coming to terms: dealing with the communist past in united
TRANSCRIPT
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Bundesunmittelbare Stiftungdes öffentlichen Rechts
Coming to Terms: Dealing with the Communist Past
in United Germany
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Preface 5
I. ThePost-CommunistGermanExperience:SpecialFeatures 141. SecuringandOpeningtheFiles 152. RecordsandLustrations 203. EliteChanges 244. CommunistInjusticebeforetheCourts 325. Restitution,Rehabilitation,Compensation 40
II. FederalFoundationfortheReappraisaloftheSED-Dictatorship 441. Origins:ParliamentaryInquiryCommissionsandInitiatives 452. StructureoftheFoundation 483. MandateandScope:ServicesandActivities 52
III. OtherGermanandInternationalInstitutions:ABriefOverview 561. FederalInstitutions 582. Civicarchives 723. OtherInstitutions,museumsandmemorialsites 744. VictimsAssociations 86
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ComingtoTerms:DealingwiththeCommunistPastinUnitedGermany
ThisbrochureiscommissionedandpublishedbytheFederalFoundationfortheReappraisaloftheSED-Dictatorship(Bundesstiftung zur Aufarbeitung der SED-Diktatur).WrittenincollaborationwiththeFoundationbyBerndSchaefer,SeniorResearchScholarwiththeColdWarInternationalHistoryProjectattheWoodrowWilsonInternationalCenterinWashingtonD.C.,itprovidesanoverviewofsalientfeaturesandimportantinstitutionspertainingtoprocessesofcomingtotermswiththecommunistpastinGermanysince1990.
Berlin,October2011
Dr.AnnaKaminsky
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COmInGTOTERmS:DEAlInGwIThThECOmmUnISTPASTInUnITEDGERmAny
Duringthecourseofthe20thcenturyGermanyexperiencedtwodifferentdictatorships,thetwelveyearsoffascistNaziGermany’s“ThirdReich”between1933and1945andthe40yearsofcommunistruleinEastGermanybetween1949and1989(thelatterprecededbySovietmilitaryoccupationofEasternGermanyandEastBerlinsince1945whenGermancommunistswereguidedinbuildingupdictatorialstructures).
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Both periods of dictatorshipshadsomestructuralelementsincommonwhiletheyalsodisplayedobviouscontrasts.Bothdictatorshipsstartedandendedverydifferently,withNaziGermanyresortingtoaglobalwarofaggressionresultinginmillionsofwardeadandthegenocideofEuropeanJewry.RespectivecrimescommittedbythetwoGermandictatorshipsdifferedvastlyinscopeandgeographicalrange.
AfterthedemiseofNaziGermanyandtheSecondWorldWar’sendinginEurope,SovietmilitaryauthoritiesusedcertainNaziconcentrationcampsitesinEasternGermanybetween1945and1950fortheirten“specialinternmentcamps”todetainsomereal,andmanyalleged,national-socialists.About43,000ofthem,i.e.35percentofindividualsinterned,perishedduringconfinement.
HowGermanscametotermswiththosetwodictatorshipsexistingontheirsoilvariedsignificantly,giventhemajordifferencesinbothinternationalandnationalenvironmentsafter1945andfrom1989.MeanwhilebothexperiencesinredressinginjusticesofthepasthavebeguntoreferenceeachotherinpublicGermandiscourse.Theyhaveledtoaconvergenceinthesensethatobligationsexisttofacedictatorialpastsfromtheperspectivesofvictimsratherthanthoseheldbyperpetrators.Theprocessofhowtocometotermswithvariousinjusticesandcrimescommittedduringdictatorshipsalsofacilitatedascrutinyofthelatter’slegacies.Theywarrantasearchforlessonsapplicabletopost-dictatorialdemocraticsystemsandcorrespondingsocietalstructures.
