Local citizens’ initiatives during the (East) German transformation

But now the perception has grown that the citizens’ movements in East Germany have ended, either because they changed into parties or through a more or less rapid process of dissolution. Marianne Birthler, a former activist, has complained that ‘There is not much going on in them [the citizens’ movements]. Looking back at the events of 1989/90 we remember the huge mass of peoples, but the power and energy of 1989 seems to have disappeared’ (Birthler 1993:20). Reinhard Weißhuhn agrees: ‘Many people have already declared the citizens’ movements dead’ (Weißhuhn 1993:188).