30-årsjubilæet for Berlinmurens fald giver anledning til at reflektere over de bemærkelsesværdige omvæltninger i østblokken, hvor ateistiske diktaturer faldt ét efter ét stort set uden blodsudgydelser. Det skriver Dansk Europamissions generalsekretær, Samuel, i Kristeligt Dagblad.
In East Germany, the prayer meetings at St. Nicholas Church in Leipzig ended up being a catalyst for major protests against the regime. On October 9, 1989, theUp to 70,000 people demonstrated after a prayer meeting.
Had the protesters thrown stones at the police, the regime could have responded brutally, but instead the protesters carried candles. The tanks retreated without firing a shot.
A member of the Central Committee of the Socialist Party of the GDR said: "We had everything planned. We were ready for everything - except prayers and candlelight."
