17 June 1953: A Symbolic Talisman of Opposition in the GDR?

Abstract

The ghost of the uprising of 17 June 1953 and the possibility that it might one day happen again haunted the SED regime until its demise in 1989. The fear of a repetition of the June uprising led the Party to monitor closely the mood of its citizens and take the necessary action to crush discontent. This is exemplified by the much less often quoted reply that Minister for State Security Erich Mielke received from his officers in 1989 when he asked about a possible repetition of 17 June 1953: ‘That won’t happen tomorrow. That’s why we are here’ (Eisenfeld, 2005, p. 359). The state’s monitoring of citizens took many forms, from reports on discussions in factories made by FDGB officials, to the covert bugging of the homes of suspected ‘provocateurs’ by the Stasi. The regime took particular note of any reference to the 1953 uprising made by its citizens. It perceived that memories or awareness of the events might inspire further unrest. The Party and its organs were particularly vigilant to this around the anniversaries of the uprising each year. Accordingly, the state security services and armed forces annually undertook massive operations on and around 17 June in order to nip any potential unrest in the bud.