Thirty years ago, on Nov. 9, 1989, at a 7 p.m. press conference, the leader of the East German Communist party misread a note about a new travel policy, making a slightly incorrect statement that the border between East and West Berlin was now open.
As media on both sides of the Iron Curtain picked up the news, residents of all sectors of Berlin started streaming towards the Berlin Wall by the hundreds, then thousands. Confused patrol guards, having received mixed radio instructions, first tried to stop the trespassers, but then succumbed to the size of the crowd and opened the border. That night, several more unofficial crossings were spontaneously created, young people on both sides climbed on top of the wall, bottles of champagne and vodka were opened, and with tears of joy friends and relatives who had not been able to see each other for decades finally embraced. The wall that served not only as a physical barrier, but as an iconic monument of the division between democracy and Communism and claimed more than a hundred lives of those attempting to cross, finally crumbled.
For some countries, the fall of the Berlin Wall was a culmination of a democratic process that was well underway; for others it was a catalyst that led to the dawn of their own liberation a few weeks or months later.
The beginning of the fall of Communism can be traced to the policies of Mikhail Gorbachev, who assumed the Soviet leadership in 1985. His pursuit of détente in relationship towards the United States as well as political openness and economic restructuring created in the satellite countries an atmosphere of hope that attempts at liberalization would no longer be crushed by the tanks of the Warsaw Pact as had happened to the Hungarians in 1956 and the Czechs and Slovaks in 1968.
However, the actual onset of these historical changes came from spontaneous student-led protests, grassroots movements, and previously suppressed dissident organizations such as the Polish Solidarity, the Hungarian Democratic Opposition, and the Czech and Slovak Charter 77. Encouragement and support from Pope John Paul II was also crucial, especially for his native Poland, which was the first country to democratize. His famous words, “Do not be afraid,” echoed in the hearts of millions of oppressed people gathered peacefully in public squares throughout Communist Europe, giving them courage in an uncertain time.
The spirit of freedom, courage, hope and peaceful defiance made visible and audible by the crowds of chanting, cheering and singing protesters calling for freedom shook the foundations of totalitarian regimes. One by one, the Communist governments of Eastern Europe collapsed. With the unfortunate exception of Romania, whose liberation process included heavy casualties, the democratization of Eastern Europe happened mostly peacefully. Thanks to the elites in charge and the crucial role of notable peacemakers including Vaclav Havel, Lech Walesa and others, these transformative events became rightly enshrined in history as “Peaceful,” “Velvet” and “Singing” revolutions.
The effects of Communist liberation were apparent immediately. Political prisoners were freed, the unjustly accused and convicted were rehabilitated, confiscated properties were restored, new constitutions were drafted, borders were opened to free travel, new political parties and movements were formed, and the following year several post-Communist countries held free elections for the first time in decades. For those living under the more religiously oppressive regimes, the Christmas of 1989 will always be remembered as the first one celebrated without fear and police intervention.
As the process of democratization in Europe continued, more and more countries were able to attain complete freedom, including even those that were previously fully incorporated into the Soviet Union and experienced a near obliteration during the Stalinist rule, such as Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Belarus and Ukraine, leading to the eventual disintegration of the Soviet Union in 1991.
The subsequent process of political, economic and social transformation was not easy and required many hardships, especially for the countries that succumbed to the horrors of ethnic conflicts, such as former Yugoslavia and Chechnya. Other countries have struggled to varying degrees with political corruption, instability, economic hardship and, more recently, with the rise of populist and extremist movements.
The relationship between the Church and society also bears the scars of Communism. One the one hand, countries such as Poland and Hungary, where the Catholic Church was able to thrive even under Communist rule, are now struggling to detangle their Christian faith from extreme forms of nationalism and populism. On the other hand, because of more severe suppression, countries such as Estonia and the Czech Republic have become so detached from their Christian heritage that they now rank among the world’s most atheist societies.
However, despite many setbacks and remaining challenges, the political events of 30 years ago remain pivotal in modern history, defining the beginning of a new political era. Most importantly, they gave millions of people trapped behind the Iron Curtain the chance to be free.
Dr. Kamila Valenta is a member of St. Gabriel Church in Charlotte and a part-time professor at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, where she teaches courses on ethnic conflict and terrorism.