Gießen celebrates the unit festival: memories of June 17th alive!

Gießen celebrates the unit festival: memories of June 17th alive!

In Gießen, the day of German unity was recently celebrated with a festive act in the town hall, in which June 17th received special attention. Florian Greiner, Managing Director of the planned learning and memory location at the former emergency shot warehouse, gave the guests present an insightful insight into the history of this important date, which is closely linked to German reunification.

June 17, represented the popular uprising in the GDR from 1953 and was celebrated as the "Day of German Unity" until the reunification in 1990. Mayor Frank-Tilo Reminded at this event by mentioning the famous American actor David Hasselhoff. It is often associated with the fall of the Berlin Wall, in particular through his song "I’ve Been Looking for Freedom", which he sang on the wall in 1989. While Hasselhoff himself emphasizes that the real heroes of the turning point were the people in the GDR, his music still remains symbolic of the longing for freedom and unity in the minds of many Germans.

A look back at the story

Gießen played a central role during the division of Germany. In the past, the emergency shelter in the Meisenbornweg was the largest of this kind in West Germany and became a refuge for many people who fled the political realities in the GDR and other Eastern European countries. Buger found that for numerous people pouring gave hope that they were looking for a new life. For many fleeing ends, the arrival in Gießen was the first step into a safe future.

The mayor also recalled the founding of the camp in 1946, which covers the urgent needs of the Second World War when many refugees from Eastern and Central Eastern Europe came to the camp. Despite the difficult circumstances and the need that the city experienced after the bombing of the Second World War, Gießen quickly became an important point of contact for sales and refugees. Beaker emphasized the need to preserve this story and to raise awareness of the public challenges and conflicts.

The place of learning and memory on the Meisenbornweg, which will soon be opened, is also intended to provide information. In his lecture, Greiner referred to the results of a current survey that made it clear that 59 percent of those surveyed are poor their knowledge of the GDR. This realization is alarming because the knowledge of this formative phase of German history is considered more important.

The relevance of the culture of memory

Greiner would like to establish the place of learning and memory as an institution that not only processes the events of the GDR, but also emphasizes the meaning of June 17 as a symbol of resistance and hope for many people. "It is essential for the young generation to learn something about the dictatorship of the SED", he expressed himself urgently and underlined the importance of dealing with history.

The planned area of learning and memory will be opened on June 17, 2025, in memory of the historical uprising. Greiner encouraged those present to continue the tradition of celebrations around this day and to keep the history alive. In the past time, memory of this day has lost importance among the population, but the new center is intended to help this topic more aware.

The event closed with a common vocals in which the guests started the national anthem - a symbol of the cohesion and unity of Germany. This was not only celebrated by October 3, but also the importance of June 17th was not forgotten.

This change of perspective and the engagement for the processing of history characterize casting, and the work of remembrance helps to understand and appreciate future generations. Further information can be found on this topic www.giessener-allgemeine.de .