The German city of Leipzig has marked the beginning of mass demonstrations 20 years ago which led to the breaching of the Berlin Wall less than a month later and German unification a year later.

The ceremony in Leipzig, formerly in the communist East Germany, was attended by President Horst Koehler and Chancellor Angela Merkel. President Koehler paid tribute to the 70,000 East German citizens who defied a crackdown by the communist security forces. He said they showed what "citizens can achieve when they believe in their own strength and take their destiny into their own hands".  ç

 
Photos: Leipzig and Berlijn 1989, www.bild.bundesarchiv.de/