Scars of Communism

Museum Exhibit

Marx, Engels, and the Red Terror

Marx

Karl Marx's was heavily influenced by and influenced many socialist revolutionary concepts of his day. He is the prominent figure in the start of modern communism establishing his now infamous "Communist Manifesto". Socialist leaders of today still cite his works even though his ideologies were the basis for murderous totalitarian regimes across the globe.

Engels

Friedrich Engels was a well known philosopher that introduced the notion that all systems are derived through class struggles. His work focused on the oppression of the victims of society and how a government could be formed to best meet the needs of the oppressed.

Red Terror

The Bolshevik revolution in Russia, inspired and based entirely on Marx and Engels teachings regarding communism, lead to years of violent and often deadly suppression of the Russian people. Lenin sought complete control of the Soviet leadership, forming a secret police and starting mass surveillance to quell dissent.

The Holodomor and the Gulags

Holodomor

The Holodomor was the starvation and systematic persecution of the Ukranian people through the early days of the Soviet Union. Stalin worked to implement the Socialist Utopia that required a heavy handed state implementing many new resettlement programs of the farming class.

GULAG

The GULAG concentration camp system was the most expansive forced labor system in the history of the world. This program was established in locations of extremely harsh conditions in Siberia and required 12-14 hours of labor per day nearly every day of the week.

Berlin Wall and Eastern Bloc

Hungarian Revolution

In 1956, the democratic election resulted in the communists losing very key positions and the majority. As the Communist Leadership was heavily backed by the Soviet Government in Moscow, they were emboldened to not recognize the results and ultimately crack down on those that eventually rebelled agains the puppet regime.

Berlin Wall

In 1962, seemingly overnight the East German government erected a wall around all of West Berlin. Berlin having been split for Allied occupation after WW2, had a growing divide in ideologies that culminated in the East German government (a puppet regime of the Soviets) walling off any hopes of Germans seeking freedom in the West.

Local Heroes

Many within our local communities in Eastern Nebraska served during the height of the Cold War. Some carry very personal stories of the Berlin Wall and even artifacts from that time. Listen/Watch this segment on several recounting their experiences in Western Europe at that time.

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