TheGermanpopulationinareasthatbecamethecommunistGermanDemocraticRepublic(GDR)experiencedthedifferencesandsimilaritiesoftwosucceedingdictatorshipsfrom1933to1945and1945to1989.TheGDRwasestablishedon7October1949andimposedonthepopulationbyGermancommunistsorganizedintheSocialistUnityParty(SED)withthevitalassistanceoftheSovietUnionandwithoutpopularlegitimization.Afaçadeof“democratic”institutionswassetupwiththeSEDactuallypullingallthestringsbyvirtueofits
C o m i n g t o t e r m s :
D e a l i n g w i t h t h e C o m m u n i s t P a s t i n u n i t e D g e r m a n y
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There were about 250,000 political prisoners in the GDR over the course of 40 years
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8C o m i n g t o t e r m s :
D e a l i n g w i t h t h e C o m m u n i s t P a s t i n u n i t e D g e r m a n y
self-assignedabsoluteunfetteredpower.Overthecourseofyears,peoplelivinginthissocialiststatehadtoexperiencemultiplefeaturesofrepression.Opponentsoftheregime,ormembersofrivalpoliticalpartiesduringtheearlypostwaryears,wereatanytimesubjecttovariousformsofadministrativerepressionorarbitraryarrestsbasedonpartisandefinitionsofcriminallaw.ThejudicialsystemwasentirelysubordinatedtotheSED’srespectivepoliticalinterests.Overall250,000peoplewerearrestedbetween1945and1989forpoliticalreasons(between1961and1989about30,000ofthemwerereleasedtotheWestafterransomwaspaidtoGDRauthoritiesbytheWestGermangovernment).ThousandsweredeportedtoSiberiancampsbySovietauthoritiesafter1945andduringthe1950s.UntilAugust1961alone,morethanthreemillionpeoplefledtheGDRthroughthestillopenborderswithWestGermany:Suchconstituted
soviet tanks terminate the massive east german popular revol t in June 1953
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thelargestrefugeemovementinEuropeaftertheendofWorldWarII.Traumaticexperienceswerecreated,forinstance,bytheviolentSovietcrackdownonthemassiveEastGermanpopularrevoltinJune1953,the1956defeatoftheHungarianuprisingandsubsequentrepressivemeasuresintheGDR,theAugust1961constructionoftheintra-Berlinborderandthewalling-inandfencing-inof17millionpeopleintheGDRnowseparatedfromtheirkininWestGermany,the1968WarsawPactmilitaryinterventioninCzechoslovakia,orthe1981martiallawcrackdownontheSolidarnosclaborandpeasantunionmovementinneighboringPoland.AllthoseeventshadincommonthatattemptsbypeopleintheGDRandEasternEuropetoattaindemocraticrightsandfreedomsweremetbydictatorialregimeswithafullforceofrepressivemeasures.
the Ber l in wal l in the 1970s
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10C o m i n g t o t e r m s :
D e a l i n g w i t h t h e C o m m u n i s t P a s t i n u n i t e D g e r m a n y
ThecommunistregimeintheGDRremainedinpoweraslongasMoscowhadavestedinterestinandthepowertomaintainadivisionofGermanyandtheexistenceofaseparatesocialistGermanstate.By1989atthelatest,theUSSRhadimplicitlywithdrawnitswarrantyofarmedinterventiontomaintainthesurvivalofasocialistEastGermany.Inparalleldevelopments,arefugeewaveexitingtheGDRtoWestGermanythroughHungaryandCzechoslovakiaultimatelytoppledtheSEDregimeinconjunctionwithunrestinsidethe
GDR.Theremassiveandpersistentpeacefuldemonstrationsheldcountrywideinsmallandbigcitiestookplace.Allthiswasinspiredbythehugepath-breakingdemonstrationinthecityofLeipzigon9October1989,whichultimatelyforcedtheopeningof
theBerlinWallandofthecountry’ssealedborderswiththeWestby9November1989.A“peacefulrevolution”featuringtheslogan“Wearethepeople”graduallydismantledcommuniststatestructuresandestablishedfoundationsfortheemergenceofamulti-partydemocracy.Aftertheself-liberationofEastGermansthroughapoliticalrevolution,a
processofself-democratizationbegan.Freeelectionson18March1990resultedinanoverwhelmingmajorityforEastGermanpoliticalpartiesadvocatingrapidunificationwiththeWesternFederalRepublicofGermany(FRG).Bythenthesloganfromthebeginningoftherevolutionhadchangedto“Weareonepeople”.EnsuingnegotiationsbetweengovernmentrepresentativesfrombothGermanstatesthenculminatedinacurrency,economic,andsocialunionon1July1990andinacomprehensiveUnificationTreatysignedon31August1990.Afterextensivemultilateralandbilateraldeliberations,thefourvictoriousalliedpowersofWorldWarII(USSR,USA,GreatBritain,France)ratifiedon12September1990inMoscowwithbothGermanstatesinaso-called“2+4Treaty”upcomingGermanunificationandthestatusofunitedGermanyasamemberoftheNorthAtlanticTreatyOrganization(NATO)militaryalliance.SovietarmedforcesintheGDR,whichthatatheightoftheColdWarinEuropehadamountedto400,000men,weretoleavetheEasternpartofunitedGermanyby1994.
