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X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://www.historikertag.de/Muenchen2021/en/sektionen/public-representations-versus-biographical-experiences-contested-interpretations-of-the-peaceful-revolution-and-the-german-unification/
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DTSTAMP:20210520T065140Z
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DTEND:20211005T160000Z
SUMMARY:[Historikertag 2021] Public Representations versus Biographical Experiences? Contested Interpretations of the Peaceful Revolution and the German Unification
DESCRIPTION:In October 2020 Germany celebrates the 30th anniversary of its unity. This time, however, the celebrations are accompanied by more and more critical voices. In addition to the appreciation of what has been achieved the focus shifts towards the difficulties of the process of the German Unification. The alleged success story of the German Unity is being increasingly questioned and becomes the subject of conflicting interpretations. Again, the economic consequences of the unification process become the focus of attention, yet with a limited perspective on the so called “Treuhand” agency that transferred the eastern enterprises from socialist to capitalist economy. Today, the experiences of the East German people in the 1990s appear as a completely different story compared to the unification narratives of West Germans. There are more and more East German voices emphasizing the specifics of an East German identity that is based on the experiences in the late GDR and the subsequent transformation. Different political players challenge the meaning of the Peaceful Revolution and name the changes of the 1990s as cause for current social problems in East Germany. Hence there is a complex debate about where to locate the Peaceful Revolution and the process of German Unification in German history. There is a conflict between the public remembrance on the one hand and personal experiences and family narratives on the other hand. The panel scrutinizes competing interpretations of the German Unity by exploring three different perspectives: First, it focusses on different players in the public debate and on the political preconditions and implications of the competing meanings. Second, it explores the historical causes for the conflict between the historical representations of the German Unity and the communicative memory of the East German people. Third, the panel discusses how the transfer of historical knowledge in educational contexts might potentially benefit from these competing interpretations.
Der Beitrag Public Representations versus Biographical Experiences? Contested Interpretations of the Peaceful Revolution and the German Unification erschien zuerst auf Historikertag 2021.
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