Excerpts from “Revolution Revisited”
“Revolution Revisited: Behind the Scenes in East Germany, 1989, tells the inspiring story of this small group of activists who mobilized the movement for democratic reforms, brought down the East German state, and changed the world. The book focuses on one year—1989—in one city—Leipzig, East Germany. By the end of the year, the group-initiated nonviolent demonstrations had prevailed. Erich Mielke, head of the infamous East German security police, the Stasi, later commented, ‘We were prepared for everything except candles and prayers.’
“In fall 1989, millions of television viewers watched night after night, transfixed, as the people took to the streets in East Germany. Few could imagine the momentous events that would change the course of world history before the year’s end. On November 9, 1989, the Berlin Wall fell, and East Germans streamed into West Berlin and West Germany. The world had changed.”
“Monday after Monday the number of demonstrators grew—hundreds, then thousands, later tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands of peaceful demonstrators taking part in candlelight vigils, carrying banners demanding free elections, free assembly, free speech. Proclaiming ‘We are the people!’ and demanding nonviolent change.”
“The demonstrations quickly spread throughout East Germany—to Dresden, Karl-Marx-Stadt, Berlin, Plauen, Erfurt, Jena, Weimar, Wittenberg—by the end of October reaching more than 160 East German cities and towns. These popular uprisings climaxed with massive demonstrations on November 4 in Berlin involving one million participants and on November 6 in Leipzig, a city of 500,000 people, with 500,000 demonstrators. Three days later, the Berlin Wall fell.”
“The city’s design almost encouraged demonstrations, however. Streets from every part of town led to the city center, like spokes on a wheel, and Leipzig’s central ring, a series of connecting boulevards, surrounded the central city. Potential demonstrators from Leipzig could reach the center quite easily by foot, bicycle, auto, or inexpensive public transportation—no matter where they lived.”