From debris to party beats: how the fall of the Berlin Wall shaped techno music

Abstract

This research paper analyzes how techno music was used as a political tool to reunify Germany after the fall of the Berlin Wall. To answer this question, I studied the history of the Berlin Wall and music policies in East and West Germany during the Cold War period. Then I looked at the reunification era and explored the invention of techno music, and its trends from the 1990s to the 21st century. I found techno music reclaimed the geographical locations that once represented a divided country, but now are places where both East and West Germans come together. These findings can be used to show how music is / has been a form of activism, and it also can be used to explore how Germany fostered a cultural identity after years of contention. Keywords: Political Science, Germany Identity, The Cold War, Political activism, Music