West German student movement
West German student movement | |
---|---|
Part of the Protests of 1968 | |
Date | 1968 |
Location | West Germany |
Caused by |
|
Resulted in | Quelling of protests |
The West German student movement (
Background
Political atmosphere
The Spiegel affair of 1962, in which journalists were arrested and detained for reporting on the strength of the West German military, worried some in West Germany that there was a return of authoritarian government. In the fallout of the affair, the suddenly-unpopular Christian Democratic Union formed a political coalition with the Social Democratic Party (SPD), known as the grand coalition.[2]
Critics were disappointed with the parliament's appointment of Kurt Georg Kiesinger as chancellor of West Germany, as he had participated in the Nazi Party during the Nazi regime.[3]
New political movements
Social movements grew as younger people became disillusioned with the political establishment, worrying it was reminiscent of Germany's Nazi past. West Berlin became a center for these movements since many left leaning people would take residence in West Berlin to avoid the military draft that was in effect in the rest of West Germany.[2]
These social movements were also becoming popular among the youth of West Germany. The movements included the opposition to the United States' involvement in the
In 1965,
Protests 1966–1968
The West German parliament had proposed to expand government powers in the
Echoing Marcuse, Rudi Dutschke considered the politically complacent working classes to be a lost cause when it came to revolutionary agitation. Instead, he hoped to build a coalition between Western
In June 1967, during a state visit by the Shah of Iran Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the SDS organized a protest of his visit, criticizing him as a brutal dictator that should not have been welcome in West Germany. The protest was repressed by police and Iranian agents who beat protesters and resulted in the fatal shooting of Benno Ohnesorg. The police officer involved, Karl-Heinz Kurras, was acquitted on the grounds of self-defense. Protests against police brutality erupted across the country and led the mayor of Berlin and the police chief to resign. In the fall of 1967 students established "Critical Universities"; students occupied classrooms and gave critiques of university structure as well as educating other students in New Left thought.[3][1] It was revealed in 2009 that Kurras had been a Stasi informant. Prosecutors revisiting the evidence concluded Ohnesorg had been murdered as a premeditated act, but not enough evidence survived to evaluate whether Kurras was acting under official orders.[12]
On the occasion of Ohnesorg's funeral, a conference was held which is most remembered for a debate between Rudi Dutschke and Jürgen Habermas. Dutschke argued that the time was ripe for students to engage in direct action. Habermas, although generally sympathetic to the student movements, criticized Dutschke's plan as action for its own sake without regard for consequences. When Dutschke would not clarify his stance on employing violence, Habermas accused him of Linksfaschismus ("Left fascism").[13][14][15] Later, during the German Autumn of 1977, Habermas said the charge of fascism had been an overreaction.[14]
At a conference in September 1967, Dutschke and
Attempted assassination of Rudi Dutschke
On 11 April 1968, Rudi Dutschke was shot by the
Emergency Acts protests
In May the West German government considered using the Emergency Acts in response, allowing the Cabinet to suspend
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Protest against the Vietnam War
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Conference to protest the Vietnam War
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Protest march in West Berlin
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Demonstrators in West Berlin
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Vandalized Bild-Zeitung delivery cars
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Protesters with signs
Aftermath
Terrorism
On 22 May 1967,
Political consciousness
Despite the failure of the student movement a change in political consciousness lasted throughout the country. Criticisms of West German officials' ties to the old Nazi Party brought the concept of Vergangenheitsbewältigung (coming to terms with the past) to the forefront of political discussion. Other various left-wing causes also gained popularity and helped solidify a protest culture in Germany.[18]
Those who were involved in the protests of 1968 in West Germany would come to be known as the "1968 generation". Some would develop unique political paths, with some finding roles in government, while others embraced terrorist activities of the Außerparlamentarische Opposition.[4]
See also
- Anarchism
- Daniel Cohn-Bendit
- Elmar Altvater
- Ernest Mandel
- Joschka Fischer
- Marxist Group (Germany)
- Peter-Ernst Eiffe
- Peter Schneider (writer)
- Spaßguerilla
References
- ^ a b c Mund, Heike (4 May 2018). "1968: The year of cultural revolution in postwar Germany". dw.com.
- ^ a b c Steigerwald, David; Albarran, Elena; Davidson, John (4 May 2018). "Time It Was: 1968 Around the World". origins.osu.edu. Retrieved 21 May 2020.
- ^ a b c d Medeiros, Susana (16 November 2012). "German students campaign for democracy, 1966–68". nvdatabase.swarthmore.edu.
- ^ a b "Germany in 1968". mtholyoke.edu.
- ^ JSTOR 421493.
- ^ Zündorf, Irmgard. "LeMO Biografie: Rudi Dutschke". www.hdg.de (in German). Lebendiges Museum Online, Stiftung Haus der Geschichte der Bundesrepublik Deutschland. Retrieved 28 July 2022.
- JSTOR 44254548.
- ISBN 9780822351849.
- ^ "GHDI – Document".
- ISBN 9780822351849.
- ISBN 978-3-426-27752-2, pp. 181-213.
- ^ "Police Covered Up Truth Behind Infamous Student Shooting". Spiegel Online International. spiegel.de. 23 January 2012. Retrieved 25 February 2012.
- ^ ISBN 9781317880493.
- ^ ISBN 9781501336690.
- ^ Berman, Russell A. "From 'Left-Fascism' to Campus Anti-Semitism: Radicalism as Reaction" (PDF). Democratiya. Summer 2008: 14–30.
- De GruyterOnline).
- ^ a b Massimiliano Tomba (14 April 2018). "Hans-Jürgen Krahl: New Emancipative Desires (1943–1970)". Anti-authoritarian Movements in Late Capitalist Society. Viewpoint Magazine. Retrieved 13 February 2022.
- ^ Dilley, Ana (16 July 2019). "Explained: What sparked the protest culture of modern Germany?". thelocal.de.
Sources
- Peter Dohms, Johann Paul. Die Studentenbewegung von 1968 in Nordrhein-Westfalen. Siegburg: Rheinlandia, 2008 ISBN 978-3-938535-53-0
- Martin Klimke, Joachim Scharloth (eds.). 2007. 1968. Ein Handbuch zur Kultur- und Mediengeschichte der Studentenbewegung. Stuttgart: Metzler. ISBN 3-476-02066-5
- Tony Judt. 2005. Postwar: A History of Europe Since 1945. New York: Penguin Group ISBN 1-59420-065-3
External links
- Sources on 1968 in West Germany, from 1968 in Europe – Online Teaching and Research Guide.
- Dossier: 1968 – A Critical Turning-Point by Goethe-Institut (Archive.org's WayBack Machine)