New Forum
Encyclopedia
New Forum was a political movement in East Germany formed in the months leading up to the collapse of the East German state. It was founded in September 1989 and was the first independent (non-National Front
) political movement to be recognised by the Socialist Unity Party of Germany
-led state on 8 November 1989. In February 1990 it formed Alliance 90
(Bündnis 90) with Democracy Now
(Demokratie Jetzt) (DJ) and the Initiative for Peace and Human Rights
(Initiative für Frieden und Menschenrechte) (IFM).
The New Forum was the first countrywide political movement in the GDR outside the Protestant church. Members of the Peace Movement, including Bärbel Bohley
, Ingrid Köppe, Rolf Henrich, Jens Reich and Reinhard Meinel
signed the "Aufbruch 89" [Initiative 89] founding proclamation on the 9/10 September 1989 in Grünheide
, which had been the last home of the dissident Robert Havemann
. New Forum demanded a dialogue about democratic reforms, with the aim, together with the largest possible participation from the population, of 'reshaping' society.
19 Sept 1989 – Members apply for registration
21 Sept 1989 – Registration denied by the Interior Ministry: the New Forum is 'anti-state' and 'illegal'. Demonstrations follow. The increased pressure forces the authorities to allow New Forum to exist, and finally recognise it as a political organisation.
By the end of 1989, 200,000 people have signed the proclamation, and there are approx. 10,000 full members. New Forum demands free and democratic elections. Local New Forum groups are active mostly in the cities. Discussions about the development of grass-roots democracy led by the end of 1989 to a dispute over whether New Forum should become a party or remain a movement.
27–28 Jan 1990 – About one quarter of the members (mostly form the southern regions of the GDR) split from New Forum and form the German Forum Party
(DFP). New Forum retains its grass-roots democratic structure.
Feb 1990 – New Forum joins with other opposition groups (Initiative Frieden und Menschenrechte (The Initiative for Peace and Human Rights] and Demokratie Jetzt [Democracy Now]) to form the political party Bündnis 90.
May 1993 – Bündnis 90 and the West German Green party join to form Bündnis 90/Die Grünen.
National Front (East Germany)
The National Front of the German Democratic Republic was an alliance of political parties and mass organisations in East Germany...
) political movement to be recognised by the Socialist Unity Party of Germany
Socialist Unity Party of Germany
The Socialist Unity Party of Germany was the governing party of the German Democratic Republic from its formation on 7 October 1949 until the elections of March 1990. The SED was a communist political party with a Marxist-Leninist ideology...
-led state on 8 November 1989. In February 1990 it formed Alliance 90
Alliance 90
Alliance 90 was an alliance of three non-Communist political groups in East Germany. It merged with the German Green Party in 1993 to form Alliance '90/The Greens....
(Bündnis 90) with Democracy Now
Democracy Now (East Germany)
Democracy Now was a political movement in East Germany founded in the wake of the collapse of Communism that wished to maintain a human, democratic version of socialism in opposition to what they saw as "western consumer society". In 1990 they joined Alliance 90 with New Forum and the Initiative...
(Demokratie Jetzt) (DJ) and the Initiative for Peace and Human Rights
Initiative for Peace and Human Rights
The Initiative for Peace and Human Rights was the oldest opposition group in East Germany. It was founded at the beginning of 1986 and was independent of the churches and state...
(Initiative für Frieden und Menschenrechte) (IFM).
The New Forum was the first countrywide political movement in the GDR outside the Protestant church. Members of the Peace Movement, including Bärbel Bohley
Bärbel Bohley
Bärbel Bohley was an East German opposition figure and artist. In 1983 she was expelled from the GDR artists federation and was banned from travelling abroad or exhibiting her work in East Germany. She was accused of having contacts to the West German Green Party.In 1985 she was one of the...
, Ingrid Köppe, Rolf Henrich, Jens Reich and Reinhard Meinel
Reinhard Meinel
Reinhard Meinel is the Head of the Relativistic Astrophysics group at the Institute of Theoretical Physics in Jena, Germany. In 1995 he published together with Gernot Neugebauer a complete analytical solution to the field equations of Einstein's Theory of gravity in the case of a rigidly rotating...
signed the "Aufbruch 89" [Initiative 89] founding proclamation on the 9/10 September 1989 in Grünheide
Grünheide
Grünheide is a municipality in the Oder-Spree district, in Brandenburg, Germany. It is situated south-east of Berlin.-Division of the town:Grünheide consists of the following districts:...
, which had been the last home of the dissident Robert Havemann
Robert Havemann
Robert Havemann was a chemist, and an East German dissident.He studied chemistry in Berlin and Munich from 1929 to 1933, and then later received a doctorate in physical chemistry from the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute....
. New Forum demanded a dialogue about democratic reforms, with the aim, together with the largest possible participation from the population, of 'reshaping' society.
19 Sept 1989 – Members apply for registration
21 Sept 1989 – Registration denied by the Interior Ministry: the New Forum is 'anti-state' and 'illegal'. Demonstrations follow. The increased pressure forces the authorities to allow New Forum to exist, and finally recognise it as a political organisation.
By the end of 1989, 200,000 people have signed the proclamation, and there are approx. 10,000 full members. New Forum demands free and democratic elections. Local New Forum groups are active mostly in the cities. Discussions about the development of grass-roots democracy led by the end of 1989 to a dispute over whether New Forum should become a party or remain a movement.
27–28 Jan 1990 – About one quarter of the members (mostly form the southern regions of the GDR) split from New Forum and form the German Forum Party
German Forum Party
The German Forum Party was an opposition political party in East Germany. It was formed from the New Forum citizens' movement. It was founded in Karl-Marx-Stadt on 27 January 1990. Its first chairman was Jürgen Schmieder...
(DFP). New Forum retains its grass-roots democratic structure.
Feb 1990 – New Forum joins with other opposition groups (Initiative Frieden und Menschenrechte (The Initiative for Peace and Human Rights] and Demokratie Jetzt [Democracy Now]) to form the political party Bündnis 90.
May 1993 – Bündnis 90 and the West German Green party join to form Bündnis 90/Die Grünen.