ABSTRACT
In cold-war Berlin, the pursuit of hegemony not only took place in the realm of the virtual-symbolic disputes but also expressed itself in real, physical conflict. Despite some local opposition, West Berlin authorities had implemented a West German ban on FDJ uniforms, with the result that the police had powers to arrest young people wearing blue shirts. In East Berlin, the festival coordinator and youth organization leader, Erich Honecker, was under sustained criticism from fellow Politbüro members for his poor organization of the festivities and the lack of discipline demonstrated by his FDJler. As the evidence of the complex borderscape shows, the situation at the border generally acted as a barometer for cold-war tensions. At times, the two sides attempted to deescalate tension and to try to restore some semblance of normality. The Food Relief Program was controversial because it deliberately destabilized an already weak East German government.
