In which year did the Peaceful Revolution take place?
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1989
It was remarkably free of violence.
💡 Did you know? Within a year it led to German unity.
All questions with answers
In which state did the Peaceful Revolution take place?
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In East Germany
East Germany was the socialist part of Germany.
💡 Did you know? It belonged to the Eastern bloc under Soviet leadership.
Which weekly protests drove the revolution?
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The Monday demonstrations
Each Monday more people took to the streets.
💡 Did you know? From thousands grew hundreds of thousands of demonstrators.
In which city did the great Monday demos begin?
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Leipzig
Leipzig is seen as the “city of heroes” of the revolution.
💡 Did you know? The starting point was peace prayers in the Nikolaikirche.
Which chant became the motto of the protests?
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We are the people
With it people demanded a say.
💡 Did you know? Later it became “We are one people”: the call for unity.
Which chant later followed “We are the people”?
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We are one people
The call for freedom became the call for unity.
💡 Did you know? It expressed the wish for German reunification.
Which event on 9 November 1989 crowned the revolution?
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The fall of the Berlin Wall
The border between East and West opened.
💡 Did you know? A confusing press conference triggered the rush.
Why is it called the “peaceful” revolution?
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It happened without violence
“No violence!” the demonstrators chanted.
💡 Did you know? Bloodshed like elsewhere was avoided.
Which East German head of state resigned in 1989?
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Erich Honecker
The long-time ruler had to step down.
💡 Did you know? Shortly before he had still celebrated the Wall's anniversary.
Which church in Leipzig was a centre of the protests?
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The Nikolaikirche
The Monday peace prayers took place there.
💡 Did you know? From the church people moved onto the streets.
How did the mass exodus from East Germany begin?
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Hungary opened its border
Thousands fled to the West via Hungary and Austria.
💡 Did you know? The “Iron Curtain” thus got its first hole.
Into which embassy did East Germans flee (Genscher's speech)?
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The German embassy in Prague
Foreign Minister Genscher announced their departure there.
💡 Did you know? The cheering drowned out the end of his famous sentence.
Which rule ended with the revolution?
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The SED's rule
The state party lost its monopoly on power.
💡 Did you know? East Germany became democratic for a short time.
What was the East German secret service called?
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The Stasi
It kept the citizens under blanket surveillance.
💡 Did you know? Demonstrators later occupied its headquarters.
Which negotiating body prepared the transition?
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The Round Table
Government and civil movement sat at one table.
💡 Did you know? This paved the way to free elections.
Which first free elections took place in 1990?
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The free Volkskammer election
For the first time East Germans could vote freely.
💡 Did you know? The majority voted for a swift unity.
Which Soviet reformer made the change possible?
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Mikhail Gorbachev
He no longer had uprisings in the Eastern bloc crushed.
💡 Did you know? “Those who come too late are punished by life”, he is said to have remarked.
What followed in 1990 as a result of the revolution?
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German reunification
Two German states became one again.
💡 Did you know? 3 October has since been the Day of German Unity.
On which day was Germany reunified?
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3 October 1990
East Germany joined the Federal Republic.
💡 Did you know? The day has since been a public holiday.
Which global conflict did the revolution help end?
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The Cold War
With the end of division the East-West confrontation ended.
💡 Did you know? In 1991 the Soviet Union also fell apart.
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