Today is day 176 of my exile.
Exile 176.
Nineteen seventy-six.
In Germany, East and West still stand side by side, connected by treaties and separated by systems. In the Federal Republic, Helmut Schmidt is confirmed in office in the fall, while economic uncertainty and the aftereffects of the oil crisis shape politics. Stability remains the goal, yet it is the result of constant negotiation between parties, interest groups, and international obligations.
In the GDR, the Ninth Party Congress of the SED marks a claim to continuity and socialist unity. At the same time, the self-immolation of Pastor Oskar Brüsewitz in August shows how intense the tensions between the state and the church have become. In November, singer-songwriter Wolf Biermann is expatriated after a concert in the West, a step that triggers international reactions and makes internal dissent visible. Decisions by individual leadership bodies have effects far beyond the moment.
Across the world, balances of power are shifting. In the United States, Jimmy Carter wins the presidential election and announces a foreign policy more strongly focused on human rights. In China, the devastating Tangshan earthquake and the death of Mao Zedong shake the country, while succession questions usher in a new phase. In South Africa, the Soweto uprising exposes the brutality of the apartheid regime and intensifies international isolation.
Political systems appear stable, yet beneath the surface expectations, loyalties, and power constellations are shifting.
Exile 176.
A year in which decisions and upheavals alike prepare the course of the coming decades.
Exile Chronicle
All previous (from 130 – earlier entries are on X/Twitter) and ongoing entries of my Exile Chronicle are collected and documented here:
👉 https://marlas.army/exil-chronik/
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