Remembering East Germany's Peaceful Revolution

Data collection


Andrews, M. 2018. Remembering East Germany's Peaceful Revolution. The University of East London. https://doi.org/10.15123/DATA.00000219
AuthorsAndrews, M.
ContributorsAinsworth, Louisa (Rights holder), Droth, Barbara (Project member), Melzer, Vaughn (Rights holder), Murray, Jaime (Producer), Schmitt, Birgit (Project member), Schneider, Kerstin (Rights holder) and Walter, Stefan (Producer)
Abstract

Exhibitions and Symposium based on Professor Molly Andrews' longitutional research project (1992-2012) 'The Unbuilding of East Germany: Excavating Biography and History', in which interviews were conducted with forty East Germans, most of whom had been leading critics of the East German government and had played an important role in contributing to the bloodless revolution of 1989. Twenty years later, a follow-up study was conducted with fifteen of the original forty participants.

Two exhibitions were organized, timed to coincide with the 25th anniversary of the opening of the Berlin Wall: the first in London, at the German Historical Institute (31 October 2014 – 31 January 2015), and the second in Berlin at the Wissenschaftzentrum (12 November 2014 – 31 March 2015).

The exhibitions were organised around four themes that featured in the interviews and explored through multimedia content: the intersection of biographical and historical change (“Generations”); the role of the past in the present (“Representation of East German History”); the meaning of being from East Germany (“East German Identity”); memories of the night the Berlin Wall was opened and subsequent anniversaries of that event (“November 9th”).

The exhibition contained MP3 sound files from the archives and a short video based on the theme of November 9th with extracts of interviews held in 1992 and 2012 with fifteen East German dissidents. The video shows archival footage of the interviewees, as well as of Berlin during the time of the falling of the wall in 1989, and is available from Molly Andrews upon request.

The GHIL exhibition consisted of several largescale panels, designed by Stefan Walter, containing archive images and text based on the longitudinal research.

The exhibition was preceded by a half-day symposium focused on the personal testimonies of three people who had been key activists in the events leading up to the opening of the wall: nuclear physicist Sebastian Plugbeil, architect and green activist Reinhard Weisshuhn, and psychoanalyst and writer Annette Simon. There were two panels organised around the themes of the representation of East German history (chaired by historian Dorothee Wierling) and cultural memory (chaired by psychologist Jens Brockmeier).

Credits:
German project co-ordinator and translator (within interviews): Birgit Schmitt.
Exhibition graphic designer: Stefan Walter.
Exhibition coordinator: Barbara Droth.
Photo archivist: Christoph Ochs, Robert Havemann Gesellschaft.
Portraits: Vaughan Melzer.
Transcriber and translator: Max Haberich.
Filmmaker and subtitles: Barbara Droth.
Exhibition opening photographs: Louisa Ainsworth; Vaughan Melzer; Kerstin Schneider.

Data files
License
CC BY-NC-ND
Data type
Video
File Access Level
Anyone
Data files
License
CC BY-NC-ND
Data type
Video
File Access Level
Anyone
Data files
License
CC BY-NC-ND
Data type
Video
File Access Level
Anyone
Data files
License
CC BY-NC-ND
Data type
Video
File Access Level
Anyone
Data files
License
CC BY-NC-ND
Data type
Video
File Access Level
Anyone
Data files
License
CC BY-NC-ND
Data type
Audio
File Access Level
Anyone
Data files
License
CC BY-NC-ND
Data type
Audio
File Access Level
Anyone
Data files
Data type
Audio
File Access Level
Anyone
Data files
License
CC BY-NC-ND
Data type
Archive
File Access Level
Anyone
Year2018
PublisherThe University of East London
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.15123/DATA.00000219
FunderThe Max Planck Institute
The University of East London
Wissenschaftszentrum Berlin für Sozialforschung
Data collection method

All images used in the exhibition and video were from the archives of the Robert Havemann Gesellschaft Archive in Berlin, except for the colour portraits by photographer Vaughn Melzer, who was commissioned to photograph 15 of the project participants in Berlin. Her colour photographs were part of the exhibition at the GHIL as well as featuring in the short film 'Remembering November 9th' (Droth, 2014: available from Molly Andrews upon request). Photographs from the opening of the WZB exhibition were taken by Louisa Ainsworth, Vaughan Melzer, and Kerstin Schneider. A short documentary video of the symposium and exhibition was created by Jamie Murray of the University of East London.

