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To reach the source one must swim against the tide

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

This is a campaign poster issued by 'Bündnis 90' (Alliance 90) 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.

This black lithograph on a yellow background depicts a large arrow made up of smaller arrows pointing in the opposite direction. Below is a text stating: 'Um an die Quelle zu kommen, muß man gegen den Strom schwimmen', which means 'to reach the source, one must swim against the tide'.

Alliance 90 came together for the People’s Chamber elections. It consisted of different groups emerging out of the Citizen's Movement. These were: 'Neues Forum' ('New Forum'), 'Initiative für Frieden und Menschenrechte' ('Initiative for Peace and Human Rights') and 'Demokratie Jetzt' ('Democracy Now'). Later on Bündnis 90 became a political party. On 14th May 1993 it aligned with the party 'Die Grünen' ('The Greens) to become 'Bündnis 90/Die Grünen' ('Alliance 90/The Greens').

The Alliance did not do well at the elections for the People's Chamber, although it had been representatives from these groups who managed to provide the moral and intellectual basis for the 'Wende' ('turnaround), often by overcoming state repressions. They were the negotiators at the 'round tables' and provided the basis which led to overthrow of the GDR-system and ultimately the GDR itself.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Titles
  • To reach the source one must swim against the tide (generic title)
  • Pro-democracy Poster Collection (named collection)
Materials and techniques
Lithograph printed in black and yellow on paper
Brief description
Poster, lithograph, 'To reach the source one must swim against the tide', issued by the 'Alliance 90' for their campaign for the first free parliamentary elections in the German Democratic Republic (GDR), GDR, 1990
Physical description
Black printed on yellow paper. Shows a large arrow made up of small arrows pointing in the opposite direction.
Dimensions
  • Sheet height: 40.6cm
  • Sheet width: 28.7cm
Sheet: 40.6 x 28.7 cms
Marks and inscriptions
  • 'Um an die Quelle zu kommen, muß man gegen den Strom schwimmen'
    Translation
    'to reach the source, one must swim against the tide'
  • Bündnis 90 Bürger für Bürger Neues Forum
  • 'Stver' - illegible signature (signed upper right)
Object history
Item Provenance: Provenance: Mr Stefan Landshoff, Main Stream promotion, Hamptstrasse 56, D-1000 Berlin 62, Germany.

The image is used on a smaller scale on posters E.3061 and E.3067-1990. For information about New Forum and Alliance 90 please see notes for E.2123 and 2140-1990 respectively.
Subjects depicted
Summary
This is a campaign poster issued by 'Bündnis 90' (Alliance 90) 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.

This black lithograph on a yellow background depicts a large arrow made up of smaller arrows pointing in the opposite direction. Below is a text stating: 'Um an die Quelle zu kommen, muß man gegen den Strom schwimmen', which means 'to reach the source, one must swim against the tide'.

Alliance 90 came together for the People’s Chamber elections. It consisted of different groups emerging out of the Citizen's Movement. These were: 'Neues Forum' ('New Forum'), 'Initiative für Frieden und Menschenrechte' ('Initiative for Peace and Human Rights') and 'Demokratie Jetzt' ('Democracy Now'). Later on Bündnis 90 became a political party. On 14th May 1993 it aligned with the party 'Die Grünen' ('The Greens) to become 'Bündnis 90/Die Grünen' ('Alliance 90/The Greens').

The Alliance did not do well at the elections for the People's Chamber, although it had been representatives from these groups who managed to provide the moral and intellectual basis for the 'Wende' ('turnaround), often by overcoming state repressions. They were the negotiators at the 'round tables' and provided the basis which led to overthrow of the GDR-system and ultimately the GDR itself.
Collection
Accession number
E.3077-1990

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Record createdFebruary 23, 2009
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