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German History in Documents and Images
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Easter March (1983)
The debate over NATO’s Dual-Track Decision also boosted participation in the Easter March movement [Ostermarschbewegung], which had existed in West Germany since the 1960s. Every year at Easter, thousands of activist citizens demonstrated for peace at locations throughout the country. The photograph below shows an Easter March in the Ruhr Valley (1983). The top banner reads: "Easter March Ruhr '83. 1983 is not allowed to become a year for missiles. No new nuclear weapons in our country. Fight nuclear death." The bottom one reads: "Initiative: Soldiers Against Nuclear Missiles." Photo by Jochen Moll.