Honecker steps down

loading video

locations

information

After leading the SED for 18 years, Erich Honecker steps down on 18 November 1989.

His successor is Egon Krenz, 25 years Honecker’s junior. Krenz will only spend a few weeks in power.

Honecker flees to Moscow in 1991. The following year he is charged with manslaughter in Berlin in connection with the deaths of those who were shot and killed at the Wall. The case is dropped after Honecker’s lawyers complain to the Berlin Constitutional Court.

In 1993 Honecker emigrates to Chile, where he dies a year later at the age of 81.

locations

Berlin-Ost, Palast der Republik, Sitz der Volkskammer

showtime
5

latitude
52.51799669

longitude
13.40164661

date

October 07, 1989
Gorbachev at GDR's 40th anniversary

The SED leadership is holding celebrations to mark the 40th anniversary of the GDR, but the people are far from happy. They want political reform, the kind of restructuring that they know is happening further East. Mikhail Gorbachev, leader of the Soviet Union and the SED’s guest of honour, uses the opportunity to issue a warning to East Germany’s leaders. Those who oppose the GDR regime hope for a sign that reforms are on the way. Speaking in an interview, Gorbachev says: "I believe danger awaits those who do not react to the real world. If you pick up on the currents moving the real world, moving society, if you use them to shape your policies, then you have no reason to fear difficulties. There is nothing unusual in that.”

Politics, Opposition, East

00:57
Video versions:
- SD ,
- MD
September 1989
Exit through Hungary

With Hungary’s borders now open, more and more people are using them to flee the GDR. The refugees all arrive at Tegel airport. For the first time since 1961, the refugee centre in Marienfelde is full to overflowing. New arrivals are housed in a disused furniture warehouse in the district of Wedding. From their windows they can see the TV tower in East Berlin.

Escaping, Opposition, West, East

00:38
Video versions:
- SD ,
- MD
May 1989
Local elections in the GDR

The GDR holds local elections in May 1989. A group of young civil rights activists monitor the vote counting. When the official figures show that 98.85 percent of the population voted for the candidates put forward by the SED, the activists accuse the party of ballot rigging. As a member of the peace group in Weisensee that organised the monitoring, Mario Schatta experienced the events first hand.

Contemporary Witnesses, Politics, Opposition, East

02:23
Video versions:
- SD ,
- MD
1989
How much longer will the Wall survive?

Protests in the GDR keep getting louder, but still no one thinks the Wall will fall any time soon. Even in January 1989, Honecker still believes in the border: “The Wall will still be here in 50 years, and in 100, if the reasons for its presence still persist.”

Everyday Life, Politics, West, East

01:02
Video versions:
- SD ,
- MD
January 1989
Karajan retires

Herbert von Karajan leaves the Berlin Philharmonic after 35 years as its principal conductor.

Culture, West

00:22
Video versions:
- SD ,
- MD
November 04, 1989
Rally at Alexanderplatz

On 4 November, 500,000 people gather for a rally on Alexanderplatz in East Berlin. It is the largest non-state-organised demonstration in GDR history. The crowd calls for democracy, constitutional laws, and freedom of speech and the press. A group of East Berlin stage actors were the first to have the idea of a rally, and the event sees more than 20 speakers step up to the microphone. Among them are politicians like Günter Schabowski, Stasi official Markus Wolf, theologian Friedrich Schorlemmer, lawyer Gregor Gysi, university rector Lothar Bisky, authors such as Christoph Hein, Stefan Heym and Christa Wolf, playwright Heiner Müller, and actors Steffie Spira, Ulrich Mühe and Jan Josef Liefers.

Politics, Opposition, East

00:36
Video versions:
- SD ,
- MD
November 04, 1989
Stefan Heym speaks on Alexanderplatz

On 4 November, 500,000 people gather at a rally on Alexanderplatz in East Berlin. It is the biggest non-state-organised demonstration in the history of the GDR. The crowd calls for democracy, constitutional laws, and freedom of speech and the press. A group of East Berlin stage actors were the first to have the idea of a rally, and the event sees more than 20 speakers step up to the microphone. Among them are politicians like Günter Schabowski, Stasi official Markus Wolf, theologian Friedrich Schorlemmer, lawyer Gregor Gysi, university rector Lothar Bisky, authors such as Christoph Hein, Stefan Heym and Christa Wolf, playwright Heiner Müller, and the actors Steffie Spira, Ulrich Mühe and Jan Josef Liefers. The poet Stefan Heym is also among those to speak.

