Memorial hour in Herne: CDU remembers the GDR uprising of 1953!

Memorial hour in Herne: CDU remembers the GDR uprising of 1953!

On Tuesday, June 17, 2025, the CDU parliamentary group will hold a memorial hour in Herne to commemorate the courageous people who protested for freedom and justice in the GDR on June 17, 1953. The event takes place in front of the Herner Town Hall at Friedrich-Ebert-Platz 2 and is aimed at all interested citizens. Bettina Szelag, the CDU mayoral candidate, will give the commemorative speech on this day. This tradition of commemoration is very important in Herne in order to keep the memory of the victims of the popular uprising alive, as halloherne.de reports.

The popular uprising in the GDR began as an outraged protest by workers and quickly developed into nationwide mass protests when people took to the streets against state arbitrariness and oppression on June 17, 1953. This survey was the first of its kind in the Soviet Union's sphere of influence. In view of the poor economic situation and the impending supply catastrophe, triggered by the heavy reparation payments to the Soviet Union and the mismanagement of the Socialist Unity Party (SED), people were more than ready to stand up for their rights, reports the Federal Agency for Civic Education.

Causes and course of the uprising

The trigger for the protests was a 10 percent increase in labor standards passed on May 28, 1953, which sparked nationwide outrage. As early as June 16, 1953, around 10,000 people gathered in East Berlin to demand that the increase in standards be withdrawn. Since its founding, the SED has had to struggle with popular discontent and supply shortages. In less than three weeks, 182,000 East Germans had already fled to the Federal Republic, a sign of the ongoing resentment that erupted on June 17, as ndr.de notes.

On the morning of June 17th, gigantic demonstrations formed in over 700 cities and towns. With over a million participants, they not only demanded the reversal of the increase in labor standards, but also free elections, the resignation of the SED government and the withdrawal of Soviet troops. Particularly violent clashes took place in cities such as Berlin, Halle and Leipzig, where party houses were stormed and bloody confrontations broke out.

Consequences and commemoration

The SED regime responded to the protests with the most brutal violence. On the same day, Soviet troops intervened and declared a state of emergency, which applied in 167 of 217 rural and urban districts. At least 55 people were killed and many were arrested. During this time, over 10,000 people were imprisoned, and the military justice system convicted around 1,800 protesters by 1955(bpb.de).

June 17th was declared “Day of German Unity” in the Federal Republic of Germany and remains a national day of remembrance to this day. Even though it was officially abolished as a public holiday in 1990, it continues to be honored in many cities with various events and commemorative campaigns such as the one in Herne.

In this context, the CDU's memorial hour in Herne is important to keep alive the memory of the courage of the people who risked their lives for freedom and democracy. Such events offer the opportunity not only to reflect on the events of 1953, but also to think about the meaning of freedom and justice today.