For forty years, Berlin, as the capital of the GDR, witnessed many demonstrations organised by the state. Young people in blue shirts marched with red flags for those in power, for the last time on October 6, 1989. Only four weeks later, on November 4, everything was different. East Germans gathered at the crossing Mollstraße/Karl-Liebknecht-Straße of their own accord. Instead of flags, they carried signs with creative slogans: "Stasi into production" or "Imagine there is socialism and nobody leaves". For hours, they peacefully walked by the Palace of the Republic and the State Council Building. Some placed candles in front of these centres of power. Their destination was the Alexanderplatz where at least 200,000, perhaps even half a million people gathered. At the very same site, the SED leadership had ordered the arrest and beating of hundreds of demonstrators only one month earlier.
This largest demonstration in the history of the GDR had been registered by people working in film and theatre. Many people only dared to participate because it had been officially approved. Famous actors read the articles of the GDR constitution on freedom of expression and freedom of the press to the audience. What the law so far only promised was now supposed to become reality. The free speech of this rally reached the entire GDR from East Berlin as television staff broadcast the event on their own authority.
Among the 26 speakers were also four personalities of the new political groups that supported the demonstration. The organising team had also put two top politicians of the state party SED onto the list of speakers. Politburo member Günter Schabowski and Markus Wolf, the former head of foreign intelligence, promised a new beginning, but the audience loudly rejected many of their statements. Friedrich Schorlemmer from the newly founded Democratic Beginning warned about feelings of vengeance: "Let us not tolerate any voices and feelings of retaliation!" A reform of the GDR could only be possible in collaboration with the SED.
Many speeches called for a dialogue between old and new powers, free elections and a reformed Socialism. The sole authority of the SED needed to end, and the surveillance by the secret police needed to stop. One sign read: "Legal security is the best state security". Some banners demanded freedom of travel, while the fall of the Wall, let alone German Unity, were not mentioned at all. This milestone of the peaceful revolution seemed like the start into a new GDR but the events soon caught up with it.