External resourceEast German History
Remembering East Germany's Peaceful Revolution
Publication dates
Online03 May 2018
Copyright information© Molly Andrews, except WZB Exhibition Opening photographs, 12.11.14 © Louisa Ainsworth, Vaughan Melzer, and Kerstin Schneider.
Permalink -

https://repository.uel.ac.uk/item/86qzz

Download files


Data files
GHILSymposiumPart1HistoricalExperiencesENGLISH.mp4
License: CC BY-NC-ND
File access level: Anyone

GHILSymposiumPart1HistoricalExperiencesGERMAN.mp4
License: CC BY-NC-ND
File access level: Anyone

GHILSymposiumPart2CulturalMemoryENGLISH.mp4
License: CC BY-NC-ND
File access level: Anyone

GHILSymposiumPart2CulturalMemoryGERMAN.mp4
License: CC BY-NC-ND
File access level: Anyone

LondonSlideshow.mp4
License: CC BY-NC-ND
File access level: Anyone

WolfgangEdelsteinWZBOpeningSpeech.mp3
License: CC BY-NC-ND
File access level: Anyone

MollyAndrewsWZBOpeningSpeech.mp3
License: CC BY-NC-ND
File access level: Anyone

JuttaAllmendingerWZBOpeningSpeech.mp3
File access level: Anyone

WZBExhibitionOpeningPhotographs.zip
License: CC BY-NC-ND
File access level: Anyone

  • 532
    total views
  • 184
    total downloads
  • 2
    views this month
  • 0
    downloads this month

