"Der Druck war nicht zu halten, es hätte nur eine militärische Lösung gegeben." (Egon Krenz)"Alle standrechtlich erschießen, die unsere Partei in eine solche Schmach gebracht haben!" (Bernhard Quandt)
"Wenn ich ein Idiot bin, muss die Partei darüber befinden." Wolfgang Junker
Following World War II, the area that was Germany was divided into four military sectors controlled by France, the United Kingdom, the United States and the Soviet Union. On May 23, 1949, the sectors controlled by France, the United Kingdom and the United States became the Federal Republic of Germany. On October 7, 1949, the sector controlled by the Soviet Union became the German Democratic Republic, which in Germany is generally referred to as the DDR (Deutsche Demokratische Republik).
The two countries developed very different political and economic systems and, due to the political tensions in post-war Europe, there was little contact between the inhabitants of the two countries. Life in the DDR was characterized by harsh repression against political adversaries. Thousands of inhabitants were kept under intimate surveillance by the infamous East German secret police, the Stasi (Staatssicherheit). At least 137 people died trying to escape from the DDR.
On September 4, 1989 citizens of Leipzig protested peacefully against the DDR government. More so-called “Monday demonstrations” soon took place in other cities across the DDR. The protests called for political reform and to open the borders.
Quite unexpectedly, on November 9, 1989, the checkpoints between the two countries were opened and people were allowed to travel freely. This date marked the "fall" of the Berlin Wall. In no time, the GDR collapsed like a house of cards. These events lead to fundamentally political change in the GDR. Finally, Germany's unification became official on October 3, 1990.
"Der Sound des Untergangs" is a compilation of audio recordings from the last meetings of the SED Central Committee from October to December 1989: Tumultuous scenes, emotional speeches, dramatic debates, desperate rescue attempts... documents from the inner circle of the SED power before the fall of their leaders.
Der Sound des Untergangs (The Sound of Doom)
(256 kbps, front cover included)
2 Kommentare:
Wie man in den Reden und Gespächsdokumenten hören kann, war Krenz ja ein größerer Kotzbrocken, als ich mir bisher gedacht hatte. Sehr interessant, diese Zusammenstellung.
Ja, so hatte ich ihn vor dem Hören dieser Hörmontage auch nicht wahrgenommen.
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