Translating the GDR
Narrative Authority and the Politics of Memory in Unified Germany
Keywords:
German Democratic Republic, History as Translation, Historical Narratives, Memory Studies, Oral History Interviews, Translation and InterpretingAbstract
This paper examines the historiography and memory politics surrounding the German Democratic Republic (GDR), using the concept of ‘narrative translation’ to analyse how dominant post-unification frameworks have recontextualised the socialist past. Drawing on Hayden White’s theories of historical narrative and cultural translation, the study investigates the dominant narratives surrounding the GDR alongside counter-narratives such as Ostalgie and personal testimonies. Oral history interviews with East German translators and interpreters provide the main empirical focus, offering insight into how these professionals experienced the reevaluation of their expertise and values during the Wende. By integrating translation studies, cultural memory theory, and oral histories, the paper explores how certain representations of the GDR have become more privileged while others have been marginalized. In doing so, it considers the value of more plural translations of the socialist past and reflects on the relevance of this framework for other post-socialist or post-colonial contexts.Downloads
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