Backin1945,SovietmilitaryoccupationauthoritieshadestablishedonEastGermanterritorythefivestatesofBrandenburg,Mecklenburg-Vorpommern,Saxony,Saxony-AnhaltandThuringia.ThecityofBerlinwasdividedintofour
The slogan from the beginning of the revolution had changed to “We are one people”
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12C o m i n g t o t e r m s :
D e a l i n g w i t h t h e C o m m u n i s t P a s t i n u n i t e D g e r m a n y
sectorswiththeSovietUnionadministeringthelargestofthemintheEasternpart.In1952theGDRhadthesefivestatesreplacedwith14districtsandaseparate15thentityforEastBerlin.WithGermanunificationon3October1990,however,theoriginalfiveEastGermanstatesfrom1945werere-
established.TogetherwiththereunitedcityofBerlin,nowfiguringasastateofitsown,theyjoinedtheexistingelevenWestGermanstatestomergeintooneFederalRepublicofGermany.In1991unitedBerlin
wasvotedthecapitalcitybytheGermanparliamentandultimatelybecametheseatofunitedGermany’sfederalgovernmentin1999.
HowtocometotermswiththecommunistGDRpastbecameamajorfeatureofpublicdiscourseinunitedGermanyalmostimmediatelyafterthefalloftheBerlinWallinNovember1989.FirststepsinthisregardinitiatedinEastGermanybymultiplecivicgroupsandlocalmedianowfreedfromcensorship(andintenselysupportedbyWestGermanmedia);nottheleast,however,mostinitiativeswerelaunchedbycourageous
individuals.ThoseactivitiesoccurredduringtheGDR’slastyearbetweenNovember1989andOctober1990–andthusbeforeGermany’sofficialunification.Importantdecisionsinthecontextofdemocratization,likeapplyingcriminallawtoperpetrators,compensatingthevictims,andopeningthefiles,originatedfromthelastGDRgovernment(whichalsohappenedtobetheonlyfreeanddemocraticone)aftertheMarch1990elections.
SubsequentlytakenupbythefederalparliamentofunitedGermanyandthefivenewstatesinitsEasternpart,broadpoliticalmajoritiesreachedconsensusaboutapublicdutytoaddress,andpossiblyredress,themanifoldissuesofinjusticeandrepressioncommittedduringGDRtimes.Comprehensiveexplorationandinformationaboutstructuresandmethodsofadictatorialpast,aswellasthecommemorationofactsofciviccourage,opposition,andresistance,wereseenasnecessarypreconditionsforlivinginahealthydemocracy.Since1990,allGermanfederalgovernmentsandparliamentshavebeenveryclearinexpressingtheneedforareappraisalofthecommunistdictatorship.Wide-rangingandintenseeffortsbyfederal,stateandlocalgovernments,themedia,
Berlin was voted the capital city by the German parliament
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andcivicsocietydealtinmultiplefacetswiththescopeofissuesraisedbythedemiseofthecommunistGDR.Hardlyanyotherdemocracyduringthecourseofthe20thcenturytookmoreinitiativesandsteps,bothquantitativelyandqualitatively,tocometotermswiththelastinglegacyofinjusticefromapastdictatorshipthanunitedGermanydidsince1990inthecaseofcommunistEastGermany.
