According to the Tagesspiegel, the commemoration took place in the state parliament. Liedtke called the uprising of June 17, 1953 a “key event” and an important sign of the desire for freedom and democracy. Woidke warned in a statement that the citizens’ rebellion was “no distant historical act” but a warning for the present.
Seventy-three years ago, around one million people in about 700 locations in East Germany took to the streets to protest the political and economic situation. What began as spontaneous strikes developed into an uprising in which people demanded freedom and German unity. The East German leadership and Soviet occupation forces violently suppressed the protests.
At least 55 people died at the time, around 15,000 were arrested, and about 1,500 of them were later convicted. At the memorial ceremony, Liedtke asked: “How courageously do we stand up for democracy today, do we use our freedom to shape a good, happy life?” She pointed to achievements such as free elections, independent courts, and freedom of opinion, press, and travel.
“We can be proud of that in Eastern Europe, in a historically grown togetherness,” the parliament president said. Woidke added: “Freedom and democracy must be defended and are anything but a given.” Both politicians emphasized the continuing importance of remembrance for today’s society.
Source: www.tagesspiegel.de
