Claus-Jürgen Göpfert & Bernd Messinger
The Year of Revolt: Frankfurt, 1968
non-fiction
304pp (62,000 words), with numerous illustrations and facsimiles
>> On the 50th anniversary of the protests of 1968
The protests of 1968 permanently altered the German political, cultural and social landscape, and nowhere did they leave more profound marks than in Frankfurt am Main. The demands made there by the extra-parliamentary opposition and the students of Goethe University significantly shaped the life of the city.
THE YEAR OF REVOLT depicts the events of the years 1967–69, drawing on interviews with contemporary witnesses and introducing the prominent figures of the era, including politician Daniel Cohn-Bendit, publisher KD Wolff, artist Thomas Bayrle and author Arno Widmann. Separate essays focus on the women’s movement and the music of 1968.
What remains of the political, social and cultural upheavals of 1968? Which of the activists’ achievements are threatened by right-wing populism today? The authors discuss these questions in a concluding chapter. The book is illustrated with numerous photographs, many published for the first time since 1968.
Reviews
»Strongly recommended, not only for Frankfurt readers.«
Hessenschau (TV)
»An exemplary account of that year.«
Nils Bremer, Journal Frankfurt
»This book shows how difficult it was to pave the way to a liberal society, and how we must turn a watchful eye so these central values will not be buried again.«
Simon Broll, Hessischer Rundfunk (TV)
»An exciting review of the events of that time through the eyes of those who actively witnessed them.«
Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung