Umkämpfte Vergangenheit

This book presents the first comprehensive account of the historical-political debates on the SED dictatorship in the Federal Republic of Germany in recent years.

The thematic scope ranges from the controversy surrounding the transfer of the files of the GDR State Security Service to the Federal Archives to the disputes surrounding the Hohenschönhausen memorial in Berlin, the discussions surrounding the decision to dissolve the Historical Commission of the SPD party executivethe debates surrounding the planned monuments to freedom and unity in Berlin and Leipzig, as well as the struggle for a 'Campus of Democracy' and a 'Forum for Freedom and Civil Rights'. a 'Forum for Freedom and Civil Rights'. It also takes a critical look at the discourse surrounding the activities surrounding the rebuilding of the Potsdam Garrison Church and the question of an 'East German elite'.

The future-oriented thoughts focus on new approaches, formats and interpretations of contemporary history, especially for the next generation. Based on the analysis of the achievements and limitations of the forms of historical-political work practised to date, considerations are developed here for the consolidation of a democratic culture of history within the framework of future projects such as the 'Foundation Places of German Democratic History' and a 'Future Centre' for European transformation and German unity after the Peaceful Revolutions in Central Eastern Europe.