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Protecting the Environment. We fight for every millimeter

Poster
1990 (designed and printed)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This is a campaign poster issued by the Green Party and the Independent Women's Union for the first and only free parliamentary elections ('Volkskammerwahl') in East Germany (GDR-German Democratic Republic) on the 18th of March 1990. The elections took place between the fall of the Berlin Wall in November 1989 and the reunification of East and West Germany.

Designed by Matthies Holger the poster (and others issued by the Green Party) constitute the first attempt to carry the message of environmentalism into official GDR politics, although the appeals are quite general. The Green Party in East Germany had access to the resources of a wide network of European green parties and organisations. This resulted in one of the most technically polished of the posters produced for this election.

The text on the poster states: 'Umweltschutz - wir kämpfen um jeden Millimeter', referring to 'protecting the environment - we fight for every millimeter'.

The Green Party was founded in November 1989 from GDR green movement. Politically the party was close to the alliances of the citizen's movement. In 1993 the Green Party merged with Bündnis 90 to form Bündnis 90 /Die Grünen ('Alliance 90/The Greens'). At the Volkskammerwahl (Public Chamber election) the Green Party ran for office in an alliance with the Independent Women's Union.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Titles
  • Protecting the Environment. We fight for every millimeter (generic title)
  • Pro-democracy Poster Collection (named collection)
Materials and techniques
Colour offset lithograph on paper
Brief description
Poster, lithograph, 'Protecting the Environment. We fight for every millimeter', issued by the Green Party and the Independent Women's Union for their campaign for the first free parliamentary elections in the German Democratic Republic (GDR), GDR, 1990
Physical description
Poster
Dimensions
  • Height: 84cm
  • Width: 59.3cm
Marks and inscriptions
  • 'Umweltschutz: wir kämpfen um jeden millimeter'
    Translation
    'environmental pretection - we fight for every millimeter.'
  • Grüne Partei Unabhängiger Frauen Verband
  • Hauptgeschäftsstelle Grüne Partei. Friedrichstr. 165. Berlin 1080, Design: Holger Mathies (along right-hand side)
Object history
This object is part of a group of graphics inspired by the pro-democracy movement in East Germany in 1989 and 1990, which saw popular demonstrations result in the overthrow of the Communist government, led by Egon Krenz, culminatinng in the free elections of 18 March 1990. All the material, which covers a wide range of the political parties and movements that took part in these events, was gathered by V&A Curator Margaret Timmers in East Berlin in the week preceding these elections.
Summary
This is a campaign poster issued by the Green Party and the Independent Women's Union for the first and only free parliamentary elections ('Volkskammerwahl') in East Germany (GDR-German Democratic Republic) on the 18th of March 1990. The elections took place between the fall of the Berlin Wall in November 1989 and the reunification of East and West Germany.

Designed by Matthies Holger the poster (and others issued by the Green Party) constitute the first attempt to carry the message of environmentalism into official GDR politics, although the appeals are quite general. The Green Party in East Germany had access to the resources of a wide network of European green parties and organisations. This resulted in one of the most technically polished of the posters produced for this election.

The text on the poster states: 'Umweltschutz - wir kämpfen um jeden Millimeter', referring to 'protecting the environment - we fight for every millimeter'.

The Green Party was founded in November 1989 from GDR green movement. Politically the party was close to the alliances of the citizen's movement. In 1993 the Green Party merged with Bündnis 90 to form Bündnis 90 /Die Grünen ('Alliance 90/The Greens'). At the Volkskammerwahl (Public Chamber election) the Green Party ran for office in an alliance with the Independent Women's Union.
Collection
Accession number
E.2067-1990

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Record createdFebruary 23, 2009
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