The city of Leipzig is commemorating the Peaceful Revolution of 1989 with numerous events. The highlight is the Festival of Lights on October 9, according to a city announcement. Every year, thousands of people march through Saxony’s largest city carrying candles. Prior to that, a prayer for peace will be held at St. Nicholas Church (5:00 p.m.). In his sermon, Joachim Jeska will draw a connection between Osnabrück and Leipzig and reaffirm the shared responsibility of both cities for peace. The peace prayer will be accompanied musically by the Bach Choir. Afterward, German-American political scientist Cathryn Clüver Ashbrook will deliver a speech on democracy at St. Nicholas Church. The expert on U.S. politics and international relations is considered one of the most prominent transatlantic voices of our time. Using developments in the U.S. as an example, she examines internal threats to liberal democracies and shows how the same patterns can also be observed in Europe. At the concluding Festival of Lights, various installations, performances, and images from 1989 connect the past with the present. The candle pedestal shaped like the number 89 at St. Thomas Church provides a quiet moment of remembrance, as well as an opportunity to engage with eyewitnesses. On October 9, 1989, at least 70,000 people demonstrated in Leipzig. The authorities did not intervene. This massive demonstration is considered a decisive step on the path to the fall of the Berlin Wall one month later. Copyright 2026, dpa (www.dpa.de). All rights reserved
