Street names in Schwerin: contemporary witnesses in GDR history

Street names in Schwerin: contemporary witnesses in GDR history

Schwerin, Deutschland - In Schwerin, the street names are not only addresses, but living witnesses in history. They reflect political eras, social ideals and historical memories. The past of the GDR has found its place in many of these names, and they tell stories of socialist thought core to anti -fascist martyrs. Nordkurier reports that many Schwerin are hardly confronted with the ideological origin of their streets.

The names of streets like the Rosa-Luxemburg-Straße , which was named after the co-founder of the KPD, are reminiscent of an icon of revolutionary socialism. Luxembourg was worshiped in the GDR and represented the claim to continue the revolutionary labor movement. The Rudolf-Breitscheid-Straße is named after a leading Social Democrat, which was murdered in the Buchenwald concentration camp in 1944. He is also honored in the GDR as an anti -fascist martyr, although his political orientation did not match that of the SED. These streets are part of a memory policy that put the resistance to National Socialism in the foreground.

local heroes in the cityscape

names such as the Fritz-Reuter-Straße and the Otto-Welzien-Straße also testify to the anchorage of local personalities in the memory of the city. Reuter, a Low German writer, was celebrated in the GDR as a "folk poet", even if his works were not of socialist origin. Weltzien, on the other hand,, a communist resistance fighter, is considered an hero of the anti -fascist struggle. This shows how the GDR recognized not only national heroes in its culture of remembrance, but also local personalities.

The street scene of Schwerin has also changed. After reunification, the former GDR street names were changed in many cities in order to reflect the political upheaval. Around 30 streets were renamed Schwerin, but some names remained, such as Rosa-Luxemburg-Straße . An investigation from 2004 showed that numerous SED names are still present. In contrast, many of these names were stored in large cities like Leipzig.

The story in silence

Overall, the street names in Schwerin are part of a historical narrative that often only seems quiet in the background. The memory -political function of these names is unmistakable: they should not only convey honor and recognition, but above all keep the memory of the ideological past alive. The examination of these streets and their origins can contribute to reflection and critical dialogue about one's own history. Hubertus Knabe point out that the road racing often also goes into the personal feeling of people and reflect their relationship to the GDR dictatorship.

The naming of streets according to significant personalities and historical events is not just part of the cityscape, but an invitation to deal with one's own history. At a time when the GDR's memory fades particularly in the younger generations, it could make sense to actively approach these memories. The GDR Museum offers exciting insights into the development and change of the road racing over the years.