Minute of silence for victims of the uprising in Berlin in June 1953; Photo; Licensed item; Original: 2880×2160; Photographer: Unknown; Licensable; Rights: © Bleek/zb Media.
Minute of Silence for Victims of the Uprising in Berlin in June 1953
Description
Minute of silence for victims of the uprising in Berlin in June 1953; Photo; Licensed item; Original: 2880×2160; Photographer: Unknown; Licensable; Rights: © Bleek/zb Media. The photo shows a minute 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 GDR 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, in front of memorial sites, or during an official ceremony. In West Berlin, such commemorations took place regularly thereafter, especially on June 17, which was a national day of remembrance known as the “Day of German Unity” in the Federal Republic until reunification.
The popular uprising of June 17, 1953, began as a protest by construction workers against increased work quotas but quickly evolved into a broad movement against the communist SED regime in the GDR. The GDR government called for Soviet assistance, whereupon Soviet tanks rolled into Berlin and other cities, bloodily crushing the uprising. Hundreds of people were arrested, many were killed.
The photo symbolizes the remembrance of the courage of the demonstrators who protested for freedom and better living conditions. It also stands for the ongoing division of Germany and the Cold War, which separated East and West for decades.
