On 17 June 2023, it will be 70 years since people took to the streets in many places in the GDR - initially to protest against the significant increase in industrial labour standards, food prices and the galloping forced collectivisation in agriculture while living standards continued to fall. Demands for free elections, for Walter Ulbricht to be replaced and for the release of all political prisoners were quickly added to the list. After the declaration of a state of emergency, Soviet tanks rolled through the streets. The uprising was put down by massive military action with the help of the barracked people's police. More than 50 people were killed, about 15,000 people were imprisoned in connection with the uprising and many were sentenced to long prison terms. After the uprising ended, the SED eased the economic pressure, but at the same time expanded the surveillance state. Many East Germans subsequently fled from the unloved conditions to the "West", until this became almost impossible with the construction of "the Wall" in 1961.

Under the motto "DARE FREEDOM!", the Bautzner Straße Memorial together with other cooperation partners is organising a programme of events that commemorates the events of 17 June 1953 and at the same time creates points of contact for contemporary society.

These programme items are offered in the festival hall of the Dresden City Hall or in the surrounding city centre:

10:30 - Staircase
Bringing history to language
Opening performance
Working group 17 June and actors of the Staatsschauspiel Dresden

11:00 - Festival Hall
together.HALT
Contemporary witness slam and mail art on the theme of freedom
Bautzner Straße Memorial e. V. & Kultur Aktiv e. V..

12:00 - Festival Hall
17 June 1953 - A German Date?
Panel discussion with Prof. Martin Sabrow and Dr. Justus H. Ulbricht
Denk Mal Fort e. V.

13:00 - Festival Hall
Basic Law Memory
Political education for all
Herbert-Wehner-Bildungwerk e. V.

14:00 - Festival Hall
"Hey Dresden"
Actively shaping the culture of remembrance in the city
Political Education Forum Saxony of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation e. V.

15:00 - Festival Hall
Witness of the time
Memories and feelings of a contemporary witness
Wilhelm-Külz-Foundation

16:00 - Meeting point Festival Hall
City walk "Dare Freedom!
On the traces of 17 June 1953
[limited number of participants]
Dresdner Geschichtsverein e. V.

Visitors should also be able to become active themselves with easily accessible offers. At the same time, a tour and markings in the public space of the city will draw attention to 17 June 1953.

In addition, large-scale banners will be displayed for several weeks at various institutions in Dresden's cityscape - at the City Museum, the Palace of Culture and the Church of Our Lady as well as at the Bautzner Straße memorial - to accompany the project.

Further information at www.denk-mal-dresden.net

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