THE ANNIVERSARY POLITICS OF 17 JUNE 1953 SINCE 1990

Abstract

ABSTRACTThis article analyses the politics of anniversaries through examination of the role that the anniversary of the East German uprising of 17 June 1953 has played in German politics since 1990. Prior to reunification, West Germany commemorated the date as the ‘Tag der deutschen Einheit’. This annual public holiday was a chance for politicians to express their views on the possibility of German unification and to lambast the East German regime. After 3 October became the ‘Tag der Deutschen Einheit’ in 1990, German politicians all but ignored the anniversary of 17 June until political commemoration of the date enjoyed a revival in 2003. The article argues for a development of Jeffrey K. Olick's framework of ‘genre memory’ regarding the drivers of political mnemonic activity. It shows that, alongside social and political contexts, the contemporary ‘media context’ and its ability to inspire politicians to commemorate a historical anniversary must also be considered. The technology‐led ubiquity of the media in the twenty‐first century enables them to impact the political‐historical agenda as never before. Moreover, the analysis here reveals that the ‘anniversary context’ of a date must also be taken into account. Political actors can be motivated to commemorate a historical anniversary by its perceived links with other significant dates in the same historical canon.