Echoes of the past: How Germany's Peaceful Revolution in 1989 and its remembrance affect democracy today

35 years after the Peaceful Revolution in Germany, official historio­graphy presents it as a success story. It should serve as a role model for future generations, be remembered accordingly and inspire democratic partici­pation. However, this narrative has not gone unchallenged. For example, some actors of memory politics portray it as unfinished business, thereby disavowing its successful outcome. Others explain the end of the GDR and German reunifi­cation as the result of internal reform efforts or nego­tiations between elites. We assume that these different interpre­tations have different effects on pro-democratic attitudes. The project “Echoes of the Past” therefore empirically investi­gates what Germans know about the Peaceful Revolution, which narratives exist explaining the events and what effects these have on democratic attitudes. We also want to find out which forms of communication (commemorative speeches, eye­witness accounts, etc.) are best suited to achieve positive effects. Methodo­logically, the project uses a combination of surveys and survey experiments.

Image: Leipzig, remembrance event on Augustus­platz on October 9, 2009. Charlotte Noblet via flickr/CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.