Rio Reiser: The legendary appearance in East Berlin for the fall of the Berlin Wall!

Rio Reiser: The legendary appearance in East Berlin for the fall of the Berlin Wall!

On October 1, 1988, the rock scene in the GDR experienced an unforgettable evening when the legendary Rio Reiser appeared in the sold-out Werner-Seelenbinder-Halle in East Berlin. Reiser, who conquered the hit parades with his band "Ton Steine Scherben" and his hymn "King of Germany" in 1986, came from Kreuzberg, West Berlin, and was a symbol of resistance and change in a time when the political lethargy was felt in the GDR. This reports rbb-online .

The mood in the hall was electrifying when fans of the band sang both the old and the new songs with full voice. It became particularly emotionally with the song "The Dream Is Aus", in which the texts reflected the longing for another reality and confronted those present with the question: "Is there a country on earth where the dream is reality?" The audience's festive answer, "this country is not!", Established the processed situation in the GDR as well as the greed for freedom and change. The appearance was almost a political manifesto, which took the events of the time into words, as in archive.org documented.

an appearance in a politically rough environment

Rio Reiser was given the opportunity to play in East Berlin at the invitation of the FDJ. The concert took place within the political framework of the GDR, and some of his political songs such as "no power for nobody" were not played to avoid misunderstandings with the rulers. However, the audience was unimpressed and waved anarcho flags during the performance, which was a strong sign of the desire for change. Reiser also played his hit songs "Let's be a miracle", "blind passenger" and "Junimond" and thus made the hearts of his listeners beat faster. On October 2, the spectacle repeated itself with an almost identical program and reactions of the audience, which demonstrated the great need for such cultural events in the GDR.

The late 1980s were characterized by boredom and standstill for the GDR, but the skirt scene bloomed. According to the Federal Center for Political Education, rock music was an important element of youth culture, which was recognized by both the rulers and the population. The move from Walter Ulbricht to Erich Honecker led to the promotion of rock music in the 1970s, whereby the SED created works that should bring the young people closer to socialist utopia. Nevertheless, the industry was strictly monitored, and many musicians had to obtain approval for public appearances in order not to be perceived as a threat to the socialist order, as in bpb.de

aftermath and Eastern Valley

The aftermath of Reiser's appearance is still very noticeable. The so -called "Ostalgie", a nostalgic feeling for the GDR, has developed since the turn into an interesting phenomenon that is not only expressed in the form of events and fetuses, but also through markets and amusement parks. These memories are supplemented by economic success: the Bertelsmann Group achieved immense sales with the former East pop and rock productions and thus shows how timeless and strong the messages of this music are.

Overall, it should be noted that Rio Reiser's appearance in East Berlin was much more than just a concert. He was an important cultural event at the right time and brought many politicized thoughts and hopes on the stage that were in the air. The memories of this time and Reiser themselves continue to live in the music and in the heart of many people who strived for freedom and change.