufstand gegen Zwang und Lüge" (in German). Die Zeit. Archived from the original on 21 October 2008. Retrieved 10 November 2009.
- ^ Cammann, Alexander (April 2008). "1929–1989. Eine Revolution frisst einen Jahrgang". Magazin der Kulturstiftung des Bundes (in German). 11. Kulturstiftung des Bundes. Archived from the original on 11 November 2009.
External links
- (in German) Exhibition on the Alexanderplatz demonstration at the Deutsches Historisches Museum