What were the peaceful protests in Leipzig called that preceded the wall's fall?

The peaceful protests in Leipzig that preceded the Berlin Wall’s fall were called the Monday demonstrations. They became the most prominent public expression of opposition to East Germany’s Communist government during 1989.

The Leipzig demonstrations grew out of prayer meetings for peace held at St Nicholas Church. The first major protest took place on 4 September 1989, and gatherings continued on Mondays. Participants demanded freedom to travel, freedom of expression, democratic elections, and an end to the Socialist Unity Party’s monopoly on power.

The protests expanded despite surveillance, threats, and arrests by the Stasi. On 9 October, roughly 70,000 people marched peacefully through Leipzig while security forces stood ready to intervene. They ultimately held back, and the absence of a violent crackdown became a decisive moment in the Peaceful Revolution.

The name can be slightly misleading because similar protests spread to other East German cities and did not always occur on Mondays. The Leipzig events, however, gave the movement its best-known name and helped create the pressure that brought down the regime.