Contentious Memories: Looking Back at the GDR

Who is remembering the German Democratic Republic, and how do they go about it? This volume of contentious memories brings together essays and critical responses in a look back at three aspects of GDR studies. It presents an opportunity for self-reflection on German Studies’ past and ongoing engagement with the GDR and post-unification transformations. It seeks to evaluate old questions and raises new ones concerning the historical knowledge of GDR culture and our interpretations of it. Finally, it examines blindspots and self-deceptions of the past as well as those forming all too quickly in the present. Characterized by a self-awareness and historical understanding that is often neglected in the current tendency to write off the GDR, this collection marks a milestone in the (re)assessment of GDR studies in North America.