Memory is a Weapon
Ton Steine Scherben’s Use of WWII Memory in the Political Upheavals of the 1970s
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21836115 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Sidney König (corresponding author) |
| Year | 2021 |
| Volume | 15 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Publication date | 2021-12-01 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Music and Politics (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1938-7687 • E-ISSN: 1938-7687 |
| Publisher | University of Michigan Library (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.3998/mp.9460447.0015.205 |
| OpenAlex | W3214726519 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 5 |
This paper examines the relationship of 1970s German "Agit-Rock" band Ton Steine Scherben with the memory of WWII. I use this as an entry point to a more general consideration of the role of WWII memory in pre-unification West German society and of the contribution of popular music to an interrogation of the political status of such memory. Throughout their career, the "Scherben" have made continuous implicit or explicit references, in songs, interviews and other media, to the horrors of WWII and their legacy in the German postwar political and cultural landscape. On the basis of archival materials, music analysis of selected songs, and original interviews with band members, I explain why and how the Scherben used the memory of WWII to further their leftist countercultural agenda, and elaborate on the war's presence (or absence) and relevance in 1970s German society and its implications for the conflicts between war and postwar generations. Narrative analysis will provide insights into the value constructions of the time, identifying the usage of WWII memory as a popular weapon in German political confrontations, and locating the Scherben's role and impact within these conflicts
Economic history · Political science · Politics · Ton · World War II · European history and politics · German History and Society · History · Law · Literature and Cultural Memory
| Citations per year | 0.33 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2023 - 2023 (1) |
| Highly cited | No |