A Study of the East German Exit Movement and its Backgrounds

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26370869
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: History of Europe and America
• Research Institution: Tohoku University (2016); Tokyo International University (2014-2015)
• Principal Investigator: Aoki Kunihiko 東北大学, 経済学研究科, 名誉教授 (70004207)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: 東ドイツ / 出国運動 / ベルリンの壁 / ローザ・ルクセンブルク / ケネディ / ゴルバチョフ / ウルプリヒト / ホーネッカー

Outline of Final Research Achievements

1) In Kennedy’s 1963 speech delivered in Berlin, a new strategy was proposed against the Communist bloc which included concern for human rights. We can look at this strategy as a forerunner of the CSCE process. 2) Rosa Luxemburg thought that “Freedom for people who think differently” is essential not only for the socialist revolution, but also for the social development in general. Her Words encouraged the East German exit movement strongly. 3) Gorbachev was an Heir of Brezhnev’s policy on East Germany, though he got well-known as a great reformer of the Soviet diplomacy.

Free Research Field

東欧近現代史、比較経済体制論