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Memories of Anklam's anti-fascist local block: exhibition and tour!
On June 19, 2025, historians in Anklam will remember the post-war period and the founding of the anti-fascist local bloc. Admission free.
Memories of Anklam's anti-fascist local block: exhibition and tour!
On July 14, 1945, just a short time after the end of the Second World War, representatives of the KPD, SPD, CDU and LDP waved the flag in Berlin and founded an anti-fascist democratic bloc. This was the first step towards a political reorganization in Germany, like that Northern Courier reported. The following day this decision became more concrete when the same parties founded a local bloc in Anklam. The leaders included Karl Lawonn and Alfred Hahn from the KPD and Rudolf Klühs and Karl Meier from the SPD.
The founding of this political coalition came at a time of upheaval, which the State Center for Civic Education sees as crucial for the development of political culture. Historian Christoph Wunnicke will shed light on this important era in a third part of a series of events that will take place on Thursday, June 19th, at 6 p.m. in the former Wehrmacht prison in Anklam.
Insights and tours into the Wehrmacht prison
Visitors have the opportunity to take part in a guided tour of the historic building from 5 p.m., led by museum director Sabine Görner. Entry to the event is free, while guided tours are offered at a price of 4.50 euros. The series is organized by the Hanseatic City of Anklam, the Democracy Shop of Anklam and the Historical Association of Anklam and Surroundings, which underlines the importance of these commemorative events.
In the post-war years, anti-fascist parties and trade unions were officially approved in the Soviet occupied zone, starting on June 10, 1945. The founding of the KPD and later the formation of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany (SED) in April 1946 were significant for the political landscape of the time, as the sources of German History Docs show.
Antifascism as a political instrument
Antifascism has fulfilled not only historical functions, but also clear domestic and foreign policy functions. In the GDR it served as a means of isolating the Federal Republic of Germany during the Cold War and stabilizing SED rule. After the fall of communism, anti-fascism remained an important political tool for mobilizing social movements, even if its theoretical foundation was increasingly questioned Federal Agency for Civic Education is critically discussed.
The development of anti-fascism as a leitmotif of GDR identity, as Walter Ulbricht described its central role, illustrates the complexity and change of this ideology over the years. Not only as a reaction to right-wing extremism, but also as a cultural and emotional mobilization tool, anti-fascism has retained its relevance to this day. It is more than just a historical term; it is part of an ongoing discourse about identity and responsibility in German history.
It is all the more important to support events like the upcoming event in Anklam in order to keep memory alive and pass on the lessons of history to future generations.