Ho Ho Ho Chi Minh

HO HO HO CHI MINH

MICHAEL HERMAN slanted

HO HO HO CHI MINH

MICHAEL HERMAN

“LONG LIVE WORLD PEACE!”

Search for Traces 2008, 2010

Introduction by Michael Herman

With the clear statement “Long live world peace!” H ồ Chí Minh, Vietnamese revolutionary and statesman, closed his speech at the congress of the Vietnam workers’ party in 1960 in the middle of the Vietnam war. His people loved him and called him Uncle H ồ . He served as Prime Minister and as President of Vietnam from 1945 until his death in 1969. Ideologically a Marxist–Leninist, he fought tirelessly against the American intruder and supported the

c ộ ng, an armed communist organization in South Vietnam. The USA wanted to prevent the spread of communism in Southeast Asia. H ồ Chí Minh died of heart failure in 1969 at the age of 79. The final withdrawal of the American troops after twenty years of senseless suffering and the reunification of his beloved homeland, he could not experience anymore. Nevertheless, H ồ Chí Minh set the course for modern socialism. All over the world he became a symbol of the striving for self-determination. Even such a long time after his death the gratitude for his efforts can be seen all over the population.

My trips to Vietnam took place in 2008 and 2010. Originally it was not the aim to search for traces of H ồ Chí Minh’s ideas. But these force themselves on the viewer and you can quickly see them. The pride of the Vietnamese in their “Uncle H ồ ” is not only reflected in the kilometers of queues in front of his mausoleum, but his portrait is also omnipresent. War is still ingrained in society and remains can be found everywhere. Decades after the end of the war, the Vietnamese still proudly wear their uniforms and helmets.

“Nothing is more precious than independence and liberty.”

“The Socialist Republic of Vietnam shall live forever.”

“Man perfects himself in competition.”

“Better to endure death than slavery!”

“You will kill ten of us and we will kill one of you, but in the end we will be victorious!”

“Just as a single canopy stretches over mountains, gorges and wide horizons, so are all proletarians brothers.”

“Everything for victory, victory over the colonialists, victory over ignorance, victory over hunger, victory over all the flaws that hide within us.”

War Remnants Museum, Hồ Chí Minh City

“The people of Vietnam are advancing toward socialism under the glorious banner of Marxism and Leninism.”

“Under no circumstances should one become complacent, conceited, and lose touch with the masses.”

“Like a radiant sun, the October Revolution illuminates the world with its light and comforts millions and millions of oppressed and exploited in the world.”

“My last wish is that our whole party, our whole people, united in the struggle build a peaceful, united, independent, democratic, prosperous Vietnam and make a worthy contribution to the world revolution.”

Chí Minh (1890—1969), revolutionary and politician became the symbol of the quest for self-determination. He was Prime Minister (1945—1955) and President (1955—1969) of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. Influenced by his Marxist-Leninist convictions, he liberated Vietnam through long guerrilla struggles from colonial rule and led his country to modern socialism.

This book is a search for traces of the remnants of his thought in Vietnam today.

Imprint

Slanted Publishers UG (haftungsbeschränkt)

Nördliche Uferstraße 4–6

76189 Karlsruhe Germany

T +49 (0) 721 85148268 info@slanted.de slanted.de

@slanted_publishers

Thanks

Neil O’Sullivan for English proofreading

Michael Krumm for German proofreading, mk-lektorat.de

Special Thanks: Achim Urbanke for the first layout, urbankeundsohn.de

© Slanted Publishers, Nördliche Uferstraße 4–6, 76189 Karlsruhe, Germany, 2023

© Photography by Michael Herman, Stuttgart, Germany, 2023

© Design by Lars Harmsen, Munich / Karlsruhe, 2023

All rights reserved.

ISBN: 978-3-948440-52-7

1st edition 2023

Author and photographer: Michael Herman, michael-herman.de

Sources

The quotations were taken from the following sources:

Ho Chi Minh: Reden und Schriften, Reclam, Leipzig 1980

Poesiealbum 36: Ho Chi Minh, Neues Leben, Berlin 1970

Ho Chi Minh: Gefängnistagebuch, DTV, München 1970

Ho Chi Minh: Ausgewählte Werke, Band 1, Internationale Solidarität, Köln 1976

Ho Chi Minh: Gegen die amerikanische Aggression, Trikot, München 1968

Publishing Direction: Lars Harmsen, Julia Kahl

Final Design: Julia Kahl

Print: BALTO print

Disclaimer:

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or used in any manner without the prior written permission of the copyright owner, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

The publisher and editor assume no responsibility for the accuracy of all information. Publisher and editor assume that material that was made available for publishing, is free of third party rights. Reproduction and storage require the per mission of the publisher. The German National Library lists this publication in the German National Bibliography; detailed bibliographic data is available on the Internet at dnb.d-nb.de.

Slanted Publishers is an internationally active independent publishing and media house, founded in 2014 by Lars Harmsen and Julia Kahl. In addition to highquality publications in the fields of typography, graphic design, photography, illustration, and visual culture, they publish the award-winning and internationally renowned print magazine Slanted, which twice a year focuses on international design and culture.

“LONG LIVE WORLD PEACE!”