Contemporary Witnesses, Politics, Opposition, East

03:51
Video versions:
- SD ,
- MD
November 04, 1989
Jan Josef Liefers speaks on Alexanderplatz

On 4 November, 500,000 people gather at a rally on Alexanderplatz in East Berlin. It is the biggest non-state-organised demonstration in the history of the GDR. The crowd calls for democracy, constitutional laws, and freedom of speech and the press. A group of East Berlin stage actors were the first to have the idea of a rally, and the event sees more than 20 speakers step up to the microphone. Among them are politicians like Günter Schabowski, Stasi official Markus Wolf, theologian Friedrich Schorlemmer, lawyer Gregor Gysi, university rector Lothar Bisky, authors such as Christoph Hein, Stefan Heym and Christa Wolf, playwright Heiner Müller, and the actors Steffie Spira, Ulrich Mühe and Jan Josef Liefers. This is a recording of actor Jan Josef Liefers' speech on Alexanderplatz.

Contemporary Witnesses, Politics, Opposition, East

01:29
Video versions:
- SD ,
- MD
November 04, 1989
Christa Wolf speaks on Alexanderplatz

On 4 November, 500,000 people gather at a rally on Alexanderplatz in East Berlin. It is the biggest non-state-organised demonstration in the history of the GDR. The crowd calls for democracy, constitutional laws, and freedom of speech and the press. A group of East Berlin stage actors were the first to have the idea of a rally, and the event sees more than 20 speakers step up to the microphone. Among them are politicians like Günter Schabowski, Stasi official Markus Wolf, theologian Friedrich Schorlemmer, lawyer Gregor Gysi, university rector Lothar Bisky, authors such as Christoph Hein, Stefan Heym and Christa Wolf, playwright Heiner Müller, and the actors Steffie Spira, Ulrich Mühe and Jan Josef Liefers. Writer Christa Wolf also speaks the rally. This film shows her speech.

Contemporary Witnesses, Politics, Opposition, Culture, East

03:16
Video versions:
- SD ,
- MD
November 04, 1989
Heiner Müller speaks on Alexanderplatz

On 4 November, 500,000 people gather at a rally on Alexanderplatz in East Berlin. It is the biggest non-state-organised demonstration in the history of the GDR. The crowd calls for democracy, constitutional laws, and freedom of speech and the press. A group of East Berlin stage actors were the first to have the idea of a rally, and the event sees more than 20 speakers step up to the microphone. Among them are politicians like Günter Schabowski, Stasi official Markus Wolf, theologian Friedrich Schorlemmer, lawyer Gregor Gysi, university rector Lothar Bisky, authors such as Christoph Hein, Stefan Heym and Christa Wolf, playwright Heiner Müller, and the actors Steffie Spira, Ulrich Mühe and Jan Josef Liefers. This is a recording of playwright Heiner Müller speaking at the rally.

Contemporary Witnesses, Politics, Opposition, Culture, East

01:53
Video versions:
- SD ,
- MD

location

May 18, 1976
9th SED conference: cementing the divide

As well as increasing social spending, the 9th SED party conference (18-22 May 1976) also agrees a new manifesto. Designed to cement the GDR’s ideological separation from the West, the document does away with any mention of German unity.

Politics, East

00:37
Video versions:
- SD ,
- MD
March 18, 1990
The GDR holds its first free election

The GDR holds its first free and democratic parliamentary elections on 18 March 1990. Alliance for Germany, which supports Germany being reunified within the scope of the Basic Law, wins the most votes (48 percent). The alliance was a coalition of opposition parties: the CDU (a former bloc party whose leading candidate was Lothar de Maizière), the German Social Union and the Democratic Awakening. The newly founded Social Democratic Party in the GDR (SDP, though it has changed its abbreviation to SPD by the time of the election) wins 21.9 percent of the vote. Lothar de Maizière becomes prime minister of the GDR.

