Anti-authoritarian movements in West Germany

„1968 was the fall from grace which brought the Germans foreigners, feminism and other horrors“

Rainer Zittelmann

„The spirit of 1968 civilized the Germans“

and „the late 60s are a social refoundation of the republic“

Antje Vollmer

Domestic problems leading to the formation of the APO

• Deployment of nuclear weapons in Germany (1958)

• „The German education catastrophe“ (1964)

• Spiegel affair (1962) – debate about freedom of press

• Grand coalition (1966)

formation of APO 1966

Außerparlamentarische Opposition APO

APO 1966-68

Death of student Benno Ohnesorg 1967

Leader of the student movement Rudi Dutschke

Baader-Meinhof-Gang / Rote Armee Fraktion

• Andreas Baader• Gudrun Ensslin• Ulrike Meinhof

• Train in the Near East (links with PLO)

• Attack Axel Springer (populist editor), US military bases, symbols of capitalism

„German autumn“

RAF trials 1975-77

Second generation of terrorists try to free the accused

They kidnap and assassinate Buback, Ponto and Schleyer in 1977

Anti-nuclear movement

• Oil crisis in 1973: German government decides to build 40 new nuclear power plants

• „If a nuclear power plant was to be built not far from where you live – would you approve or disapprove of it?“

Campaigners in Wackersdorf

Peace movement

Bonn 1983

Die Grünen

• 1983: coalition with SPD in Hessen (Joschka Fischer secretary for the environment)

• 1983: first appearance in Bundestag

• 1998: coalition with SPD in Berlin (Bonn) (Joschka Fischer secretary of state)

Joschka Fischer, secretary of state 1998-2006

Joschka Fischer…

1968

1974

Joschka Fischer…

1986

1998

Squatters in the 70s and 80s

Campaigners (including Heinrich Böll) at Mutlangen 1983

Debate about article 218 / abortion

• 1972 „Stern“debate• 1974 legislation

allows abortion within first three months

• 1975 revocation by Federal Constitutional Court

• 1976 abortion criminal offense unless there is an „indication“

Population change: surplus of births (+) / deaths (-) in the FRG

-200

-100

0

100

200

300

400

500

1960 1964 1969 1971 1972 1978 1990

„Guestworkers“

• 1955: Italy

• 1960:Greece, Spain

• 1961: Turkey

• 1964: Portugal

• 1968: Yugoslavia

Guestworkers in the FRG

Guestworkers in the FRG (mio)

0

0,5

1

1,5

2

2,5

3

1960 1964 1966 1969 1973 1976

Settling in ?

Still a guestworker after 40 years?