The present historical essay is not aiming at digging out new facts. Its main objective is to give a factual overview of the events that took place 25 years ago (chronologies are being included also for that purpose), to point out similarities and differences, and to describe the connections and inherencies. This effort is offering a possible interpretation of the fall of communism. Tartalomjegyzék: Foreword I. The political downfall Introduction Gorbachev Poland Hungary The German Democratic Republic Czecho-Slovakia Romania II. The economic legacy of communism Situations and processes Logical connections, determining factors Conclusions