Newspaper and Rewriting History Flashcards
What was the main national newspaper?
Neues Deutschland
Why was there no competition between newspapers?
All of them were gov funded
What was the only type of western newspaper that was allowed?
Communist
What % of publications were controlled by the SED?
70%
Were the publications of church organisations controlled?
No but they were not allowed to discuss contraversial matters
(Rewriting history) how did the SED’s rewriting of history give the GDR more legitimacy?
Promoted the idea that the creation of the GDR was a logical outcome of a historical process.
(Rewriting history) give an example of the SED reinterpreting history. How was this reinterpretation used?
Example- emphasis on class struggles of the C16th like the peasants’ revolt.
To promote a sense of national identity
(Rewriting history) why was the SED initially anxious to downplay Germany’s militaristic past? Give an example of downplaying it.
The militarism led to Nazi Germany
Example- removed an equestrian statue of Frederick the Great
(Rewriting history) How did Honecker’s reaction to Frederick the Great differ from Ulbricht’s? What was the impact of Honecker’s reaction?
He backtracked on Ulbricht and applauded Frederick the Great
Led to confusion as to what East Germans were meant to believe about their history