ResearchersworkingatUniversitiesandelsewherediscoveredavarietyofnewtopicsandpublishednewknowledgewhichenlightenedthepastrealityoftheEastGermanDictatorship.Morethan2.000researchprojectswereaccomplishedsince1990.Especiallythefieldofoppositionandresistanceagainsttheregimeaswellasrepressionandpoliticalpersecutioncameintothecentreofhistoricalinterest.
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I. ThEPOST-COmmUnISTGERmAn EXPERIEnCE:SPECIAlFEATURES
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WhencommunistregimesinCentralandEasternEuropegraduallylosttheirpoliticalpowerandwereoverthrowninthesecondhalfof1989bypeacefulrevolutions,auniquefeaturewasondisplayinEastGermanyduringthefirstdaysofDecember:DemocracyactivistsandconcernedcitizensspontaneouslyforcedtheirentranceintodistrictandcountyheadquartersofthefearedandhatedMinistryforStateSecurity(MfS,orStasi;establishedin1950).
1. SecuringandOpeningtheFileS
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The Stasi,theclandestinearmoftheSEDwith95,000employeesandroughly180,000unofficialinformersin1989,hadspiedoneverysegmentoftheGDRpopulationforalmost40years.Allinall,nearly600,000unofficialinformersand250,000StasiemployeesmonitoredthepeopleduringtheexistenceoftheGDR.Thisconstitutedtheperhapshighestcountryratiobetweenintelligenceoperativesandapopulationanywhereintheworld.
ThescenarioofDecember1989unfoldedinmajorcitieslikeErfurt,Leipzig,Dresden,Magdeburg,Halle,andRostock,butalsoinmanyotherseatsofdistrictorcountygovernments:Activistsseizedthebuildingsandsealedandsecuredmillionsofremainingsurveillancefileswiththehelpofstateprosecutorsassistedbythepolice.ThemassiveStasiheadquartersinBerlin,however,wheremajorresistancewasexpected,remaineduntoucheduntil15January1990beforeitsharedafateidenticaltoStasicompoundsinotherEastGermancities.
ByearlyDecember1989,theStasididnotputupfightsforitspropertiesindistrictandcountyseatsaffected.Itcededunderpeacefulpressurewithoutresortingtoviolencesinceitslong-timepoliticalprincipalhadjustceaseditsownexistence:TheentirePolitburoandCentralCommitteeoftheSEDinBerlinhadresignedon4December1989,andthusdefactoterminatedtheexistenceofacommunistpartyinEastGermany(itspost-communistsuccessorpartiesweretomarkabreakfromMarxist-Leninistpatternsofthepast).WhilethefoundingmissionoftheStasiasthe“swordandshieldoftheparty”vanished,someregionalStasicommandersgaveinstructionstodestroyitsincriminatingfiles.SmokefromchimneysofStasibuildings,andtherapidcountrywidespreadofsuchnews,triggeredapopularmovementtoseizethebuildingsandstopthedestructionofrecords.ActivistEastGermancitizenssucceededinthisregardtolargeextent.TheythuslaidthegroundworkforaspecialfeatureofEastGermany’scomingtotermswiththecommunistpastbyprovidingnecessarytoolsandsourcesforcomprehensive
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Nearly 600,000 unoffi cial informers and 250,000 Stasi employees monitored the people during the existence of the GDR
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lustrationoftaintedindividuals.SecuringtheStasifilesestablishedamajorpillaroftransitionaljusticeinGermanytobeestablishedandimplementedduringthefollowingdecadeofthe1990s.
