Claudia Roth, Minister of State to the Federal Chancellor and Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media A message from Minister of State Claudia Roth, Member of the German Bundestag and Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media, for the brochure announcing the competition for a monument to freedom and unity in Leipzig The 9th November 1989 was a joyous day for our country. It was a day of freedom and jubilation. Images of people cheering on the Berlin Wall and at the border crossing points are deeply engrained in our collective memory. They are among the beautiful images of the past century – a century in which beautiful images have not exactly been in abundance. Most importantly, we remember what made this magical moment in the history of our democracy possible in the first place: the courage of the many people in Leipzig and other cities who, in 1989, stood up for a future of freedom and self-determination. It was not until the large Monday demonstration in Leipzig on the 9th October 1989 that it became clear that this would remain a peaceful revolution, because the East German regime did not use the force of weapons against its citizens after all. The memory of this peaceful revolution deserves a monument in the heart of Leipzig, where the courage and determination of the city’s citizens paved the way for the fall of the Berlin Wall one month later. Germany’s unity in freedom and the subsequent process of European integration are a joyous chapter in our country’s history, and it is only right that we celebrate this chapter with a symbol for everyone to see. I am delighted that a monument to freedom and unity in Leipzig will remind us and future generations that democracy is not a gift, that we need to keep fighting for it, embracing it and protecting it.
	Michael Kretschmer, Minister-President of the Free State of Saxony Dear competition entrants, The democratic revolutions in Germany's history still offer us food for thought today. Because most of them have their monuments. The revolution of 1848/49 lives on at St. Paul's Church in Frankfurt and also in our black, red and gold federal flag and our national anthem. The democratic revolution of 1918 brought us the German republic for which the revolutionaries of 1848/49 had fought. Their memorial are the provisions of the Weimar Constitution that were incorporated into our Basic Law, the 75th anniversary of which we celebrated a few days ago. The Peaceful Revolution began in Saxony in October 1989. Anyone familiar with its history knows that it did not begin peacefully, but with violent clashes between citizens and state power in Plauen and Dresden. This escalation only came to an end in Leipzig on October 9. Prayers, candles and the call “No violence” had a remarkable effect, even in retrospect. Since then, we have been proud to say that the Peaceful Revolution, which brought us Germans back to unity in freedom, originated in Saxony. Like the German Bundestag, the Saxon state government is keen to commemorate this historic event in Saxony and Leipzig with a national monument to freedom and unity. It is now up to you, dear competition entrants, to give artistic expression to this concern. Yours is it to create a monument that inspires reflection on our path to freedom and unity, across generations and in a timeless fashion. It would perhaps even raise awareness about what a precious thing our democracy and the peaceful reconciliation of interests in our society are. After all, our democracy is no less than a guarantee of our inalienable individual rights and a protection of them against arbitrary state action. I wish you much joy and inspiration as you work on your competition entries.
	Burkhard Jung, Mayor of the City of Leipzig „For me personally, the greatest moment was when I walked through the crowd all alone, all to myself, shouting first quietly and then louder and louder: We are the people! We are the people! I remember it was near the train station. I saw the police, but I wasn't afraid. I felt strong and threw my arms up and shouted my heart out.“ (see: Lindner/Grüneberger: Demonteure – Biographien des Leipziger Herbst, Aisthesis Verlag Bielefeld. 1992, p. 51.) Dear participants in the art competition for a Monument to Freedom and Unity in Leipzig, Standing up to the power of authoritarian forces and for one's own values often begins on a small scale and with the civil courage of individuals. When the Monday demonstrations began in Leipzig in early September 1989 as a protest rally following the “Prayer for Peace” in St. Nicholas Church, it was impossible to predict how many citizens would muster the strength and courage in the subsequent Mondays to reclaim the public space from the SED regime without violence. Week after week, the number of demonstrators grew in other GDR cities as well, until more than 70,000 people gathered in Leipzig on October 9, 1989 and overthrew the state’s authority in a peaceful revolution. Today, liberal democracies are facing a test of endurance. Defending what was courageously fought for in 1989 in an extraordinary historical situation and standing up for our democratic values in the heart of Europe is one of the great challenges of our time. It is paramount importance for the young, growing Europe not to forget and be aware of what is at stake. We Europeans need central places that strengthen us and our self-image. With its places of historical significance, its way of remembering and the new memorial, the civic city of Leipzig can be such a place of strength to stand up for democracy, freedom and civil courage in the heart of Europe. I would therefore like to see a monument to freedom and unity in Leipzig that builds bridges between the past, present and future - at an incredibly exciting location in the middle of the city, which is itself currently undergoing an urban transformation. On Wilhelm-Leuschner-Platz, the form and use of the Freedom and Unity Monument should strengthen the positive energy of this newly emerging urban space and thus also have an impact on the everyday lives of its visitors. Dear participants, At its best, a monument tells stories. It unfolds its effect through the possibility of experience and participation for very different social groups. I am already looking forward to getting to know your design and wish you every success! Perhaps we will soon meet in person at an inspiring location that provides space and room for a young, strong and democratic Europe.