Wernfried Hübel

Schutzwall

The 5th anniversary of the inner-German wall to West Germany and West Berlin is on the agenda. The necessity of erecting the border is illustrated by comparing the situation in 1939 and the situation in the summer of 1961 with regard to the "threat of intervention" by the Western powers. Berlin people and GDR border guards are interviewed.

Vom Lebensweg des Jazz

A look at the history of jazz, which has its origins in the music of Africans enslaved to North America 300 years ago.

1952 - Das entscheidende Jahr

Presentation of the economic upswing in the GDR, emphasizing the discovery of the process for the production of high-temperature lignite coke and the commissioning of the Lauchhammer large-scale coking plant.

Wilhelm Pieck - Das Leben unseres Präsidenten

Basing his work on documentary material, Andrew Thorndike tells the life story of Wilhelm Pieck: from young worker to fighter for the German working class, and from enemy of national-socialism to the first president of the German Democratic Republic.

Helgoland dem Frieden

Under the sign of the swastika, it was, amongst other things, turned into a naval base, it got heavily destroyed in two waves of attack in April of 1945 by British bombers. After the war, Heligoland was made available as bombing training ground for the English army by the West-German government. Seven young people occupied the isle and began to repair the emergency shelter for sailors who got in danger. This and further major actions eventually ended the bombing exercises. Back then, the watchword was: “Heligoland to the Germans! “ – “Heligoland for peace!”