InthemonthstofollowthetakeoversofDecember1989andJanuary1990,Stasirecordsremainedundersealandwereguardedonsitebylocalgroupsofcivicactivists.The
freelyelectedGDRparliamenttookupon22July1990itsfirstreadingofadrafton“securingandopening”thefilesforvictimsofsurveillanceaswellasforresearchers.On24Augustdeputiespassednearlyunanimouslyalawprovidingforacomprehensive
lustrationofallEastGermanparliamentariansasafirststep.ArelocationandpotentialclosureplanfloatedbytheWestGermanMinistryofInteriortomovetheStasirecordsintothe
FederalArchivelocatedinWestGermanywasmetbyamassiveoutcryinEastGermany.Asit-ininBerlin’sformerStasiheadquarters,andasubsequenthungerstrikebyprominentactivists,eventuallyrenderedanyrelocationplansmoot.On18September1990aclausewasaddedtotheUnificationTreatybetweenthetwoGermanstates,accordingtowhichthefutureparliamentofunitedGermanywascommissionedtodraftalawbasedonprovisionsfromtheAugust1990modelpassedbytheEastGermanparliament.WithGermanUnificationdayon3October1990theStasirecordsthencameundersupervisionofaspecialcommissionerandhisstaffwhoturnedintoaFederalCommissionerin1991:ThiswasEastGermanJoachimGauck,aProtestantpastorfromRostockandactivistwhohadalsochairedthelastGDRparliament’scommitteeinchargeofdealingwiththeStasilegacy.Aftermuchlegalwrangling,precededbymediarevelationsfromStasifilescirculatinginpublic,inDecember1991theGermanparliamentultimatelypassedthefinaldraftoftheStasiRecordsLaw(or“StUG”,astheGermanacronym
In December 1991 the German parliament ultimately passed the final draft of the Stasi Records Law
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the stas i co l lected not only informat ionon f i les , but a lso var ious i t ems of thei r
v ict ims l ike o l factor y samples
goes).ItestablishedaFederalAgencyheadedbyaFederalCommissionerforStasirecords(“BStU”bytheGermanacronym)andregulatedindetailhowtoaccessandmakeuseofaltogether180kilometers(120miles)ofsavedandpreservedfilesassembledbytheformerGDRMinistryforStateSecurityoverthecourseofalmost40years.JoachimGauckheadedtheBStUuntil2000when,duetolegaltermlimitations,MarianneBirthlersucceededhimintheofficeofFederalCommissionertillMarch2011.RolandJahnisthethirdFederalCommissionerbynow.
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TheDecember1991StUGcameintoeffecton1January1992andformallyestablishedtheBStUasafederalagency.Itsmaintasksstipulatedbythislawwerethefollowing:
2. recOrdSand luStratiOnS
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• Individualsweregrantedtherightofaccessto,andcomplimentarycopiesof,anypersonalizedrecordstheStasimighthavecreatedandfiledonthem.Also,theyobtainedtherighttomakepublicanycontentoftheirpersonalfilesandtoreceive,uponrequest,namesofinformerswhohadspiedonthem.(Sofar,theBStUagencyhasreceivedmorethantwomillionindividualinquiriessince1991).
• TheagencyprovideddocumentationandinterpretationassistanceforthevettingofpresentandprospectiveemployeesofGermany’sfederalandstatecivilservice.
• Inordertofulfilltheneedforpubliclyavailableresearchresults,theStUGalsoregulatedoverallgenerousaccessrightsforjournalists,aswellasforacademicandindividualresearchers.
• TheBStUwastaskedtocontributetopubliceducationaboutStasimethods,structures,andactivities;itdidsothroughoutreach,publicevents,documentations,publications,andexhibits.
Incombination,thoseprovisionsstimulatedaverylivelydebateinthemedia,theinterestedpublic,andamongacademics.Allinall,since1991morethan6.5millionrequestsforaccesstoStasirecordswerefiled(includingthosebymediaandresearchers).1.7millionindividualsaskedtoseetheirpersonalStasifiles.
