Flags hoist on June 17th: commemorate the 1953 folk riot!
Flags hoist on June 17th: commemorate the 1953 folk riot!
Ost-Berlin, Deutschland - On Tuesday, June 17th, the anniversary of the popular uprising in the GDR will be celebrated in Germany in 1953. On this day, the Federal Ministry of the Interior demands that all federal authorities are flagged with flags. This also applies to corporations, institutions and foundations under public law under the supervision of the federal authorities. An urgent reminder to the events that took place in the former GDR when around one million people protested against the socialist state.
But what exactly happened on June 17, 1953? According to the Schwäbische Zeitung this was not just just any protest, but the first major popular uprising in the area of power of the Soviet Union. The uprising manifested itself in nationwide mass protests that culminated on June 17. However, the socialist unit party (SED) reacted with brutal approach and had demonstrators beaten down with the help of the Soviet military.
The background of the uprising
Before the uprising, people in the GDR had to suffer from massive economic problems and supply bottlenecks. This resulted in more than 180,000 East Germans left the GDR in 1952. When the SED wanted to increase the work standards by 10 percent on May 28, 1953, the resentment of the population came up again. On June 16, the party took back this increase, but that did not calm the minds. On June 15 and 16, workers called on large construction sites in East Berlin to the general strike, which ultimately mobilized countless people in over 700 cities and municipalities. The protesters not only called for the resignation of the government, but also the unity of Germany and free, secret elections.
The large wave of protests reached its climax on the morning of June 17, when demonstration trains moved through the streets, while the situation was increasingly out of control. According to the Federal Center for Political Education " storm. However, the hope of changes was suddenly ended by the intervention of Soviet troops that imposed the state of emergency. This condition was in 167 of 217 districts and city districts of the GDR and led to more than 10,000 arrests within a few weeks.
the consequences and the day of commemoration
The violent suppression also left its mark on the following period. In the end, at least 55 people were dead, including both demonstrators and relatives of security organs. The repression against the participants of the uprising meant that many of their freedom were robbed. In the Federal Republic of Germany, June 17, 1954 was celebrated as a holiday and day of German unity, while the SED was played down as a "fascist coup". After reunification, this date officially lost importance and was deleted from the holidays in 1990, but remains a national day of commemoration.
June 17th is not just a date in the calendar, but a symbol of the struggle for freedom and self -determination, which began in the GDR. Today, it can be said, we are reminded of where we come from and how important it is to stand up for our values. That is why the flag is being raised again this year - a gesture of memory and respect for all those who stood for their beliefs.
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| Ort | Ost-Berlin, Deutschland |
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