A monument to the Peaceful Revolution of ’89 – but why?
Because it is an indispensable part of the European and German culture of remembrance.
The Peaceful Revolution, taking place during the fall of 1989, was a unique event in German history. It was not violence that led to the fall of the SED dictatorship, but civil courage of demonstrators throughout the former GDR. Together with the developments in Central and Eastern Europe, the Peaceful Revolution paved the way to overcome the division of Europe making German unification possible.
Why in Leipzig
The success of the Peaceful Revolution was determined in Leipzig
The Peaceful Revolution took place in the midst of variety of favorable political developments in Europe. There were a multitude of participants and it went through several stages. However, there was one distinct and decisive moment: the Leipzig Monday Demonstration on October 9, 1989, which is said to have been the turning point for the entire further development.
This magical moment of freedom, with its consequences for all of Germany, deserves to be honored with an appropriate sign. And what town could be better suited for this than Leipzig? Symbols like the one planned, provide opportunities to actively remember, feel and trigger thought processes.
Non-violence, civil courage and solidarity: through the visualization of memories, the experiences and values of the Peaceful Revolution can actively be transported into our present and our future.
On December 4, 2008, the German Bundestag the federal government "to join forces with Freistaat Sachsen and the the city of Leipzig in paying appropriate tribute to the contribution of the citizens of this city to the Peaceful Revolution." With its resolution of June 17, 2009, the City Council of Leipzig accepted this mandate and began initial planning for implementation. However this first attempt at implementation was abandoned in 2014 before producing a conclusive result. more
Toward the end of 2017, Leipzig City Council commissioned the Peaceful Revolution Foundation to develop a new procedural proposal for a monument. On the basis of this proposal, Leipzig City Council decided in its meeting on September 15, 2021, to again commission Lord Mayor Burkhard Jung with the participation process for a Freedom and Unity Monument in Leipzig.
This process is to be implemented by the Peaceful Revolution Foundation as a representative of civil society. The goal is to realize the proceedings in an open and transparent manner, as well as with broad participation of citizens.
This website accompanies the process, providing current information and offers for participation.
Project Manager: the Peaceful Revolution Foundation
On the 20th anniversary of October 9, 1989, citizens from East and West, church people and peace activists founded in Leipzig in 2009 the Foundation Peaceful Revolution .
Founding director Christian Führer "We don't want to put the Peaceful Revolution in a museum, we want to go further and encourage action in the present. The Peaceful Revolution has to go further and also include the economy.“
The foundation aims to transfer the fundamental values of the people who stood up for peaceful change in the churches and on the streets in 1989 into the present day.
Sponsored by
This measure is co-financed with tax money on the basis of the fiscal budget determined by the Saxon federal state parliament
A project of the Foundation Peaceful Revolution