Followingthepath-breakingopeningofthesefilescreatedbytheGDRsecurityapparatus,recordsfromallcentral,regional,andlocalbranchesoftheGDRpartyandstatecomplexweresubsequentlyopenedandmadeaccessibletothepublic,toresearchers,andtothemedia.WiththesingleexceptionoftheEastGermanyMinistryofForeignAffairswherefilescameunderauthorityofunitedGermany’sForeignOffice,theotherwisecommon30-years-ruleforGermanarchivalrecordswaswaivedforallGDR-relatedfiles.Inessence,theybecameavailablefortheentirehistoricalperiodbetween1945and1990.The42kilometers(26miles)ofrecordsfromthevastformermulti-branchEastGermanstateapparatus
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weretransferredtotheauthorityoftheGermanFederalArchive.TheyareopentothepublicintheircurrentlocationinBerlin-Lichterfelde.ThesamearchivalcompoundalsohoststhelikewiseaccessiblearchivesofthecommunistpartySEDanditsaffiliatedmassorganizations(TradeUnions,YouthAssociations,NationalFront).Since1991thosefilesareorganizedinaseparatefoundationembeddedintheFederal
Archive.Archivesoftheso-called“blocparties”alignedwiththeSEDduringGDRtimesweremovedtotheirWestGermanpatronpartiesin1990.TheretheybecameaccessiblesomewhatlateratthearchivesoftheChristian-DemocraticUnion(CDU)inSt.Augustin
nearBonnandtheFreeDemocraticParty(FDP)inGummersbacheastofCologne.BasedonthiswiderangeofopenedfilesanddocumentsofthecommunistdictatorshipintheGDR,since1990morethan16,000publicationsappeared,amongthemover6,000booksandacademicmonographs.
Archives of the so-called “bloc parties” aligned with the SED during GDR times were moved to their West German patron parties
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Thevastdocumentationrecordavailable,inparticularfromthecomparativelywell-organizedStasiarchives,wasafter3October1990alsousedasabasisforcomprehensivelustrationofmembersandapplicantsforcivilservice,aswellasforvariousaffiliatedsectorsofthisserviceinunitedGermanyonthefederal,state,andlocallevel.Scopeofscreeningsandindividualregulationsvariedwithregardtostates,professionalsectors,andrespectivelustration
commissions.However,overallmoreorlesscomparableruleswereappliedtovalidate,ordismiss,questsbyindividualstoremainin,respectivelyjoin,Germany’svastcivilservice.Backgroundchecksremainedineffectandmandatoryuntil31December2006.Afterthatdate,theybecameapplicableinlimitedcasesonly,andpertainingtohigher-rankingpositions.
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DuringGDRtimes,theSEDexerteditsconstitutionallyguaranteedandself-declared“leadingrole”instateandsocietynotjustintheory.By1989,thecommunistpartyhad2.3millionmembers(outofanentirepopulationof16million).
3.elitechangeS
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Party membership was mandatory forbasicallyeveryleadingpositioninsectorslikepublicadministration,thestate-runeconomy,police,security,andthemilitary,thejudicialsystem,oreducationinschoolsandatuniversities.Afterthepeacefulrevolutionof1989,theSEDrenameditselfinPDS(“PartyofDemocraticSocialism”)anditsmembershipdroppedtoabout200,000bytheendof1990.TheGDRgraduallyceasedtoexist,followingthefreeEastGermanelectionof18March1990thatoverwhelminglyexpressedapopularwilltopursuerapidunificationandadoptionoftheWestGermanpoliticalandeconomicsystem.ThequestionnowloomedwhowouldformthenewEastGermanelitesinstateandsociety;andwhatrole,ifany,mightbeplayedbythemillionsofformerSEDmembers.
