Protest and Bach

Leipzig Protesters in 1989

I should have done my homework. Before driving into Leipzig, home of JS Bach, I thought it would be a quaint, historic town. Boy, was I wrong. Where Berlin was sophisticated and Wittenberg picturesque, my first glance of Leipzig was disappointment at seeing a mishmash of ugly and uglier.

Leipzig is gritty and dirty. Its historic buildings look grimy and worn. I don't think the East German government was interested in historic preservation. But the grit may have resulted from the rampant pollution under that same regime.

I've been trying to imagine what it was like to be East German after the German humiliation of the First World War, the rise of Nazism, and then Soviet domination. Its residents must have felt so suppressed when their siblings in West Germany were thriving after WWII. 

From 1949-1989, the communist government severely limited human rights, highly controlled the economy, and established a pervasive surveillance state. The state controlled all aspects of life, including education, culture, and the media. Citizens faced restrictions on consumer goods and were prohibited from expressing dissenting opinions. 

St. Nicholas Church, Leipziz

It is no surprise that the East Germans began to long for freedom. Even though public protests were viciously suppressed, in 1982, a small group of people started to meet every Monday evening at St. Nicholas Church to pray for peace and freedom. Because the church served as a buffer against the surveillance of the secret police, the movement began to grow. On September 25, 1989, over 70,000 marched to Karl Marx Square, Leipzig's largest public square at the time. Over the next few weeks, the number of peaceful protesters doubled and tripled. The movement set off demonstrations throughout East Germany. Seven weeks later, on November 9, 1989, the Berlin Wall fell, paving the way for the reunification of Germany under democratic leadership.  That is quite the legacy!



Peaceful Demonstration in Leipzig in Oct 1989

When I first pulled into Leipzig's historic district, I was enchanted by the outdoor cafés and the cobblestone streets. The Church of St. Thomas, where Bach worked for nearly 30 years, deepened his strong Lutheran faith. A quick trip to the Bach Museum revealed that many of my favorite rock and roll groups borrowed extensively from him. The Beach Boys, Lady Gaga, and Paul Simon all drew inspiration from Bach. Did you know the Beatles based All You Need is Love and Blackbird on Bach's music? 

It seemed significant that St. Nicholas Church is only a couple of blocks away from Bach's church. Bach's music facilitated faith in his day and still has cultural significance today. My favorite Bach quote is "Where there is devotional music, God with his grace is always present." I believe that is true. Not for the first time, faith in God's grace played a role in facilitating change in Germany and throughout the world. 

May our faith facilitate change in ours. 


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