Parchim preserves GDR history: street names with a moving past

Parchim preserves GDR history: street names with a moving past

in Parchim, a city with a changeable history, the street names combine the present with the GDR past. The meaning of these names goes far beyond everyday, they reflect political epochs and social ideals. As the Nordkurier tells many of these names of socialist thought core and anti-fascist martyrs.

The ** Otto-Nuschke-Straße ** is particularly concise. It is one of the few names that openly refer to the policy of the GDR. As chairman of the East CDU, Otto Nuschke was a central figure of his time and symbolically stands for the attempt to propagate the unity of Christians and socialists. This street name is a relic of an ideological strategy that aimed to create a broad social alliance under the SED.

street names and their stories

Another important street name is the ** August-Bebel-Straße **, which is named after the co-founder of the SPD. In the GDR, Bebel was glorified as a revolutionary forerunner of socialism. The adjacent residential areas that have arisen in the socialist era give this name a special historical scope.

The ** Fritz-Reuter-Straße ** is reminiscent of a Low German writer who was celebrated in the GDR as a "folk poet". His works were considered to be suitable for socialist ideology. There is also the ** Werner-Cords-Weg **, which is reminiscent of an anti-fascist resistance fighter and occupies a place in the region's memorial.

Although many of these street names are deeply rooted in the Parchim everyday life, their ideological origin often remains in the dark. After reunification, there were renunciations in many cities, but Parchim was characterized by a certain reluctance. While some other place loudly expressed the displeasure of the SED past and renamed numerous streets, the names in Parchim were only entide. The historical importance is largely faded in everyday life.

A look at East Germany

In the entire Eastern Germany, communist street names are still an issue. The Hubertus Knabe shows that many roads are still named after SED icons, including the prominent Ernst-Thälmann-Straße, which even adorns 613 street signs. These names have survived the peaceful revolution of 1989 and the subsequent reunification. Dealing with the street names reflects the relationship to the SED dictatorship and gives an insight into the difficulty of working up your own history.

In Parchim, the memory of history through the street names remains alive. They are part of urban life and a sign that the change in ideals and memories is often a gradual process.