Though prayers for peace have been said every Monday for a long time at Leipzig’s St. Nicholas Church, the Monument for Peaceful Revolution outside commemorates one Monday in particular. On October 9, 1989, the crowds became too big to fit inside the church. The prayer session turned into a mass demonstration as Leipzigers filled the street to protest the repressive regime of the GDR and demand change. Stand outside the church today, where the monument stands, to feel the energy that set off a chain reaction that would bring down the Berlin Wall exactly 1 month later.
Approach the column from across the quiet square where it stands. Admire the elegant lines of the neoclassical form and the leaves that burst from the top, mirror images of the columns that stand inside and symbolize the overflowing of the church.
Listen to the gentle sound of the running water coming from the nearby fountain, which symbolizes the thirst for freedom that reigned at the time of the protests.
Spot the glass cubes embedded in the pavement, part of an installation by English artist David Chipperfield that speaks to the slow development of the movement. The ultimate actions were begun by small individual acts of prayer which one night overflowed.
Sit in quiet contemplation and imagine the 70,000 protesters who gathered here almost 30 years ago, ready to do anything they could to change their world.
Find the Monument to Peaceful Revolution directly outside St. Nicholas Church, in the middle of Leipzig’s Old Town. Both the main train station and the main market square are about a 5-minute walk away. Reach the church in 30 minutes by subway from the Leipzig airport, which offers both regional and international flights. Drive here from the airport in 22 minutes. Parking garages are available nearby.
The monument itself is available to visitors at all hours. Prayers for peace still take place at the St. Nicholas Church every Monday evening.
