The Leipzig City Council has approved the construction of a monument to freedom and unity by a clear majority. As announced by the city of Leipzig, 42 councillors voted in favor of the project on Wednesday evening, 27 against. The basis is the design "Banners, Flags, Banners" by a collective of artists and architects from Leipzig, which won an international competition in 2024.
The implementation is expected to cost around five million euros. Several media outlets had previously reported this.
The decentralized monument is to consist of 50 white sculptures, which will be distributed in the western part of Wilhelm-Leuschner-Platz. The area will also be planted with greenery and is intended to provide retreats for people and nature. The foundation stone is scheduled to be laid on October 9, 2025 - the anniversary of Leipzig's largest Monday demonstration in 1989, when 70,000 people took to the streets for freedom and democracy.
Artistic freedom instead of political messages
In the council debate, it became clear that the artwork is to be implemented without any changes to its content. A proposal by the CDU to permanently inscribe some of the sculptures with slogans from the Peaceful Revolution, such as "We are the people", was previously rejected.
The jury that selected the winning design, among others, deemed the proposal to be an unlawful infringement of copyright. Instead, they agreed on temporary designs - such as light projections - that would not overshadow the artistic character of the work.
The city of Leipzig wants to use the monument to commemorate the Peaceful Revolution and create a place for democratic participation. The project is being realized by the Peaceful Revolution Foundation and funded by the federal government, the Free State of Saxony and the City of Leipzig.
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