Leipzig Quarter Century On

It must have been amazing to live through the fall of the Berlin Wall. Without actually having to go through life before the fall. It was easily one of the most important, historic, momentous events of the past 50 years. The world changed in a single night. Actually, it had been changing for a while—everything just came to a head that night when the authoritarian, dictatorial system caved in upon itself.

In East Germany, people had been fed up forever. But, instead of rising up to take their freedom, they peacefully met to pray and protest. Looking back now they see the greatness of their accomplishment, but one wonders if they really grasp what they did. They are so thankful for the freedom to travel. Other freedoms tend to be overlooked—or not considered because they weren’t necessarily grasped.

This is a part of the world that has seen drastic changes in worldview and ideologies. On October 31st, thirty minutes from Leipzig Luther posted a notice on the church door that rocked Western Culture for nearly five hundred years and counting. On the same day that the Wall fell—just 51 years earlier—Hitler had all Jewish buildings across Germany sacked and destroyed. So, the shift from communism to capitalism hardly raised an eyebrow.

In the 25 years since the fall people have simultaneously enjoyed the benefits of economic freedom while lamenting the loss of “securities” that communism provided. One thing they don’t miss is the assurance of assurance. They don’t believe any understanding of the world anymore. They have given up on ideology, which may be a good thing accept that along with that baby they’ve tossed out any hope of truth as well.