Socialist Prussia"? Destruction and r ehabilitation of the "Prussian myth" in the GDR (1945-1990)

The paper deals with the GDR historical policy, with an emphasis on dynamics of “Prussian myth“ as a complex of narratives forming an image of the Kingdom of Prussia as one of the most influent German states of modern era. The purpose of the paper is to give an assessment to the evolution dynamics of the “Prussian myth” status in ideology, propaganda and mass culture of the republic, and its influence on “new German national identity” within the period between 1949 and 1990. The following sources became subject to study: printed media (predominantly SED newspaper “Neues Deutschland”, and also regional newspapers as “Markische Volksstimme” and “Das Volk”); National Defense Council meeting minutes, Constitutions of the GDR from 1949 and 1968 (and its renewed version from 1974); movies and TV series shot in the GDR and referring to history of Prussia and its role in Germany; major works of GDR historians devoted to Prussian history; publications on these issues in West German media (e.g. “Der Spiegel”), also referring to an image of the GDR as “Socialist Prussia” through the eyes of the non-German tourist. Negativism towards “Prussian myth” and “Prussian heritage” was selective during the first two decades of existence of GDR, and mostly demonstrative, aimed to suppress the status of Prussia in the GDR history. Exclusion of Prussia from German history in GDR failed during Walther Ulbricht's regime, evolving into resurrection of “Prussian” elements in National People's Army first, and then into integration of the historical narratives dealing with Prussian history into ideology, propaganda and myth-making, often placing Prussia higher, than other East German provinces having a statehood experience. A “resurrected Prussian myth” referred to an image of a German state struggling against the dominance of continental powers, an image of a state turning the ideas of progress, equality and reforms into practice and obtaining a really people's army (since the early 19^th century). SED and its propaganda started using the historical and intellectual heritage of the kingdom as a positive element of East German historical memory. Nevertheless, this ambitious project did not succeed due to strengthening the ambivalence of SED ideology and growing competition with West Germany for the right to proclaim itself a successor of Prussian positive heritage. Despite that fact, it contributed to attempts of Erich Honecker to establish an independent foreign policy of GDR within Socialist Bloc, also contradicting to the USSR postulates (e.g. Brezhnev doctrine) in such issues as the German problem in post-war Europe, and also put a strong impact on the position of Prussia in historical memory of Germans after 1990.

Keywords

Authors

References