Moment of silence for victims of the uprising in Berlin in June 1953; Photo; Licensed article; Original: 2880×2160; Photographer: Unknown;a0 Licensable; Rights: a9 Bleek/z Media.
Moment of Silence for Victims of the Uprising in Berlin in June 1953
Description
Moment of silence for victims of the uprising in Berlin in June 1953; Photo; Licensed article; Original: 2880×2160; Photographer: Unknown;a0 Licensable; Rights: a9 Bleek/z Media. The photo shows a moment of silence for the victims of the uprising on June 17, 1953, in Berlin. After the violent suppression of the popular uprising by Soviet tanks and the East German security forces, the killed demonstrators were commemorated in West Berlin and the Federal Republic of Germany.
Many people in the western part of the city gathered in silent mourning – whether in public squares, before memorial sites, or during an official ceremony. In West Berlin, such commemorative events took place regularly thereafter, especially on June 17, which was a national day of remembrance in the Federal Republic until reunification, known as “Day of German Unity.”
The popular uprising of June 17, 1953, began as a protest by construction workers against increased work norms, but quickly developed into a broad movement against the communist SED regime in East Germany. The East German government asked the Soviet Union for help, whereupon Soviet tanks moved into Berlin and other cities and bloodily crushed the uprising. Hundreds of people were arrested, many killed.
The photo symbolizes the memory of the courage of the demonstrators protesting for freedom and better living conditions. At the same time, it represents the ongoing division of Germany and the Cold War, which separated East and West for decades.
