In October 1989, 70,000 East Germans took to Leipzig’s streets, demanding freedom. Amid mounting tension, the "Leipzig Six" issued a call for calm, setting the stage for the fall of the Berlin Wall. Revisit that pivotal moment, and hear from those whose voices, courage, and sacrifice were behind a peaceful revolution that transformed a nation.

On October 9, 1989, Leipzig stood on the brink - Ten’s of thousands of people were again preparing to take to the streets of Leipzig in protest of the absolute authority of the state.

Six influential figures—later known as the "Leipzig Six"—assembled at a local radio station with a crucial message.

Among them was Kurt Masur, a respected conductor, who called for calm.

The regime’s restraint that night marked a turning point that would, just weeks later, lead to the fall of the Berlin Wall.

In this episode we trace the path to this moment.

I think we all realized this is it now! We had enough we are speaking up.... We knew that we can change this here and now.

Beate Olbrich

With voices from historians, pastors, activists, and witnesses, we delve into the grassroots movement that ignited Leipzig’s protests and spurred the German Democratic Republic’s collapse.

We hear from citizens whose lives were forever changed by the revolution, who reflect on the wall’s fall and the dream of freedom that fueled it.

LISTEN TO

Leipzig 1989: Der Protest, der Geschichte schrieb

SBS German

07/11/202430:02

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Credits:

Executive Producer: Benjamin Kanthak

Sound design and Mix: Max Gosford

SBS Audio: Joel Supple, Max Gosford, Maram Ismail

Interviews: Hanno Hochmuth (Leibniz Centre For Contemporary History Potsdam), Christoph Wonneberger, Mathias Burbach, Olaf Kretzschmar, Beate Olbrich, Ilona Prindable & Ilka Stephenson

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