Berlin

Ever since last spring’s class when we devoted a great deal of time to the subject, I’ve been fascinated by the uprisings on June 17^th, 1953 in East Germany to the oppression of socialism. Berlin as a divided city is a subject I’m certain many of my peers will choose to explore, but this event in particular is one most interesting to me. Although the movements themselves originated outside the city, the culmination of the movement occurred in Berlin, where thousands marched against soldiers and tanks. Many more were arrested and either sentenced to death or Siberian concentration camps. West Berliners met many of the protesters as they made their way through West Berlin, and the event was widely covered and supported in West Germany. What was surprising as I learned about this movement, along with its causes and consequences, was how I had never even heard of it before we covered it in class. Considering how well known the Berlin Wall is in modern culture, it’s amazing that Americans aren’t more familiar with this uprising. A popular resistance against an oppressive regime should ring all too familiar for those of us even just casually versed in American history, but unfortunately the events of that June day remain yet another nearly forgotten historical event for many of us. I would hypothesize that fewer people than ideal are familiar with the movement because it wasn’t responsible for the downfall of socialism in East Germany. Often times, our cut and dry culture of wins and losses views history too stringently and doesn’t consider greater significance when observing a historical event. Maybe if more people understood the stakes of the resistance and what it meant for both East Germans and the SPD (the ruling party of East Germany) at the time, they would have a greater appreciation for the event. I’m already looking forward to visiting the spot in Berlin where thousands of people marched in support of freedom despite the danger and certain 

consequences.

Protesters on June 17th attempt to take on a Russian tank. 

East Germans march into Berlin.

            Another topic that interests me about Berlin was its role at the end of World War II. This was yet another topic covered in a class last year that I wasn’t terribly familiar with. When the army invaded the city during the last days of the wars, the citizens of Berlin experienced an absolutely heinous fate. Thousands upon thousands of women were raped by Russian soldiers as the entire city struggle to stay alive in the face of hunger and despair. The destruction of both the physical city of Berlin, along with the physical and emotion damage done to its people, mirrored what the war had done to Germany as a country. For many Berliners, it seemed impossible that things had turned so bad after all the promise and prosperity of the past decade. They had only just recently begun to feel proud as a people again, only to suffer both a figurative and literal destruction of their country, ideals, and identity. In Berlin, this devastation was particularly amplified, with the enemy within the gates and omnipresent in the city. I could not believe the staggering amount of rape and abuse that occurred in just a few weeks—especially considering the “good guys” were the perpetrators. It certainly brings up a number of interesting questions. For example, just because we call ourselves the good guys, does that make it true? From a very early age we’re taught that our country and our allies are the noble and “good” countries of the world, while our enemies are inherently “bad”. I think people who lived in Berlin in April, 1945 might have something to say about that.  

Red Army soldiers place a Soviet flag on the Reichstag building.

Streets of Berlin in 1945.

Stealing bicycles was the lesser of the offenses committed by Soviet forces against the women of Berlin. 

Martin Luther

To this day Martin Luther remains one of the most-widely recognized names in the world. His influence is not just contained to the split in Christianity into Catholics and Protestants, but has also inspired others from numerous religious and non-religious groups to stand against injustice. To the people of 16^th century Europe, and, more specifically, those from German-speaking lands, Luther was the catalyst who triggered a wave of cultural, political, and religious revolutions, whose effects can still be observed to this day.

            

Luther’s impact on the culture of the times was nothing short of dramatic. Living in a feudal system that directly mimicked the relationship peasants were supposed to have with God, many people believed they were simply destined to suffer through life and to take orders from without question. By providing the inspiration for peasants to challenge this way of thinking, Luther suddenly had numbers far greater than he expected on his side—albeit, unintentionally. However, I believe that without the huge response of the peasant class to his writings and beliefs, Luther may not have seen the changes that occurred in the early 16^th century. By putting the word of God into the word of the people, he cut out the need for the church. The peasant wars were an ironic consequence of Luther’s philosophy; however they made dramatic social change possible, which makes them all the more important           

The Peasants' War was one of the unintended consequences of Luther's writings, and had a radical impact on the lives of millions. 

