"This will be our freedom!" The GDR popular uprising of June 1953

In June 1953, the SED regime was on the verge of collapse. More than a million people across the GDR demanded its end; only Soviet troops prevented this from becoming a reality. The lecture deals with the background to the uprising: Why did so many people protest? Who took part? What did the rebels hope for and why did they fail? The focus is primarily on small towns and rural regions. They are often overlooked, but played an important role in the events. And what contribution can the popular uprising make to today's culture of remembrance to help us understand concepts such as dictatorship, protest and freedom?

Dr. Jens Schöne studied Modern and Contemporary History as well as English and American Studies at the Humboldt University in Berlin. In 2004, he completed his doctorate at the Free University of Berlin with a study on the collectivization of GDR agriculture. Since 2007, he has been deputy to the Commissioner for the Reappraisal of the SED Dictatorship in the State of Berlin.

Moderator: Sebastian Schiller, Cottbus

The lecture will take place in the Spreekino Spremberg/Grodk from 5:30 - 7 pm. A 40 to max. 45-minute lecture is planned, followed by three quarters of an hour of discussion.

The event is free of charge.

All lectures will be recorded and published on the website. https://www.praesenzstelle-spremberg.de/wissenschaftsjahr

The lecture series will be accompanied by the Berlin Wall Foundation, Prof. Dr. Axel Klausmeier, Director and honorary professor at BTU. The project is part of the Science Year 2024 - Freedom and is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF).

Registration for the lecture