The Tenth World Festival of Youth and Students, GDR 1973

A short look at the festival from the Soviet magazine STP

The main viewing stage in front of the festival logo

From the Soviet press, 1985:

The Tenth World Festival of Youth and Students was held in Berlin, the GDR's capital. from July 28 to August 5, 1973. It was attended by 30,000 envoys from 140 countries. Its slogan was: “For Anti-Imperialist Solidarity. Peace and Friendship!"

Berlin twice hosted world festivals of youth and students. Twenty-two years separated the two forums. The GDR’s prestige on the international scene had grown considerably since the 1951 . Most countries had established diplomatic relations with it. The population’s standard of living had risen, and better conditions had been created for work and recreation. Berlin itself had changed beyond recognition. New blocks of flats had sprung up.

Over 60,000 participants and spectators attended the opening ceremony of the Tenth Festival at the World Youth Stadium on July 28, 1973. For many young people, the one and a half week stay in the GDR was a veritable university. They discovered the world of socialism and found themselves in an atmosphere of friendship which united young people from different countries.

The Festival's rhythm was truly business-like and intense. Its participants spent the first day getting to know each other. The second was a Day of Solidarity with the peoples, youth and students of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia, the third a Day of Solidarity with the peoples, youth and students of the Arab countries for the establishment of a lasting and just peace in the Middle East.

Tens of thousands of festival participants gathered in Berlin's squares and streets to mark the Day of Solidarity with the peoples, youth and students struggling for national liberation, independence, democracy and social progress. Speakers at these meetings pointed to young people’s responsibility in the struggle against colonialism, racism and imperialist oppression.

Many young Africans came to Berlin straight from Tunisia, where they had just attended the First All-Africa Youth Festival. Important discussions held there had greatly impressed them.

Reactionary forces attempted to oppose the First All-Africa Festival to the Tenth World Youth Festival, to split young people and make African youth renounce the anti-imperialist struggle for freedom, independence and progress. However, the anti-festival propaganda and the attempts to set young Africans against their coevals in other countries fell through.

Nearly all delegates from African countries said that the First All-Africa Festival was a stage in the preparations for the Tenth World Youth Festival, and that it helped to bring them closer together on the basis of anti imperialist principles.

The Festival sponsors devoted one of its days to the struggle for peace, international security and cooperation. Peace is needed by all, especially by those who have a long path ahead of them i.e. millions of young people on Earth. This idea keynoted speeches at a mass rally in Bebelplatz, the discussion on “Youth Struggle Against Imperialism’s Attempts to Destroy Peace and Erect Obstacles in the Way of the Peoples’ International Struggle Security Cooperation,” as well as at the seminar ”For Peace, Security and Cooperation in Europe”.

In their speeches on the day which was held under the slogan “The People, Youth and Students of the GDR Are Building Socialism", young people accused imperialism of crimes against youth and all humanity and also stressed that the world of violence and oppression was countered by the world of freedom and social justice - the world of socialism. It culminated in a procession in which over half a million young people took part.