35 years ago, Berlin was in turmoil and the centre of upheaval at all levels. In the east of the city and throughout the GDR, people took to the streets, organised themselves, demonstrated and demanded democracy. All of this also took place around the Palace of the Republic, where the 40th anniversary of the GDR was celebrated on 7 October 1989. After the fall of the Wall, the symbolic building of the GDR became the meeting place of the tenth and first freely elected People’s Chamber (parliament) on March 18, 1990 for a short time and thus a place of living democracy. The closure of the palace in the same year led to a further transformation. The empty, slowly decaying shell of the palace came to symbolise the upheavals, disappointments and disillusionment of the unification process of the 1990s.
With the “Transform!” theme days, we look back on the months and years of transformation before and after 1989. In debates (Eine Stunde History / One Hour of History), readings, performances and with music, the Humboldt Forum will be a place of gathering, debate and exchange between the historic dates of October 3rd and 6th. The focus will be on concepts such as change, demand, overload & participation and the questions: What is the future of a united and yet still divided Germany?
For further information please consider the event page at Humboldt Forum.
One Hour of History live. 1949 – 1989 – 2024. Germany writes its constitution
In conversation: Prof. Sabine Böhne-Di Leo, Prof. Dierk Hoffmann, Stephan Krawczyk, Prof. Hedwig Richter, Prof. Andreas Rödder, Markus Dichmann, Dr. Matthias von Hellfeld and Steffi Orbach
Through the Door into the Open. Literary concert with Stephan Krawczyk
Stephan Krawczyk, a trained musician and freelance writer, accompanies himself in his concert reading Durch die Tür ins Freie with guitar, Jew’s harp and a 117-year-old bandoneon. Alternately singing and reading from his texts, he lets the audience participate in the small and big stories of everyday life with his haunting voice and stylistically diverse […]
Everything Remains Different. The impact of 1989 to this day
Moderation: Markus Dichmann; panelists: Dirk Oschmann, Frank Trentmann and Katharina Warda
Just a New Coat of Paint? How the East German province is changing
Moderation: Markus Dichmann; panelists: Uta Bretschneider, Aron Boks and Gregor Sander.
1989. The sun rises in the East
Moderation: Markus Dichmann; participants in the discussion: Zsuzsa Breier, Katja Hoyer and Magdalena Saryusz-Wolska
We Are Here. Arriving and staying in East and West
Moderation: Insa Wilke; panelists: Esther Dischereit, Angelika Nguyen and Julia Oelkers
Gala Gogow
Gala concert by Frank “GALA” Gahler, Georgie “Joro” Gogow, Olli Becker and René Decker.
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