Estranged yet entangled

Abstract

The contributions in this volume demonstrate that taking the GDR seriously as an autonomous historical actor (rather than as a mere footnote of history) opens up new perspectives on German-German history as much as it informs us about developments behind the Iron Curtain. As is often the case, public discourse about the past is often animated by current events to romanticize the past. Rather than rely on the vagaries of collective memory, scholars must remain committed to reconstructing the history of the GDR. It is the aim of this joint project, predominantly featuring the work of historians from Germany and the United States, to contribute to this effort. Together, these articles and the reflections on them remind us that the division of Germany was never as complete as it seemed. Even when the two Germanies were the most estranged, they remained very much entangled with each other.