Tales of That Day

Abstract

The account of the uprising of 17 June 1953 found in the state media, history books and school textbooks of the GDR was not the only version of the events officially available to citizens. Up to 100 novels featuring scenes of the unrest or making reference to it were published in the GDR (Bruhn, 2003, pp. 57–9). Two films and one television drama also depicted the unrest. The very nature of these accounts as works of ‘historical fiction’ sets them apart from the history books. In contrast to the history books, they present the thoughts, feelings and emotions of their characters during or in reaction to the events. However fictitious these may be, they contribute to the creation of an historical narrative that penetrates the imagination of the reader. In other words, these aspects add a human quality to the historical narrative, bringing it to life and making it more real to the reader or viewer than a dry textbook account. For many this makes history more accessible, meaning that works of historical fiction are often regarded as ‘extremely influential and effective transmitters of historical understanding’ and the ‘most potent shapers of the general historical consciousness’ in societies (Wills jnr., 1984, pp. 38–46). The availability of these works in the GDR also sets them apart from the sources previously examined. In comparison to the history books, whose older editions were periodically removed from circulation, these novels remained available to citizens in libraries and bookshops from the date of their publication to the end of the SED regime (see Appendix B for publishing and distribution details of the novels and films considered in this chapter).