Lecture: The Role of the Protestant Church in the 1989 Peaceful Revolution

This program will describe the interaction between the Protestant Church of Germany and the government of the German Democratic Republic leading up to the demonstration on October 9th, 1989 in Leipzig, Germany and the subsequent Fall of the Wall in Berlin one month later. Dr. Jean Godsall-Myers will offer some description of the steps taken by both church members and political leaders, as she raises issues relevant to citizens in many nations even today. What did the communist regime forbid, and what did it require of citizens, per the GDR constitution? What strategies of non-violent resistance did church members find effective as they tried to hold the government accountable? What did the phrase "separation of church and state" actually mean there and then?  The presentation will be followed by time for questions and answers.

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This presentation is free and open to the public.