"The Tragedy of "June 17

The Teutonic Day of Infamy An anniversary of a great importance that was once solemnly commemorated in the West, especially in divided Germany, the Cold War's frontierand scorned in the Communist world-passed last year with little notice. "Der 17. Juni." "June 17"-was famous in the German-speaking world, just as well known as "December 7" or "September 11" have become to different generations of Americans. Like those two dates fixed in recent American history, "June 17" was a date for Germans that needed no year to identify it: everyone of a certain age regarded it as a symbol of moral courage and brave dissent. It was variously spoken in sad or wistful or even defiant tones, for it was a multivalent talisman: a testament to German working-class heroism, a mark of Communist treachery, a black book of Stalinist tyranny

Development economics · Economic history · Economics · Political science · Social science · Sociology · Tragedy (event) · Communism, Protests, Social Movements · European history and politics · German History and Society · History