            In Luther’s age, the church was a political machine, often separate from the religious principles it was founded upon. I can’t help but admire Luther’s conviction and bravery in standing up against such an immensely powerful entity, especially considering the consequences at stake. By taking on the Catholic Church, he also took on the aristocracy and their hold on German lands. He challenged not only the hierarchy of the church, but of society as a whole. I think when the lords and kings of various lands saw that the church was being attacked, they too realized they were guilty of persecution and were in just as much danger. Of course, his attack on political power had just as much to do with religion as his changes in culture.

Pope Leo X and the papacy had complete control over the lives of all Christians, and viewed Luther as dangerous threat to their oppression. 

            Finally, Luther most famous revolution took place within religion itself. Nowadays, it doesn’t seem as radical to believe that a person can have a personal relationship with God without the need for organized religion. In fact, people have this exact belief. However, in the 1500’s, this was a heretical belief. People were killed for believing the church wasn’t necessary, and Luther knew this. His conviction was so great, so resolute, that he could not bear to keep his ideas to himself. When learning about Luther last year, I couldn’t really believe that Luther put so much on the line. Of course, I was familiar with his story and the impact he had on Christianity; however, I was unaware just how much he risked. Although he never intended to create an entirely new faction of Christianity, in doing so he made people believe that they didn’t have to listen to any authority—religious or secular—if they didn’t choose to. And this, I feel, is his greatest accomplishment.

            

The fate of most heretics was burning at the stake. Luther took this risk when he nailed his theses to the door. 

Above all, Luther made German people proud to be German. Instead of struggling to learn Latin and leaving the Bible and other texts to be translated by an educated few, Luther made it possible for more people to interpret and make their own decisions. This idea of self-determination has continued to exist in modern Germany to this day, and is directly thanks to conviction of Martin Luther. 

German Identity

While reading this chapter, I was struck by how often the epoch of German cultural identity occurs in German history. In the chapter we read, the concept in question deals with Germany's desire for a unique identity as it separated itself from the Holy Roman Empire. However, even in the 20th century Germany was still fighting the same battle of identity. After the destruction of Germany following the the Second World War, Germany once again found itself at a crossroads. Last May, I did Rall presentation on this particular period in German history, and was instantly reminded of it as I read this chapter. To summarize, after losing two wars and witnessing the fall, rise, and yet another fall of their nation, Germans were left wondering, "Who are we?" In the span of just a few decades, they had gone from a monarchy, to a republic, to a dictatorship, and in 1945 were once again forced to redetermine what it meant to be German.

Soldier returns home after World War II, only to find it's been destroyed. Where does the German identity go from here?

Looking back in history, it's clear that such a question wasn't new to Germans. In the 14th and 15th centuries, Germans were combating the control of the Catholic church in an attempt to determine their own fate. Much like the early years of the American Republic, inner fighting amongst various groups was common as people tried to find some consensus on how to move forward. Of course, most of the fighting only lead to more internal struggle, furthering the divide and making it even more difficult to find a unifying identity. For the Americans, it took a drawn-out, bloody war to finally establish an "American" identity. Germans could very well still be determining their identity. The fall of the Berlin Wall some twenty-five years ago was perhaps the most recent chapter in the search for German identity. In bringing together east and west, along with different ideas of what it means to be German, the country was once again challenged to find some agreement on their collective identity.

Fall of the Berlin Wall: Another challenge for the German identity. 

National identity, regardless of the country, is a long, gradual process that occurs over time and is constantly changing. For Germany and Germans, the development started even before the rise of Christianity and is still happening to this day. However, the seeds that those who called for a change in the organization of German-speaking lands planted many centuries ago have had a profound impact on the modern German identity.

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