Hitler's policies and the Second World War left Germany in a shambles. Many Germans had died in the war and its cities lay in ruins. Germany’s post-war fate would be determined, in large part, by the chilling of relations between the democracies of the West and the communist government in Moscow. By 1949, the Federal Republic of Germany became the self-governing democratic state, known as West Germany, but the German Democratic Republic, known as East Germany, remained under Soviet control. In 1961, the Communists built a barrier to stem the tide of refugees escaping from East Berlin to West Berlin. The Berlin Wall symbolized not only the split in the Two Germanys, but also the ideological split between democracy and communism. When the threat of Soviet intervention in East Germany abated in the late 1980s, demands for freedom and democracy forced open the Berlin Wall. The Fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 also represented the fall of the East German Communist Party and the government was forced to resign. Now Germans became more determined to reunify their nation.

You will be assigned topics that reflect the issues arising in during the period of the division of Germany after the Second World War and following the end of the Cold War. Use what you have learned to write a speech in which you explore how the performing arts, such as theater, music, and dance have been shaped by and also reflect the political changes in Germany since 1945. To prepare your speech, you will research the division of Germany and its eventual reunification as well as the recent developments in one of the following: German theater, music, or dance.

Look at the photograph below. Answer the following questions on a separate sheet of paper.

Beethoven Monument in Bonn. Photo by Eckhard Bernstein

• What does this statue of Beethoven tell you about the pride Germans feel for their cultural heritage?
• As a nation looks to its past for feelings of pride and patriotism, what contradictions might Germans feel?

Use the World Cultures Today articles listed below to research the aftermath of the Second World War. Examine the Timeline. As you read, keep your assigned topic in mind. Remember that your speech will need to include specific details from your readings.

Use the 2-Column Table to organize your information. Use column headings Period of Two Germanys and Reunited Germany. In each column, write facts about the corresponding topic. Write your speech. Practice your speech with a partner.

You will have 5 minutes to deliver your speech to the class. Use effective speech techniques such as even pacing, appropriate intonation, and good eye contact.

Your teacher will use these questions to assess your speech:

• Does the content of your speech include specific facts and examples?
• Do you make clear connections between Germany’s political history and the arts?
• Do you speak clearly and effectively?
• Does your speech engage your audience?