On March 18, Democracy History Day was celebrated across Germany for the first time. On this occasion, PRIF and the Protestant Academy Frankfurt (Evangelische Akademie Frankfurt) organized a panel discussion on the year 1989. Moderated by Elisabeth Waczek, panelists Markus Bayer, who works at PRIF on commemorating the Peaceful Revolution, Stephan Bickhardt, former director of the Protestant Academy Saxony and representative of the civil rights movement in the GDR, and Nicola Roether, educational director of the learning and remembrance site Gießen Reception Camp, discussed the memory of the Peaceful Revolution – and its significance for German democracy today.
Drawing on a mix of eyewitness accounts, research findings, and insights from the field of remembrance work, the panelists addressed the following questions:
What is the state of the culture of remembrance regarding the GDR, the Peaceful Revolution, and the waves of emigration that led to its demise?
Which implications does remembrance have for our democracy today?
And how can we counter the co-optation of remembrance narratives by anti-democratic forces?
The participants agreed: The Peaceful Revolution must be understood as part of a pan-German history. In particular, the discussion highlighted the importance of a multi-perspective culture of remembrance to enable a living and accessible memory. To this end, the knowledge transfer is central – but it must be expanded to include emotions and empathy for diverse life realities and interpretations.
The recording of the event is available to watch for free on YouTube or to listen to as a podcast (in German).
About Democracy History Day:
Democracy History Day was first proclaimed nationwide on March 18, 2026. It is an initiative of the Foundation for Sites of German Democratic History in cooperation with the Working Group on Sites of Democratic History. Its patron is Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.
About the research project “Echoes of the Past: How the Peaceful Revolution in Germany in 1989 and its Memory Influence Democracy Today”
Researchers Markus Bayer and Felix Bethke are using surveys and experiments to investigate what Germans know about the Peaceful Revolution, what narratives exist to explain the events, and what effects these have on democratic attitudes. Another goal is to determine which forms of education are best suited to achieving positive effects of remembrance. Initial results were published in December 2025 on PRIF Blog.