Potsdam commemorates brave fighters of the popular uprising on June 17th!

Potsdam commemorates brave fighters of the popular uprising on June 17th!

On June 17, 2025, numerous people in Brandenburg commemorate the popular uprising in the GDR, which took place on June 17, 1953. Mayor Burkhard Exner opens the central memorial event at the Lindenstrasse memorial in Potsdam, which is organized jointly by the state capital Potsdam and the state government of Brandenburg. In his speech, Exner emphasizes that freedom is not a matter of course and recognizes the courage of the people who defended themselves against oppression. "Your voice for justice and democracy is still important today," says Exner, who is clearly aimed at those present in his words.

throughout Germany, but especially in the GDR, there was an uprising in 1953 when more than a million people in over 700 cities and municipalities protested for their rights and better living conditions. The [S] BPB reports that this uprising was the first mass collection in the area of ​​power of the Sovietunion. The workers and citizens of the GDR had enough of the state arbitrariness and demanded, among other things, the resignation of the government and free elections.

a bloody precipitation

Unfortunately, the protests were bloodily depressed on June 17. The memorial Lindenstrasse recalls the terrible events in which the Soviet military and the folk police effectively against the demonstrating possible. According to the reports, there were at least 55 fatalities, including numerous innocent demonstrators. Over 15,000 people were arrested, many of them ended up in adhesion for the infamous MfS Hachtanstalt Lindenstraße 54.

In the Potsdam memorial, the including ensemble will also list a play entitled "Freiken", which artistically processes the events of the uprising. The musical accompaniment comes from saxophonist Christian Raake, whose sounds are supposed to underline the emotional depth of commemoration.

A look back with foresight

The 1953 protests were triggered by a number of unfortunate circumstances, including an increase in work standards by 10 percent, which brought people to the limits of their resilience. The generation that fought for freedom at the time was mixed and also included many young people who took part in the demonstrations and showed courage. At that time, her voice sounded loud and vividly against the regime. This is supposed to help memory of keeping the memory of it alive.

Thus June 17, not only as a day of the uprising, but also as a day of memory of the victims who are admitted to their beliefs will remain in the memory of people. The city of Potsdam is committed to ensuring that these memories are kept awake and the teachings from the past are also carried into the future.