UCSB Hist 133C Prof. Marcuse
GERMAN HISTORY SINCE 1945 Nov. 5, 1998

Lecture 12: Between Stability and Opposition: The 1960s and 1970s

1. Administrative / Announcements / Preliminary
   • Questions on Term Paper assignment?
   • Tonight, 7pm, Campbell Hall: "The Truce:" Primo Levi's story after he was liberated from Auschwitz
2. 1956-59: East Germany's "golden years"
   • Ulbricht not affected by Khrushchev's anti-Stalin line
   • Second 5-year plan, 1958, changed to seven year in 1959. LPGs: 1958-1960: 37%-86%
   • The Wall: "secret birthday" of East Germany
3. Discussion: "The Promise"
   • How "accurate" is the film?
   • motifs: untied shoes; signing letters
   • "Wendehals" (turn-neck): the Stasi "Betreuer" (literally: caregiver)
   • The personal and the political
     • corruption, blackmail, privilege and enticements
4. The 1960s
   • East
     • population stability 1950-61: 18->17 mio., then stable to 1970. [West 1950-61: 49->64 mio.]
     • equivalent rates of economic growth
     • standard of living (1960, 65, 69; West in 1969)(% of households): TV: 17, 49, 66; 73.
       electric washing machines: 6, 28, 48; 61. electric refrigerators: 6, 26, 48; 84. cars: 5, 8, 14; 47.
     • 1963: 6th party conference of the SED
     • Honecker for Ulbricht, 1971
   • West
     • rapid economic growth
     • educational reform (Berlin Univ. and the Wall)
     • Benno Ohnesorg, Rudi Dutschke (SDS), Kurt-Georg Kiesinger (1904-88), Beate Klarsfeld
     • Hedonism and consumer society (Fress-wave, Travel-wave, Sex-wave). Ulrike Meinhof
       Leistungsgesellschaft, Lustgesellschaft