Commemoration through Glorification?: How the Memory Politics of the SED (1946-1989) turned Clara Zetkin (1857-1933) into a Socialist Heroine

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History (MA)

Groot, Klara de (2023)

Commemoration through Glorification? How the Memory Politics of the SED (1946-1989) turned Clara Zetkin (1857-1933) into a Socialist Heroine

Master thesis | History (MA)

A nation’s identity builds on a common past and traditions. After the Second World War, the newborn government of the GDR had to make a concerted effort to create such traditions, building on the history of the German working class and their leading historical figures. Among them: Clara Zetkin. A dedicated and respected politician in her time, she was made an icon in the GDR, as she was portrayed as an ideal socialist role model and heroine throughout the public sphere, by means of the memory politics of the SED. The biographies, newspaper articles, films, and museums focused on Zetkin, as well as the street signs, statues, banknotes, and awards bearing her name in the GDR created a particular image of the historical figure: a model socialist heroine. This image differs from the historical figure of Zetkin, as some parts have been emphasized, others downplayed, or left out entirely.