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Here is a piece of petite histoire I encountered in June 1993 in the archives of the former Socialist Unity Party or Party of Democratic Socialism in what was once East Berlin. It involves Egon Krenzâs efforts, not as brief Minister-President of East Germany after the fall of Erich Honecker, but earlier as leader of the Free German Youth (FDJ), to sponsor rock and roll music in East Germany. Originally such music seemed taboo, but the FDJ decided it had to sponsor discos and rock concerts lest they serve dissent and opposition. The youth organisation became quite proud of all the rockinâ and rollinâ that was taking place under Party auspices, featuring such groups as âRock for Peaceâ. But their real triumph came in June 1988, when they could sponsor Bruce Springsteen in a concert for 150,000 enthusiastic youth in the East Berlin auto-racing stadium. Of course, Springsteen did not keep the regime from collapsing a year and a half later. Perhaps the earlier, stricter youth leaders were correct, and Rock was subversive. In any case the juxtaposition of Krenz and Springsteen sets one to thinking: what relationship exists between the collapse of a stalwart communist regime and
Australian Journal of Politics and History – Wiley
Published: Apr 1, 1995
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