European University Institute Library

Tailoring truth, memory politics and historical consciousness in East Germany, 1945-1990, Jon Berndt Olsen

eng

Includes bibliographical references and index

index present

non fiction

Tailoring truth

bibliography

914480869

Jon Berndt Olsen

Studies in contemporary European history, volume 15

memory politics and historical consciousness in East Germany, 1945-1990

"By looking at state-sponsored memory projects, such as memorials, commemorations, and historical museums, this book reveals that the East German communist regime obsessively monitored and attempted to control public representations of the past to legitimize its rule. It demonstrates that the regime's approach to memory politics was not stagnant, but rather evolved over time to meet different demands and potential threats to its legitimacy. Ultimately the party found it increasingly difficult to control the public portrayal of the past, and some dissidents were able to turn the party's memory politics against the state to challenge its claims of moral authority"--, Provided by Publisher

Mobilizing memory in the Soviet occupation zone -- The politics of state memory -- Emotional bonds -- Broadening the historical roots of the state narrative -- The erosion of state memory culture in the GDR