1.

Record Nr.

UNINA9910463692203321

Autore

Olsen Jon Berndt

Titolo

Tailoring truth : politicizing the past and negotiating memory in East Germany, 1945-1990 / / Jon Berndt Olsen

Pubbl/distr/stampa

New York, New York ; ; Oxford, England : , : berghahn, , 2015

©2015

ISBN

1-78238-572-X

Descrizione fisica

1 online resource (276 p.)

Collana

Studies in Contemporary European History ; ; Volume 15

Disciplina

907.2/0431

Soggetti

Collective memory - Political aspects - Germany (East) - History

Memorialization - Political aspects - Germany (East) - History

Historiography - Political aspects - Germany (East) - History

Historical museums - Political aspects - Germany (East) - History

Electronic books.

Lingua di pubblicazione

Inglese

Formato

Materiale a stampa

Livello bibliografico

Monografia

Note generali

Description based upon print version of record.

Nota di bibliografia

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Nota di contenuto

Contents; Illustrations; Acknowledgments; Abbreviations; Introduction: Tailoring Truth in East Germany; Chapter One - Mobilizing Memory in the Soviet Occupation Zone; Chapter Two - The Politics of State Memory; Chapter Three - Emotional Bonds; Chapter Four - Broadening the Historical Roots of the State Narrative; Chapter Five - The Collapse of State-Imposed Memory Culture; Conclusion; Bibliography; Index

Sommario/riassunto

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