Democratic Awakening
Encyclopedia
Democratic Awakening was an East German opposition political movement. It was founded in October 1989, based on existing politically active church groups. Founding members included Wolfgang Schnur, Friedrich Schorlemmer
, Rainer Eppelmann
, Günter Nooke
and Thomas Welz
. The organisation was officially transformed into a political party on December 16/17, 1989 in Leipzig
. The party convention adopted a more conservative program than some of the founding members, like Schorlemmer, were willing to bear. They left the party. Others, like Nooke, who left some time later, resented the growing cooperation with Christian Democratic Union (CDU) of East Germany
, which had formerly been a party in the socialist dominated democratic block of parties and mass organisations and had supported the totalitarian regime.
From February 1990 Angela Merkel
served as the party's spokeswoman. Democratic Awakening now supported rapid German reunification
and formed part of the Alliance for Germany
(Allianz für Deutschland) with CDU and DSU
for the 1990 Volkskammer elections
on March 18. Only a few days prior to the elections, party chairman Schnur had to confess having been an informer for the Ministry for State Security and resigned. Although Alliance for Germany won the elections, Alliance member Democratic Awakening only collected 0.9% of votes, amounting to four seats in Volkskammer. Eppelmann became minister for disarmament and defense in the new government and new party chairman. On August 5, 1990 Democratic Awakening merged into the CDU, ceasing to exist.
Friedrich Schorlemmer
Friedrich Schorlemmer , is a German Protestant theologian. He was a prominent member of the civil rights movement in the German Democratic Republic and has continued to take part in politics after German reunification in 1990....
, Rainer Eppelmann
Rainer Eppelmann
Rainer Eppelmann , is a German politician. Known for his opposition in the German Democratic Republic, he became Minister for Disarmament and Defense in the last cabinet. He is now a member of the CDU....
, Günter Nooke
Günter Nooke
Günter Nooke is a German CDU politician and a former civil rights activist.- Background :Nooke was born in Forst , Germany, a small town in Brandenburg...
and Thomas Welz
Thomas Welz
Thomas Welz grew up in the suburbs of Berlin.As head of the information department, he was editor and author of several illegal samizdat publications with Rainer Eppelmann of the peace circle of the East Berlin Samariterkirche in Berlin-Friedrichshain...
. The organisation was officially transformed into a political party on December 16/17, 1989 in Leipzig
Leipzig
Leipzig Leipzig has always been a trade city, situated during the time of the Holy Roman Empire at the intersection of the Via Regia and Via Imperii, two important trade routes. At one time, Leipzig was one of the major European centres of learning and culture in fields such as music and publishing...
. The party convention adopted a more conservative program than some of the founding members, like Schorlemmer, were willing to bear. They left the party. Others, like Nooke, who left some time later, resented the growing cooperation with Christian Democratic Union (CDU) of East Germany
Christian Democratic Union (East Germany)
The Christian Democratic Union of Germany ) was an East German political party founded in 1945. It was part of the National Front with the Socialist Unity Party of Germany until 1989....
, which had formerly been a party in the socialist dominated democratic block of parties and mass organisations and had supported the totalitarian regime.
From February 1990 Angela Merkel
Angela Merkel
Angela Dorothea Merkel is the current Chancellor of Germany . Merkel, elected to the Bundestag from Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, has been the chairwoman of the Christian Democratic Union since 2000, and chairwoman of the CDU-CSU parliamentary coalition from 2002 to 2005.From 2005 to 2009 she led a...
served as the party's spokeswoman. Democratic Awakening now supported rapid German reunification
German reunification
German reunification was the process in 1990 in which the German Democratic Republic joined the Federal Republic of Germany , and when Berlin reunited into a single city, as provided by its then Grundgesetz constitution Article 23. The start of this process is commonly referred by Germans as die...
and formed part of the Alliance for Germany
Alliance for Germany
The Alliance for Germany was an opposition coalition in East Germany. It was formed on 5 February 1990 in Berlin to stand in the East-German Volkskammer elections. It consisted of the Christian Democratic Union, Democratic Awakening and the German Social Union...
(Allianz für Deutschland) with CDU and DSU
German Social Union (East Germany)
The German Social Union is a small right-wing conservative political party active in the eastern German states since 1990. It was started as a conservative opposition group during the "Wende" in the German Democratic Republic...
for the 1990 Volkskammer elections
East German general election, 1990
Legislative elections were held in the German Democratic Republic on 18 March 1990. It was the first—and as it turned out, only—free parliamentary election in East Germany, and the first truly free election held in that part of Germany since 1933...
on March 18. Only a few days prior to the elections, party chairman Schnur had to confess having been an informer for the Ministry for State Security and resigned. Although Alliance for Germany won the elections, Alliance member Democratic Awakening only collected 0.9% of votes, amounting to four seats in Volkskammer. Eppelmann became minister for disarmament and defense in the new government and new party chairman. On August 5, 1990 Democratic Awakening merged into the CDU, ceasing to exist.