Friedliche Revolution, known as Peaceful Revolution in English, were the 1989 non-violent protests against the East German communist government which led to its demise. The protests’ origins were the Monday’s prayers for peace held in St. Nicholas Church in Leipzig, beginning in 1982 and continue today. Though promoting state atheism. East German authorities did not apparently intervene and the meetings to go ahead without problems, perhaps because the small size seemed unlikely to challenge the regime..
In 1989 the prayers started growing and turned into projects In September, still non-violent, but with an ever-larger number of protesters. However, on October 9 over 70,000 protesters gathered, still a peaceful but on a scale unseen since the 1953 uprising.
The authorities were unprepared for the peaceful protests and lost the initiative when the Stasi did not intervene. One month later, the Berlin Wall came down; one year later, Germany reunified and East Germany ceased to exist.
St. Nicholas Church
The largest church in Leipzig, its building started about 1165 with different architectural styles over the century: Romanesque to Gothic to Baroque to Neoclassical. The church is used by both Protestants and Catholics.
Most interesting – to me – are the columns that rise up and become trees supporting the ceiling; otherwise, the interior is understated, especially when compared to other important churches, such as the Berliner Dom.
Is this church a tourist attraction only for its role in the downfall of the communist regime? Difficult to know, but the idea is not without merit.
Discover Other Important Sites
Maps throughout Leipzig show other important sites in the Peaceful Revolution, as well as the Memorial Museum’s site.
Interesting To Know
The former East Germany has a higher percentage of people identifying themselves as atheist, perhaps the most godless place on Earth. Perhaps due to the East Germany open hostility to religion, but I approve!
Visiting The Church
Open Hours: 10:00am-6:00pm, Monday through Saturday.
[Note: It wasn’t obvious whether the church encouraged people to walk around the church as a tourist attraction or they preferred you to sit, pray, meditate. Hence, my pictures were only from the entrance.]
Tours:
- Church: 5:00pm Tuesday, Thursday and Friday
- Church: 10:00 Saturdays
- Organ: 4:30pm Friday
- Tickets: € 5.00 per person
