There has been a lot of discussion in recent months about how quickly entertainment culture can become a political argument. The prime case was only a few decades ago: During the Cold War, border traffic between the Federal Republic and the GDR was a highly competitive complex – but also a lively channel of communication through which explosive diplomatic material could often flow surprisingly freely. SZ feuilleton author Joachim Hentschel has now presented the book “Then we are heroes”, which tells the story of the German-German pop culture exchange in a way that is both vivid and profound. Conversations with many contemporary witnesses and protagonists from both sides form the basis for this historical report, which reveals many unknown backgrounds and cross-connections. And seemingly familiar episodes such as Udo Lindenberg’s controversial GDR concert and the street riots around Berlin’s 750th anniversary are reopened again. At the end there is the big question: Did rock ‘n’ roll help bring down the wall? It has not yet been answered more comprehensively than here.
Joachim Hentschel: Then we are heroes – How German politics was made with pop music over the wall. Rowohlt, Hamburg 2022. 416 pages, 26 euros.