This is the English Version, the German version is HERE.
My diary entries of 6th and 9th October 1989
This is part 2 of my series „My diary – 25 years ago – Autumn 1989“. Part 1 is a diary entry of 4th October 1989, the English version is HERE, the German version is HERE. There, you will find also a little introduction to this series. On my homepage there are many more documents from the time when the Wall fell (LINK) and some pictures of 1989 (LINK) as well as information about my book „Mauern einreißen!“ („Tearing down walls“ LINK). However, all these pages are in German…
I took out some parts which are private, you will recognise this at „(…)“, explanations come in brackets with my initials: „(ADB: explanation)“
6th Oct. 89, Schneeberg – History of Art, Friday

K. (ADB: teacher for history of art) taught on Futurism. Friday afternoon is particularly unsuited for this. Am tired, slept in today. (…) Called home yesterday. (…) Mum said that Kuno wanted to go on a job trip with colleages to Czechoslovakia, but visa were declined. Here you dont even get an application. Only travelagency – tourists are allowed… (ADB: those agencies sold very limited amounts of trips, usually not short term and to selected citizens only). How fucked up. (…) Read a book about „German as male language“ (Pusch), very interesting. I observe my words and those of others. (…) Why do you adress a group in sports as „8 men“ when actually 7 were women! Why say „everybody“ (ADB: german „everyman“), when only females are meant? So many linguistic injustices and oppressions. (…)

Gundi was in Plauen yesterday, much happened there, because of passing through refugee trains from Prague and Warsaw. They stood on the tracks and the batons cleaned the station platforms. In the Marcus Church there was a (2) big event, camouflaged as peace service. It was indeed peaceful but also very up to date. Tomorrow, Gorbi (ADB: Gorbatschov) will be in Berlin… I am curious, should I go there? Who knows, dangerous area and all these flags and Stasi-guys are surely disgusting and unbearable. I might better stay in Muencheberg and scrub the tapistry. History of Art is not ending. Those artificial sentences: „so Boccioni, who there said…“, bah, no normal German he can speak. Mum says they are all like this, the history-of-art-guys. (…)

09.10.1989 – Schlema, 7pm, WH d. FAK, Monday

 The anniversary of the republic is over now. Expectations exceeded. So much happened. Today again assembly of students. Goal: exchange of experiences. Now its happening. Everywhere batons, dogs, helmets, shields, water canons, casualties, just in Berlin 700 arrested. U’s friend amongst them. 24 hours arrested, 2 hours of those driving from prison to prison – they all were already full. 18 hours sitting on a chair, registered like hardened criminals, no food, toilet only with 4 men chaperonage. In Leipzig, in one church = 150 people, shouting „we stay here“ – simply loaded all but 12 onto trucks and off into a train towards West Germany… U. was with her friend simply coming from a youth club. Streets blocked by Greens (ADB= police, because of their greenish uniforms). Fighting Groups (ADB: paramilitary groups called „Kampfgruppen“) everywhere, they got everyone on the streets, no information, everybody. At Alexanderplatz several Thousands chanting „Democracy here“, „We stay here“, „Stasi away“, „Gorbi help us“, „no violence“ etc.

Snippit of Freie Presse 9.10.1989, official news on the 7.10.89 (40. anniversary of the GDR) in Berlin

The police was picking randomly people. The ND (ADB= Neues Deutschland, official paper of the SED party) today – a thick paper, full of jubilation, agitation, about how western police attacked an anti-fascist manifestation, somewhere a 5 lines long note about the thwarted provocation – disruption of the festivities at the Alexanderplatz, arrest of the gang leader – everything but no Leipzig, no Potsdam – where B. saw only cops and ambulances, in Leipzig a canon with rubber bullets, in Dresden several Thousands, fought against with violence. Public declaration: wo wants to emigrate should report to the district government, delt with in 2 days, applicable only to Dresden inhabitants, in Plauen: 20.000 people demonstrating, shattered windows, Ronny took pictures, nearly lost his camera, he had to sacrifice his film. A friend secretely took pics with a small camera. Lets see whether it gets through. Gundi wanted to go there, she surely comes only tomorrow. Its getting criminal. D. wrote that the borders towards Poland and Czechoslovakia have been secured, because still so many people flee. Falk said that at his place, near the border, Greens would swarm around in masses. From where do they take so many security personnell all of a sudden! (…)

Freie Presse, 09th Oct.1989 on P´protests at the GDR anniversary

The included news paper articles where all from the back part of the paper. You can see HERE how the first page of that same paper looked like (a rejoicing on the 40th anniversary of the German Democratic Republic).

This was the 2nd part of a small series of diary notes I took in autumn 1989. More will follow in the next days. If you want to read more than diary entries from me about this time, then read my my book „Tearing down Walls“ (original title „Mauern einreißen!“(however, its only in German).
UPDATE 4.10.2014: At 9th and 10th October 1989, still under the impression of the above described events in East Germany in the previous days, I wrote and published two declarations together with the students of the Art school at which I studied at this time. Today, I published a blogpost on these declarations, however, so far only in German (if somebody has time to help me translate it, I would be happy! – please let me know via the contact page). This German blogpost with original documents is here: LINK.
Further Information around the Fall of the Berlin Wall ’89:

• many original documents of this time
• Part 1: diary entry 4.Oct.1989
• Part 3: diary entry 15th Oct. 1989
• Part 4: diary entry 2nd Nov. 1989
• Part 5: diary entry 5th Nov. 1989
• Part 6: diary entry 9th Nov. 1989 (Fall of the Wall)
• Part 7: diary entry 13th Nov. 1989 (1st Visit in West Berlin)
• Resolutions of  my Art School of 9 th and 10th Oktober 1989 (German only)
• A letter in mirror writing of 9th Oct.1989 (German only)
• my book – „Mauern einreißen“
• Pictures of 1989