Plauen 1989: Courageous citizens face the regime and change everything!

Plauen 1989: Courageous citizens face the regime and change everything!

on October 7, 1989, a fateful day in the history of the GDR, gathered between 10,000 and 15,000 people on the streets in Plauen to protest against the overwhelming regime. It was the first big demonstration in the GDR and thus a sign of the beginning change. This was particularly noteworthy, since many of the population brought the courage to show themselves despite the brutal repression of the authorities. According to Coolis this was the greatest demonstration in Plauen since the uprising in June 1953.

The mood in the city was tense. On the same day, the People's Police received the order to act against the peaceful by force. It was not an easy decision because the security forces had their own concerns. The military director of the volunteer fire brigade, Gerold Knie, and the head of the professional fire brigade initially refused to carry out this command. Nevertheless, the police leadership took command and granted the command, which endangered the health security of many citizens. The next day, knees and four other firefighters wrote a protest letter to the city council in which they denounced the problem.

uprisings and first steps to freedom

October 7th was not the first expression of resistance in the region. Election observers in the municipal elections documented massive elections as early as May 1989. The dissatisfaction grew. On October 4th and 5th, trains with embassy refugees from Prague rolled through Plauen; The city was already tense and the train station was sealed off. These events clearly show that the citizens no longer wanted to hold their displeasure back.

The Plauen New Forum, an organization that campaigned for changes in the GDR, should be founded on October 5, instead a peace prayer was held. Historical banners with demands such as "freedom of travel - freedom of expression - freedom of the press" adorned the demonstration trains. However, the participants were not simply chased away. The police tried in vain to dissolve the masses with water cannons and a helicopter. People remained steadfast and remained peaceful, although the state organs trouble to keep control.

The legacy of Plauen

The protests that started in Plauen were pioneering for the entire GDR. Numerous other reports, such as the WikipediaSeite , that the city is considered the pioneer of the fall of the wall. From October 7, 1989, demonstrations in Plauen took place every Saturday, in which people also took part in the surrounding area on March 18, 1990. Stasi centers and SED district offices were often passed, which further increased the pressure on the government.

Traditionally revolutionary events in the GDR, like the first Monday demonstration in Leipzig on September 4, 1989, were part of a greater resistance. Without these protests, the peaceful end of the regime in the GDR might not have been possible. While people in Leipzig and other cities asked for reforms and democratization, the demonstrators in Plauen were just as convinced that a change was necessary. This was finally confirmed on November 9, 1989, the day of the fall of the Berlin Wall.

The turning point was a collective work of the courage of individuals who were committed to their beliefs. With the establishment of a turning monument on October 7, 2010, this legacy was recognized, and the memories of these significant days continue to live. The peaceful revolution in Plauen remains an encouraging example of the courage to change and the unconditional belief in freedom, as well as the Federal Center for Political Education