GN 3513 Keywords

Kunst / Kultur

Bertolt Brecht – Playwright and poet known for his poem “An die Nachgeborenen” and the development of epic theater.

Paul Celan – Romanian poet who wrote “Todesfuge” about his experience in the Holocaust

Georg Grosz – Expressionist artist known for his painting “Eclipse of the Sun”

Caligari und Weimarer Kino – Expressionist films that were often critical of German ways of life and the remembering of World War I.

Comedian Harmonists – A group of male singers who were very successful during the Weimar Republic. Their career ended in Nazi Germany due to the affiliations of many of the members with Jews.

Siegfried Kracauer – Film theorist who wrote about the social attitudes presented in Weine’s Film in his book From Calgari to Hitler

Thomas Mann – Intellectual known for his satirical novel Der Zauberberg, which deals with the psychological state of Germans after World War I.

Leni Riefenstahl – Filmmaker known for his propaganda film Triumph des Willens

Volksgemeinschaft – Term coined by the Nazi party to explain the superiority of the German “race” and its biological separation from Jews

Entartete Kunst – „Degenerate Art“: A term coined by the Nazi party in their effort to censor media and modern art such as expressionism, impressionism, surrealism, and new objectivity.

Wolf Biermann – Songwriter and poet in the DDR whose works were critical of the East German government. The DDR banned his music and performance and later expatriated him.

Werner Herzog –

Rainer Fassbinder – Famous filmmaker of the New German Cinema movement in Wast Germany known for examining queer identity in his films.

Ton Steine Scherben – German New Wave punk band, known for their highly political lyrics and support of the squatting movement in their song “Rauchhaus Song”.

Ernst Nolte + Juergen Habermas – Historians in the BDR who debated how the Holocaust should be remembered and compare to other genocides.

Neue Deutsche Welle – A movement in West German music which primarily featured singing in German and minimalist, social critical lyrics.

Nena – Band in the Neue Deutsche Welle known for their song “99 Luftballons”.

Falco – Austrian singer in the Neue Deutsche Welle known for his song “Der Kommissar”.

Politik

SPD / KPD / NSDAP

SED

CDU

Versaillervertrag – Treaty marking the end of World War I and the defeat of the Weimar Republic.

Kaiser Wilhelm II – Last German emperor who led the German Empire during World War I.

Friedrich Ebert – Reichskanzler of Germany after Wilhelm II fled during the social rebellion of sailors.

Erich Ludendorff – Successful General and eventually lead policy make during WWI who later worked to promote Nazi ideas.

Gustav Stresemann – German chancellor know was known for creating political stability during his short reign and the Dawes Plan.

Dawes Plan – Reduced the reparations that Germany would have to pay after their defeat in WWI.

Locarnovertrag – Treaty that helped create peace in Europe after WWI and allowed Germany to join the League of Nations

Paul Hindenburg – Reichspräsident who represented the old monarchy in the new German republic and was responsible for the collapse of the parliament.

Adolf Hitler – Dictator of Nazi Germany

Joseph Goebbels – Reich Minister of Propaganda under Hitler

Reichstagsbrand – The burning of the Reichstag 4 weeks after Hitler became chancellor, which he used to declare an emergency decree and start eliminating political opponents.

Ermächtigungsgesetz – Acts which allowed Hitler to rule for 4 years without intervention from the parliament, effectively eliminating the Reichstag.

Kristallnacht / Novemberpogrome – A night of violence against Jewish homes, businesses, and synagogues.

5 Ds – Denazifierung, Demilitarisierung, Demokratisierung, Demontage und Dezentralisierung: The allies‘ and USSR’s plan to deal with Germany after WWII.

Berliner Luftbrücke – The allies‘ response to the USSR’s attempt to claim West Berlin through a blockade.

Marshallplan – The allies‘ plan to provide economic aid to West Germany through a currency reform and the creation of occupation zones.

NATO – Military alliance joined by West Germany

Warschauer Pakt – Military alliance joined by East Germany

Konrad Adenauer – First chancellor of the BRD and member of the CDU who worked to stabilize the West German economy.

Ludwig Erhard – Second chancellor of the BRD and member of the CDU responsible for the Wirtschaftswunder and coined the phrase “Wohlstand für alle”

Walter Ulbricht – Politician in the DDR who worked to merge the KPD and SPD and later was responsible for the building of the Berlin Wall.

Willi Brandt – Chancellor in the BRD known for his work to improve diplomatic relations with East Germany.

Helmut Kohl – Chancellor in the BRD and later all of Germany who oversaw the end of the Cold War and the reunification of Germany.

Erich Honecker – General Secretary of the DDR known for his repressive rule. However, he opened up trade and travel ties to West Germany.

Perestroika + Glasnost – “Transparency and reconstruction”: terms coined by Gorbachev in his effort to reform East Germany.

2+4 Vertrag – Foreign policy agreement which aided the reunification of Germany, ordering the removal of Soviet troops and the dissolvement of the DDR.

Zivilgesellschaft / Aktivismus

Rosa Luxemburg – Prominent proponent of socialism in the Weimar Republic who helped found the Spartakusbund who was arrested and murdered by the Freikorps during a socialist revolt.

Karl Liebknecht – Leader of the SPD and founder of the Spartakusbund and KPD who was arrested and murdered by the Freikorps during a socialist revolt.

Freikorps – Nationalist paramilitary units who fought against the Spartakusbund and other left-wing movements.

Spartakusbund – Marxist revolutionary movement created by SPD members during WWI.

Kiel Mutiny – Revolution by German sailors during WWI who refused to go on a “suicide voyage.” They took over many workers’ and soldiers’ councils across Germany, leading to the German Revolution and the establishment of the Weimar Republic.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer – Priest who spoke out against Nazi ideology as shown in one of his essays “Who Can Resist Temptation?” His involvement in a plot to overthrow Hitler led to his imprisonment and execution.

Weisse Rosa – Intellectual resistance group who anonymously spread leaflets speaking out against the Nazi party.

Hans und Sophie Scholl – Students at the University of Munich who established the Weisse Rosa.

Außerparlamentarische Opposition – Student protest movement against the Große Koalition of  the SPD and CDU led by Rudi Dutschke.

Rote Armee Fraktion (RAF) – Communist and anti-imperialist urban guerrilla and terrorist group in West Germany whose acts led to the national crisis known as the “Deutscher Herbst”.

Ulrike Meinhof, Andreas Baader, Gudrun Ensslin – Founders of the radical RAF who were later imprisoned to solitary confinement.

Rudi Dutschke – Student who charismatically led protests against the Vietnam War and other movements by students, promoting the “march through the institutions”.  

Friedensbewegung – A series of protests against the occupation of West Germany by the allied forces containing. Die Grünen played a large part in this movement.

Montagsdemonstrationen – A series of demonstrations in the DDR against the poor treatment of workers by the government. Their slogan was “Wir sind das Volk”.