© University of Reading 2006 www.reading.ac.uk13 April 2023

Anti-Fascismin the GDR and DEFA

Richard McKenzie

Introduction• What is Fascism?• Anti-Fascism in the GDR• Denazification in the GDR• Anti-Fascism in DEFA• Icons of Resistance• Where are the Jews?• Non Icons of Resistance

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Describe Fascism

• How would you describe Fascism?

• How would you describe Nazism?

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Fascism in Communist Terms• 1935 Fascism Described as:

“…the open terrorist dictatorship of the most reactionary, most chauvinistic and most imperialist elements of finance capital. The most reactionary variety … is the German type of fascism.

German fascism is acting as the spearhead of international counter-revolution, as the chief instigator of imperialist war, as the initiator of a crusade against the Soviet Union,…”

• Georgi Dimitrov -The Fascist Offensive and the Tasks of the Communist International in the Struggle of the Working Class against Fascism (http://marxism.halkcephesi.net/Dimitrov/works/1935/08_02.htm#s2 accessed 1/1/2010)

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Fascism in Communist Terms• Capitalism = Imperialism = Fascism

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Anti-Fascism in GDR• Using a communist point of view describe anti-

fascism.

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Anti-Fascism in GDR• “Foundational Fiction” of GDR

• Driven by SED resistors– Underground– In KZ– In Exile

• GDR: A new type of state not connected with German’s Capitalist past

• Centrality of Soviet Union

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11951 DDR Political Poster

Denazification in GDR

• Left Wing Split healed 1946 merger of KPD and SPD to form SED

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Anti-Fascism in GDR• Konrad Wolf “Es gibt keinen Sozialismus ohne

Anti-Faschismus” (Heinze und Ludwig, 1985,339)

• “Ost Deutschland [hat] [...] der Faschismus für immer beseitigt, weil seine ökononmischen Bedingungen nicht länger fortexistierten. [die DDR] proklamerte sich selbst als DEN antifaschistischen Staat auf deutschem Boden[...]“(Kannapin, 2001, 22).

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Political Implications• What do you think the political implications of

the DDR’s Anti-Fascism were?

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Political Implications• Germany “liberated” by

Soviet Union

• Not responsible or guilty for war

• Other Germany “fascist”

• Fascism caused by capitalism

• Friend/Foe mentality11

11956 DDR Political Poster

Anti-Fascism in DEFA• What do you think the implications of the

political anti fascism were for GDR film makers?

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Anti Fascist Film

Purpose• “honest confrontation” (Wolfgang Staudte) with

the past• Provide socialist explanation and remedy for

past• Provided a way of integrating former soldiers in

to new state• Bound new state to Soviet Union

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Anti-Fascism in DEFA

• “Die DEFA begann ihren Weg mit Filmen, die es sich zur Aufgabe machten, das Bewusstsein für die eigene Vergangenheit zu wecken. Sie könnte nur bewältigt werden, wenn Klarheit über die Ursachen, Zussamenhänge und Triebkräfte gewonnen wurde, die diese Entwicklung bewirkt hatten”

1973 GDR Ministry of Culture (Barnert,2008,11)

• “ Meinen Kollegen und mir lag sehr am Herzen, ein echtes Gefühl groβer leidenschaftlicher Sympathie für die Sowjetmenschen zu wecken[…]“ Konrad Wolf (Neues Deutschland, 3/1/1968). 14

Anti Fascism in DEFAElements

1. Male Stories

2. Hierarchy of Victims

3. Socialist Experience and support

4. Division of “Good” German and “Bad” German

5. Bildungsprozess and recognition of mistake

6. Expression of grief for loss of war

7. Role of Soviet Union in liberation

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Antifascism in DEFA• Who do you think were the victims of the

National Socialist regime?

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Icons

• Germans as victims of Nazis

• Socialist Resistance

• Socialist camp victims

• Spanish Civil War• Socialist Exiles• Thälmann

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11945 SBZ Political Poster

Non Icons

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• Non Socialist Resistance

• Other Allies• Non Socialist

victims of National Socialism

Anti Fascist Film History

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1945

1947

1949

1951

1953

1955

1957

1959

1961

1963

1965

1967

1969

1971

1973

1975

1977

1979

1981

1983

1985

1987

1989

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

4.5

Anti Fascist Film History

• Wave 1 • Wave 2

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Lamprecht Irgendwo in Berlin 1946Staudte Die Mörder sind unter uns 1946Maetzig Ehe Im Schatten 1947Maetzig Die Buntkarierten 1949Staudte Rotation 1949Maetzig Der Rat der Götter 1950

Beyer Nackt Unter Wölfen 1962Kunert Besondere Kennzeichen: Keine 1956Wolf Genesung 1956Beyer Zwei Mutter 1957Wolf Lissy 1957Wolf Sterne 1959Wolf Leute mit Flügeln 1960Wolf Professor Mamlock 1961Beyer Königskinder 1962Kunert Das Zweite Gleis 1962Kunert Die Abendteuer des Werner Holt 1965Kunert Die Toten bleiben jung 1968Wolf Ich War Neunzehn 1968Beyer Jakob der Lügner 1975Wolf Mama Ich lebe 1977Beyer Der Aufenthalt 1982Beyer Der Bruch 1989

Conclusions• GDR defines itself as an Anti-Fascist State• DEFA’s role to support Anti-Fascist rhetoric• Films show WWII experience from Socialist point

of view and provide socialist solutions• Omit range of popularly accepted figures in

German wartime narrative

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