What were the causes of the fall of the wall?
- Turn in extra credit papers; drafts ready 2pm
- Chronological handout: apply EIEIO
EIEIO Model of Causes in History
Rosa Luxemburg: 1918; 1/17/88 (follow-up from last time)
- "Freedom is always
alsothe freedom of those with dissenting opinions." - marginal note in 1918 manuscript: 'Freedom only for the supporters
of the government, only for the members of a political party - no matter
how numerous they may be - is not freedom. Freedom is always the freedom
of those who think differently." ["Freiheit nur für die Anhänger
der Regierung, nur für die Mitglieder einer Partei - mögen
sie noch so zahlreich sein - ist keine Freiheit. Freiheit ist immer
Freiheit des Andersdenkenden."]
http://www.marxists.org/deutsch/archiv/luxemburg/1918/russrev/teil4.htm#nc - East German state: "Freedom is the insight into necessity"
Jan./Feb. 1988
May-Oct. 1989
maps
6 October 1989 demands
- free access to information
- open political discussion
- freedom of thought and creativity
- right to maintain pluralist ideology
- right to dissent
- right to travel freely
- right to exert influence on government authorities
- right to reexamine our beliefs [not to adhere rigidly to doctrine]
- we the people demand the right to voice opinions in affairs of state
Leipzig="periphery",
numbers at Monday demonstrations:
- Sept 4: 100s
- Sep 25: 8000
- Oct. 2: 10,000-25,000
- Oct. 9: 50,000
- Oct 16: 100,000
- Oct 23: 250,000
- Oct 30: 500,000
- Nov. 4: 750,000-1 mio. (B.)
- Nov. 6: 500,000
Leipzig, Oct. 9
Leipzig, Oct. 1989
Berlin, Nov. 4
Nov.
4, 1989 "artists' demonstration," slogans:
- Against monopoly socialism -- for democratic socialism
- Revolutions are holidays for the people
- Skepticism is a citizen's first obligation
- Stepping down is a step forward
(Rücktritt ist Fortschritt) - Reforms, but unlimited
(unbekrenzt, a pun on Egon Krenz) - Those who don't move, don't feel their chains
- No power for anybody!
Privileges for All! - To go is silver, to stay is gold
Stefan
Heym on Nov. 4
"... it is as if one pushed open the window after all the years of stagnation --spiritual, economic, and political-- the years of dullness and mustiness, of phrasemongering and bureaucratic arbitrariness, of official blindness and deafness. [...] Someone wrote me - and the man is right: In the past weeks we have overcome our speechlessness, and we are now in the process of learning to walk upright."
Christa Wolf on Nov. 4
"The
'people of the state of the GDR' have hit the street in order to identify
themselves as a 'people'. And for me, this is the most important sentence
of these past weeks - the thousandfold cry: We - are - the - people! A
simple statement. We don't want to forget it."
Neuruppin, Nov. 28
Stasi Principles
- Every person is a potential security risk
- Know everything in order to be secure
- Security has precedence over law