Politics, East

00:44
Video versions:
- SD ,
- MD
1983
Udo Lindenberg plays East Berlin

Rock singer Udo Lindenberg receives permission to give a concert in East Berlin in October 1983. He and his Panikorchester perform in the Palace of the Republic to an audience of carefully selected young East Germans. Egon Krenz, head of the Free German Youth organisation, is also in attendance. While the concert is going on inside, police are mistreating and brutally arresting fans who have gathered outside on the street. Nikolaus Becker witnessed the events and talks about what it was like.

Contemporary Witnesses, Culture, West, East

03:24
Video versions:
- SD ,
- MD
April 23, 1976
Palace of the Republic opens

The Palace of the Republic opens in East Berlin with a celebration for its builders, technicians, engineers, architects, and anyone else who was involved in its construction. Two days later it opens to the public. The building is home to the People’s Chamber (the parliament of the GDR) and is also a conference and events centre. Built on the site of the old city palace, the imposing structure is the new jewel in East Berlin’s crown. Caretaker Bernd Wolfgang spent weeks preparing everything for the grand opening. In this film he talks about his first days on duty in the palace.

Contemporary Witnesses, Everyday Life, East

02:49
Video versions:
- SD ,
- MD
April 17, 1986
Gorbachev visits East Berlin

Mikhail Gorbachev, head of state of the Soviet Union, visits East Berlin in April 1986 for the 11th party conference of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany (SED). At this stage, the party’s hardliners still have the upper hand in the GDR. Gorbachev, who has only been in office for a year, uses the occasion to speak about glasnost and perestroika. Right at the end of his visit, he gives an interview at Schönefeld airport. He jokes that in the Soviet Union everyone says “DDR” (the German initials for GDR) stands for “dawai, dawai, rabotai,” which translates roughly as “go on, go on, work”.

Politics, East

01:41
Video versions:
- SD ,
- MD
November 02, 1973
Laying the foundation stone of the Palace of the Republic

A new palace is emerging in East Berlin: the Palace of the Republic. Berlin Palace once stood on this spot. The GDR authorities had the grand Prussian building blown up in 1950. A “palace for the people” will now take its place. It will also be home to the GDR's People's Parliament. The modern building's doors will open 32 months later in 1976.

Everyday Life, East

00:49
Video versions:
- SD ,
- MD
May 01, 1962
The first of May in East and West

1 May celebrations a year after the Wall goes up: A military parade is held in East Berlin to mark Labour Day, which falls on a Tuesday that year. Over in West Berlin, Federal President Heinrich Lübke gives a speech at the Reichstag.

Politics, West, East

00:42
Video versions:
- SD ,
- MD
1987
Renovating East Berlin

As part of the preparations for the city's 750th anniversary, East Berlin decides to thoroughly renovate some of its most important buildings, including the Friedrichswerde Church and the French Cathedral on Gendarmenmarkt square. It also gets to work on the Nikolai Quarter and Sophienstrasse, a street filled with historic workshops. Kristina Laduch was an architect for the city at the time. She talks about what it was like working on the Sophienstrasse project.

Contemporary Witnesses, Everyday Life, East

02:10
Video versions:
- SD ,
- MD
May 03, 1971
Honecker succeeds Ulbricht

The Central Committee has a spring clean: in May 1971 Walter Ulbricht steps down from the post of General Secretary and First Secretary of the SED Central Committee at the age of 77 due to health reasons. He is succeeded by Erich Honecker. Ulbricht has been ousted from power with Moscow's blessing.

Politics, East

00:56
Video versions:
- SD ,
- MD
June 1979
Authors banned

The East Berlin authors’ association joins forces with the SED leadership, the Stasi and the Ministry of Culture to convene a tribunal against nine problematic authors. Among those on trial are famous names like Stefan Heym, Klaus Schlesinger and Rolf Schneider. The group stands accused of “defaming the GDR, the SED, its cultural policy and its legal system”, and of having “put themselves at the service of anti-communist forces working against the GDR”. Of the 400 authors present, 350 vote in favour of ousting their colleagues from the association. That means the nine can no longer work, because only authors who are members of the association can publish in the GDR. Rolf Schneider talks about what it was like to have his livelihood taken away.

Contemporary Witnesses, Opposition, Culture, East

02:06
Video versions:
- SD ,
- MD