Antifascism and Memory in East Germany: Remembering the International Brigades 1945-1989

by Josie McLellan

Overview

Anti-Fascism and Memory in East Germany is a book about remembering and about forgetting, about war, and about the peace which eventually followed. In the unlikely setting of the German Democratic Republic (GDR), the Spanish Civil War became the subject of a debate which both predated and outlasted the Cold War, involving historians, veterans, politicians, censors, artists, writers, and Church activists. Examining these multiple memories and interpretations of Spain casts new and unexpected light on the legacy of the Spanish Civil War, and the relationship between history and memory under state socialism.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780199276264
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Publication date:	12/16/2004
Series:	Oxford Historical Monographs
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	240
Product dimensions:	8.60(w) x 5.70(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

University of Bristol

Table of Contents

Introduction1. The Odyssey of the German Volunteers2. Strangers in a Strange Land: The Spanienkampfer in Esat Germany3. The Uses of History: The Party Appropriates Spain4. Reluctant Heroes: Veterans and the State Contest the Meaning of War5. Heroes Like Us? The Second Generation Rediscover the Volunteers6. Undiplomatic Statements: Censoring Spain7. Stalinism and SilenceConclusionBibliographyIndex

Editorial Reviews

"Josie McLellan's monograph on German veterans of the International Brigades is a thoughtful and well-researched study of the veteran's experiences in the Spanish Civil War, the memories they shared with close friends and family, and the way in which their personal subjective stories were largely marginalized in the GDR. McLellan's text contributes to a growing literature on political antifascism in East Germany by examining the multiplicity of antifascist memories with the SED. Social and cultural historians as well as literary scholars will certainly benefit from this fascinating text."—H-Net Reviews

From the Publisher