AsfarastheprocessofreplacementofcommunistelitesinformerEastGermanyisconcerned,theperiodsince1990wasanotherratheruniqueexperiencedisplayingvariousGermanspecifics.Withregardtoanexchangeofoldadministrativeelites,EastGermanshadoneparticularoptionthatsetthemapartfromothertransformingformerWarsaw
PactmemberstatesinEasternandCentralEurope:Beyondtheobvioussearchforpoliticallyuntaintedindigenouselites,thefivenewEastGermanstatesinunitedGermanyhadattheirdisposalresourcesoftrainedadministrativepersonnelfromWestGermanpartnerstates.Also,thereexistedacertainstockofemigratedformerEastGermansnowlivinginWestGermanywhowerewillingto“comeover”,orreturn,totheEasttotakeoverpositionsvacatedbyoldcommunistandideologicallyaffiliatedelites.WhereassomeEasternEuropeanstateshadaswellnumbersofemigrantslivinginethniccommunitiesinWesternEurope,theUnitedStates,andCanadawhoconsideredtoreturntotheirnowpost-communistcountriesofbirth,thosenumberspaledinquantitativetermstothelargeWestGerman-basedpoolofuntaintedpersonnelavailabletoEastGermany.Forthosereasons,nowhereinpreviouslysocialistcountriesofEasternandCentralEuropeelitechange,i.e.thereplacementofpoliticallycompromisedpersonnel,becameassweepingandprofoundasitdidintheformerGDR.Inbasicallyallmajorareasofthecivilserviceitwasfar-reaching,deep,andpermanent.
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Overall,theelitechangeduringthe1990sinEastGermanyhadsignificantlymoretorelyonWesternimportsthanonindigenouspotential.From1990onwards,reformistpoliticalcirclesandcivicactivistsinEastGermanysetthepaceforpurgingoldelitesfromthesectorsofpublicadministrationandfromtheeducationalsystem(thelattertraditionallybeingapartofcivilserviceinGermany).Initially,theyhopedtodrawmostlyonindigenousresources:DuringcommunisttimescertainpartsofGDRacademicelitesnotaffiliatedwiththeSEDhadlargelystayedawayfrompolitics.They“hibernated”incomparativelynon-ideologicalacademicprofessionslikemedicine,thenaturalsciences,engineering,orintheChristianchurches.Afterthefallofcommunism,theywherenowexpectedtofigureasapotential“counter-elite”andtoserveasanindigenousreservoirforthereplacementofoldelites.Someofthemsubsequentlyindeedemergedinpoliticalofficeonstateandcountylevel.However,intheendonlyafractionofsuchindividualsactuallywantedtojointheremodeledsectorsofpublicadministrationinthefivenewEastGermanstates.The“counter-elite”optionfailedtoemergeasarealisticalternativewhenthemajorityoftargetedindividualsstayedwithintheiroldprofessions;thosehad
meanwhilebecomemoreattractiveandofferedperspectivesinbothpartsofunitedGermany.
ThusimportsfromWestGermanyturnedoutasthefallback
optionforelitechangeinEastGermany.Withunification,theWestGermanpolitical,economic,legalandadministrativesystemreplicatedandreproduceditselfinthenewlyformed
EastGermanstates.Thisentailedalarge-scaledismantlingofformerGDRinstitutionalstructureswhileatthesametimeadministrativebodiesandbureaucraciesbasedonWestGermanmodelswereestablished.ForEastGermans,formercommunistsoranti-communistsalike,thiswasan
entirelynewexperiencethatrequiredsubstantialadaptation.Withthatexperiencecametheurgentneedtolearnalmostovernightaboutlaws,regulations,andtheactualfunctioningoftheWestGermansystem.HencetheimportofWestGerman-basedtemporaryexpertsandnumerousadvisersforpolitical,administrative,andeducationalleadershippositionsacrossthepublicsectorwasinevitableandultimatelyindispensable.
During communist times certain parts of GDR academic elites not affiliated with the SED had largely stayed away from politics
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Walter Ulbricht: “Nobody has the intention to erect a wall.” 15 June 1961 at a press conference in East Berlin
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28t h e P o s t - C o m m u n i s t g e r m a n e x P e r i e n C e : s P e C i a l F e a t u r e s
e l i t e C h a n g e s
AfterGermanunification,thosepersonnelimportsweretospearheadinthefiveEastGermanstatestheimplementationofallaspectsofthetransferredWestGermansystemformanyyearstocome.