Export as

Related outputs

A Chronicle of Mentoring Narrative Scholarship
Andrews, M. 2021. A Chronicle of Mentoring Narrative Scholarship. Narrative Works: Issues, Investigations & Interventions. 10, pp. 96-106.
Migration, Racism and the Hostile Environment: Making the Case for the Social Sciences
Andrews, M., Arnot, M., Anthias, F., Ashe, S., Brah, A., Dona, G., Erel, U., Gidley, B., Humphris, R., Kofman, E., Mondon, A., Murji, K., Phoenix, A., Sigona, N., Squire, C., Targarona, N., Wemyss, G., Winter, A. and Yuval-Davis, N. 2020. Migration, Racism and the Hostile Environment: Making the Case for the Social Sciences. London Social Scientists Against The Hostile Environment.
Narrative and Truth in a World of Alternative Facts: The Moral Challenge for Education
Andrews, M. 2020. Narrative and Truth in a World of Alternative Facts: The Moral Challenge for Education. Journal of Moral Education. 50 (1), pp. 32-38. https://doi.org/10.1080/03057240.2020.1770707
Biographical interviews and imagined futures essay writing: users of two methods in conversation
Crow, Graham and Andrews, M. Biographical interviews and imagined futures essay writing: users of two methods in conversation. International Journal of Social Research Methodology. 22 (6), pp. 557-569. https://doi.org/10.1080/13645579.2019.1610597
Narrative Research
Squire, C., Andrews, M. and Tamboukou, M. 2019. Narrative Research. in: Atkinson, P., Delamont, S., Cernat, A., Sakshaug, J. W. and Williams, R. A. (ed.) SAGE Research Methods Foundations SAGE Publications.
Imagining the 'baffling geography' of age
Andrews, M. 2018. Imagining the 'baffling geography' of age. Journal of Aging Studies. 47, pp. 90-95. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaging.2018.03.003
The Narrative Architecture of Political Forgiveness
Andrews, M. 2018. The Narrative Architecture of Political Forgiveness. Political Psychology. 40 (3), pp. 433-447. https://doi.org/10.1111/pops.12533
Enduring ideals: revisiting Lifetimes of Commitment twenty-five years later
Andrews, M. 2017. Enduring ideals: revisiting Lifetimes of Commitment twenty-five years later. Contemporary Social Science. 12 (1-2), pp. 153-163. https://doi.org/10.1080/21582041.2017.1325923
Popular Representation of East Germany: Whose History is It?
Andrews, M. 2017. Popular Representation of East Germany: Whose History is It? in: Meretoja, Hanna and Davis, Colin (ed.) Storytelling and Ethics: Literature, Visual Arts and the Power of Narrative Routledge. pp. 174-190
The Unbuilding of East Germany: Excavating Biography and History
Andrews, M. 2017. The Unbuilding of East Germany: Excavating Biography and History. University of East London. https://doi.org/10.15123/DATA.00000213
Political Narratives and "Abraham Obama"
Andrews, M. 2017. Political Narratives and "Abraham Obama". Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Politics. https://doi.org/10.1093/acrefore/9780190228637.013.139
Narrative, imagination and extending visions of the possible
Andrews, M. 2016. Narrative, imagination and extending visions of the possible. Sociétés. 133 (3), pp. 15-20. https://doi.org/10.3917/soc.133.0015
Text in a changing context: Reconstructing lives in East Germany
Andrews, M. 2000. Text in a changing context: Reconstructing lives in East Germany. in: The turn to biographical methods in social science: comparative issues and examples Routledge.
Generational consciousness, dialogue, and political engagement
Andrews, M. 2002. Generational consciousness, dialogue, and political engagement. in: Turner, B. S. and Edmunds, J. (ed.) Generational consciousness, narrative, and politics Lanham, MD Rowman & Littlefield. pp. 75-88
Continuity and discontinuity of East German identity following the fall of the Berlin Wall: A case study
Andrews, M. 2003. Continuity and discontinuity of East German identity following the fall of the Berlin Wall: A case study. in: Gready, P (ed.) Cultures of Political Transition: Memory, Identity and Voice Pluto Press.
Exploring Cross-cultural boundaries
Andrews, M. 2007. Exploring Cross-cultural boundaries. in: Clandinin, J (ed.) Handbook of Narrative Inquiry: Mapping a Methodology SAGE. pp. 498-512
East Germany: The contested story
Andrews, M. 2007. East Germany: The contested story. in: Shaping history : narratives of political change Cambridge University Press. pp. 114-147
Against Good Advice: Reflections on conducting research in a country where you don't speak the language
Andrews, M. 2009. Against Good Advice: Reflections on conducting research in a country where you don't speak the language. in: Life Story Research SAGE.
Narrating Moments of Political Change
Andrews, M. 2014. Narrating Moments of Political Change. in: Nesbitt-Larking, Paul, Kinnvall, Catarina and Capelos, Tereza (ed.) The Palgrave handbook of global political psychology Palgrave. pp. 353-368
Beyond narrative: The shape of traumatic testimony
Andrews, M. 2014. Beyond narrative: The shape of traumatic testimony. in: We shall bear witness: life narratives and human rights Madison, WI. University of Wisconsin Press. pp. 147-166
The nice Stasi man drove his Trabi to the nudist beach: Contesting East German Identity
Andrews, M. 2015. The nice Stasi man drove his Trabi to the nudist beach: Contesting East German Identity. in: Marked Identities: Narrating Lives between Social Labels and Individual Biographies Palgrave. pp. 43-57
Fighting for the finest image we have of her: Patriotism and Oppositional Politics
Andrews, M. 1997. Fighting for the finest image we have of her: Patriotism and Oppositional Politics. in: Bar-Tal, Daniel and Staub, Ervin (ed.) Patriotism in the life of individuals and nations Chicago Nelson-Hall.
Maternal counter-narratives reconsidered
Andrews, M. 2004. Maternal counter-narratives reconsidered. in: Considering counter-narratives: Narration and resistance Amsterdam John Benjamins Publishing Company. pp. 51-59
Life review in the context of acute social transition: The case of East Germany
Andrews, M. 1997. Life review in the context of acute social transition: The case of East Germany. British Journal of Social Psychology. 36 (3), pp. 273-290.
One hundred miles of lives: The Stasi files as a people's history of East Germany
Andrews, M. 1998. One hundred miles of lives: The Stasi files as a people's history of East Germany. Oral History. 26 (1), pp. 24-31.
Truth-telling, justice, and forgiveness: A study of East Germany’s Truth Commission
Andrews, M. 1999. Truth-telling, justice, and forgiveness: A study of East Germany’s Truth Commission. International Journal of Politics, Culture, and Society. 13 (1), pp. 107-124.
Grand national narratives and the project of truth commissions: a comparative analysis
Andrews, M. 2003. Grand national narratives and the project of truth commissions: a comparative analysis. Media, Culture & Society. 25 (1), pp. 45-65.
Tackling problems of qualitative social research: A conversation
Ruppel, Paul Sebastian, Dege, Martin, Andrews, M. and Squire, Corinne 2007. Tackling problems of qualitative social research: A conversation. Forum Qualitative Sozialforschung / Forum: Qualitative Social Research. 9 (1).
Biographie und Geschichte: Dynamiken individueller und kollektiver politischer Erzählungen [Problems of biography and history: Dynamics of individual and collective political narratives]
Andrews, M. 2010. Biographie und Geschichte: Dynamiken individueller und kollektiver politischer Erzählungen [Problems of biography and history: Dynamics of individual and collective political narratives]. in: Können Marginalisierte widersprechen? Sozialwissenschaften und politisches Handeln Gießen Psychosozial-Verlag.
Against Good Advice: Reflections on conducting research in a country where you don't speak the language
Andrews, M. 1995. Against Good Advice: Reflections on conducting research in a country where you don't speak the language. Oral History Review. 22 (2), pp. 75-86.
Criticism/self-Criticism in East Germany: Contradictions between theory and practice
Andrews, M. 1998. Criticism/self-Criticism in East Germany: Contradictions between theory and practice. Sociology.
The Seduction of Agelessness
Andrews, M. 1999. The Seduction of Agelessness. Ageing and Society. 19 (3), pp. 301-318.
Forgiveness in Context
Andrews, M. 2000. Forgiveness in Context. Journal of Moral Education. 29 (1), pp. 75-86.
Feminist research with non-feminist and anti-feminist women: Meeting the challenge
Andrews, M. 2002. Feminist research with non-feminist and anti-feminist women: Meeting the challenge. Feminism & Psychology. 12 (1), pp. 55-77.
Breaking down barriers: Feminism, politics, and psychology
Andrews, M. 2006. Breaking down barriers: Feminism, politics, and psychology. Feminism & Psychology. 16 (1), pp. 13-17.
Narrative Research
Andrews, M. 2004. Narrative Research. in: eds Qualitative Research Practice London SAGE Publications.