| 1985 |
| Election of Gorbachev as secretary general of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union
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| 1986 | 8 June:
| GDR parliamentary elections: 99.74% turnout, 99.94% for National Front parties.
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| 1987 | 7 June:
| GDR police clash with youths wanting to hear rock concert near wall
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| 9 June:
| 3000 demonstrate in E. Berlin for demolition of wall, in support of Gorbatchev.
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| 7 Sept:
| Honecker in West Germany, agreement to promote exchange of experts
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| 12 Oct:
| broad amnesty: 24,612 prisoners released; 1 Nov. easing of import restrictions
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| 1988 | 17 Jan:
| 100 arrested during official commemoration of Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht's murders; members of E. Berlin Church of Zion protest restrictions on speech and travel. Face charges or emigrate.
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| Dec:
| Sputnik, popular Soviet news magazine, banned in GDR
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| 1989 | 15 Jan:
| 80 arrested in Leipzig while demonstrating for freedom of expression during commemoration of Lux-Lieb. murders. "Freedom is always only the freedom of those with dissenting opinions."
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| 2 May:
| Hungary begins demolition of fences at Austrian border
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| 17 May:
| 98.85% reported voting for National Front candidates at local elections.
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| | Widespread allegations of fraud by opposition and church leaders monitoring elections.
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| 5 June:
| Neues Deutschland (SED newspaper) defends massacre at Tiananmen Square in China
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| 15 July:
| first reports of GDR citizens taking refuge in W. German embassies in Budapest, Prague, E. Berlin
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| 13 Aug:
| W. German embassy in Budapest closed (181 sought sanctuary there)
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| 19 Aug:
| During a Pan-European picnic in Hungary several hundred GDR citizens lift barrier and cross over
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| - |
26 Aug: | Initiative for Social-Democratic Organization started at human rights seminar
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| 4 Sept:
| Hundreds demonstrate in Leipzig for freedom of travel
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| 7 Sept:
| 80 arrested in E. Berlin in demo against election fraud
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| 10 Sept:
| First call for public reforms by New Forum
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| 11 Sept:
| Hungary voids agreement with GDR to enforce visa restrictions of GDR citizens; in 3 days ca. 15,000 GDR citizens cross to West; New Forum "founded" (Havemann, Bohley, Reich)
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| 18 Sept:
| 100 people arrested at Leipzig demonstration
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| 24 Sept:
| 80 representatives of various reform groups meet in Leipzig
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| |
25 Sept: | ca. 8,000 demonstrate in Leipzig (for legalization of New Forum, freedom to travel); 12 arrests
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| 2 Oct:
| police break up Leipzig demonstration of 10,000-25,000 persons; 3 Oct: visas for Czech.
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| 4 Oct:
| train on way to W. Germany with GDR emigres from Prague stormed by 3,000 Dresden residents; violent clashes with security forces; trains sealed
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| 7 Oct:
| Gorbachev arrives in E. Berlin for 40th anniversary celebration, suggests change (quote on back)
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| | Mass protests suppressed by police with mass arrests.
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| - |
9 Oct: | Mass demonstrations in Leipzig, police do not intervene
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| 16 Oct:
| over 100,000 demonstrate in Leipzig, 10,000 in Dresden. Police do nothing
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| 24 Oct:
| Egon Krenz succeeds Honecker, meets w/ New Forum leaders on 26 Oct.
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| 27 Oct:
| Travel to Czechoslovakia w/o visa possible again
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| 1 Nov:
| Krenz meets w/ Gorbatchev, says unif. of Germany is not "on the agenda of history"
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| 4 Nov:
| Demonstration of 1 million in Berlin organized by Union of Artists; for freedom of expression, travel, association, and free elections. Criticism of SED; Stefan Heym, Christa Wolf speak.
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| - |
9 Nov: | border to W. Berlin is opened, tens of thousands cross
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| 20 Nov:
| demonstrations in many cities against leading role of SED, Krenz meets with W. German officials
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| 28 Nov:
| Kohl releases 10-point plan for new all-German structure, a "confederation leading to a federation"
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| 3 Dec:
| Party Central Committee, Politburo, General Secretary Krenz resign
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| 7 Dec:
| Gov't and opposition parties meet at Round Table; demand dissolution of Stasi and elections in May
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| 8 Dec:
| Extraordinary SED Congress elects Gregor Gysi chair, Modrow and Berghofer vice-chairmen.
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| 19 Dec:
| Kohl in Dresden, agrees with Modrow to form a "contractual community"
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31 Dec: | New Year's celebration at Brandenburg Gate: now primarily demand for unification
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