Popular Protest in East Germany

Popular Protest in East Germanyis an incisive new study of dissent and protest in the German Democratic Republic, focusing on the upheaval of 1989-1990. Gareth Dale, an active participant both in the 'Citizens Movement' and in the street protests of that year, explores the causes and processes of the East German revolution by: Drawing upon interviews with participants and functionaries, as well as previously untapped archive material. Includes detailed studies of the popular uprising of June 1953; industrial relations; youth subcultures; church-linked 'grassroots groups' of the 1980s. Proposes new interpretations of the 1953 uprising, the 'socio-ethical' movements of the 1980s, and of the divergence between 'citizens movements' and the mass protests in the autumn of 1989. Includes a rebuttal of the dominant interpretations of 1989 as the consummation of the 'aborted revolution' of 1953. This lucid and vibrant narrative history acts as apioneering contribution to research in this field. It will be of particular interest to students of German Politics/History, European Politics and International Studies.

Gareth Dale is a Lecturer in Politics at the University of Wales, Swansea.