What happened in the GDR on June 17 1953?

In memory of the 1953 East German uprising, West Germany established the Day of German Unity as an annual national holiday on 17 June. Upon German reunification in October 1990, the holiday was moved to 3 October, the date of formal reunification.

Why was there an uprising in East Germany in 1953?

On June 16, 1953, workers in East Berlin rose in protest against government demands to increase productivity. Within days, nearly a million East Germans joined the protests and began rioting across hundreds of East German cities and towns.

How many defectors crossed Berlin in 1953?

A total of 229 people – just 4.6% of attempted escapees, representing less than one in twenty – made it across the border fence.

What did the DDR stand for?

The German Democratic Republic
About Studies on the DDR. The German Democratic Republic (DDR) was a socialist state founded in 1949 as a democratic, antifascist reaction to the Second World War.

Who dug tunnel 57?

Klaus Von Keussler: The Story of A Tunnel Digger In 1964, Klaus von Keussler helped 57 people escape from East Berlin by way of an underground tunnel.

What was Ukraine before the Soviet Union?

The Ukrainian War of Independence of 1917 to 1921 produced the Free Territory of Ukraine, Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic (in 1919 merged from the Ukrainian People’s Republic and West Ukrainian People’s Republic) which was quickly subsumed in the Soviet Union.

How was the DDR formed?

After tensions arose between Soviets and the Western powers, the German Federal Republic (FRG, commonly known as West Germany) was created out of the American, British, and French zones on September 21, 1949.

What was life in the DDR like?

In the GDR, work had been so much more than a source of income; life revolved around the workplace. Companies often had their own singing or sports clubs, and their own childcare and health services. My dad, a metal worker, lost his job after the unification. It was a shock – he felt guilty and ashamed.