In the 1980s, numerous church groups promoting peace, environmental, and human rights formed in the GDR. Their political commitment had an impact far beyond the scope of the church. Beginning in 1987, there were events at Berlin’s Gethsemane Church that facilitated critical examination of ongoing concerns and developments in the GDR. In January 1989, a phone hotline was set up.
The subsequent opening of the Gethsemane Church for a continuous vigil, which began on October 2, 1989, had unexpected consequences. The close collaboration with the hotline team made it possible to produce authentic reports of events in the GDR. These were read out during the daily intercessory prayers, which attracted thousands of visitors. In October 1989, the Gethsemane Church became a hub of activity and information not only for the general public, but also for journalists from all over the world. On October 7th and 8th, it also offered refuge from violent security personnel.
After the fall of the Berlin Wall on November 9, 1989, political life shifted more and more away from the church. The vigil ended on November 13. The Gethsemane Church, as a public church, has remained a place of dialogue and protest against tyranny and war to this day.
