Book Review
Jun. 9th, 2023 09:51 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kenjariBurning Down the Haus: Punk Rock, Revolution, and the Fall of the Berlin Wall
by Tim Mohr
Burning Down the Haus covers the development and activities of the punk scene in 1980s East Berlin. Mohr concentrates on how punk formed the basis for a current of opposition that by the end of the decade brought down both the East German dictatorship and the Berlin Wall. He follows the stories of key figures in the scene and the bands they formed as well as the persecution they suffered at the hands of the Stasi, the East German secret police. While very well-researched, Mohr focuses on storytelling rather than scholarly explication. It makes for exhiliarating reading. The formation of the punk community and the way they were able to mount a collective resistance was fascinating, and shed a lot of light on life in East Germany. As a tale of fomenting resistance to authoritarianism through music and community, it's more than a good story, it's a blueprint.
by Tim Mohr
Burning Down the Haus covers the development and activities of the punk scene in 1980s East Berlin. Mohr concentrates on how punk formed the basis for a current of opposition that by the end of the decade brought down both the East German dictatorship and the Berlin Wall. He follows the stories of key figures in the scene and the bands they formed as well as the persecution they suffered at the hands of the Stasi, the East German secret police. While very well-researched, Mohr focuses on storytelling rather than scholarly explication. It makes for exhiliarating reading. The formation of the punk community and the way they were able to mount a collective resistance was fascinating, and shed a lot of light on life in East Germany. As a tale of fomenting resistance to authoritarianism through music and community, it's more than a good story, it's a blueprint.