TheWestGermanimportsencounteredamoreorlessblankslateandstruggledtofillvacanciesacrosstheboardinEasterntopadministrativepositions.SomeoldGDR-specificinstitutionsweredownsized,yetmanyofthemweredissolved.Numerousnewadministrativestructureshadtobebuiltfromscratch.ThefivenewstategovernmentsestablishedinEastGermanyaftertheWestGermanmodelhadnoequivalentintheGDRwheretheterritoryhadbeensubdividedinto15districts.Afterunification,publicadministrationinEastGermanyhadtoshiftgearsandspeedilyimplementWestGermanlawandregulationswithalltheirsubtleties.ThustherewasaconstantneedofimportingspecialistsfromtheWestforallhigherlevelsofcivilservice.SoonthisresultedinWestGermandominanceinalmostallhigherranksofEastGermanstate
rainer eppelmann, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Federa l Foundat ion
for the reappra isa l of the seD Dictatorship
ministriesandpublicadministration,especiallyinthesectorsoffinance,justice,interior,andeconomicregulation.SincealsomostlyWesternimportswereinchargeofrecruitingnewpersonnel,theyusuallycalledandtappedintopeopletheyknewfromtheirfamiliarWesternprofessionalnetworks.
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hadtobefinanciallysubsidizedbyWesternpartners.ThusthelatterconsideredexportofadministrativepersonnelasanactivecontributiontooverseeanddirecttheinvestmentandspendingofmoneyintheEast.TheyalsohopedforaspeedyeconomicrecoveryoftheEastwiththehelpofWesternspecialists.Thoughthisrecoverytooksignificantlylongerthaninitiallyexpected,itultimatelyincreasedlivingstandardsintheformerGDRandledtopartialeconomicself-sufficiencyofEasternGermany;therebyinturngradually
Initially,WesternstategovernmentswerereluctanttooverwhelmtheEasternstateswiththeirpersonnel.AtemporaryorpermanenttransferofWesterncivilservantstotheEastwasacostlyundertakingwhichWesternstateswereeagertoscaledownassoonaspossible.Soontheyrealized,however,thattherewasnootheralternativeiftheywantedtobuildafunctioningadministrationtoapplyandimplementWesternlawsandregulations.Intheearlyyearsafter1990,almostfiftypercentofthebudgetsofEastGermanstates
now and then: lothar de maiz ière , the last and only democrat ica l ly e lected Pr ime minister and markus meckel , penul t imate fore ign minister of the gDr s igning the coal i t ion agreement in 1990 and in d iscuss ion with hermann rudolph, publ isher of “Der tagesspiegel” in 2010
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30t h e P o s t - C o m m u n i s t g e r m a n e x P e r i e n C e : s P e C i a l F e a t u r e s
e l i t e C h a n g e s
decreasingtheamountofneededWesternpersonnelimports,financialassistance,andotherformsofaid.
Inpublicadministration,Westernimportsinitiallyoccupiedmanytoppositionsinnewlyformedstateadministrationstructures,albeitmuchlesssoincontinuingstructuresoncountyandlocallevels.Numericallythemainbodyofall
stateadministrationscon-sistedofpoliticallyuntaintedEasterners,yetmostlyinsubordinatepositions.ThejusticesystemandthecourtssawaheavyinfluxofWesternimportsintovarioustoppositions,againwithastrongnumericalEasternbaseinlowerechelons.Incontrast,policeforcesinEastGermanyweretogrowrapidlyafterunificationdue
toanincreaseincrimeandsafety-relatedneeds.DespitesomeWesternimportsinstalledattheverytop,manyformerGDRpolicepersonnelhadtoberetainedanditsnumbers
increasedfromindigenousresources.Whilethepolicewassometimesoverwhelmedafterunification,thepublicschoolsystemanditsbureaucracywereoverstaffedduetosinkingenrollment.Muchtaintedpersonnelwasthusdismissedbutotherswereretained,astheinterestofWesternimportstoworkinEastGermanschoolswascomparativelylow.UniversityfacultypositionsintheformerGDR,incontrast,wereattrac-tivetoWestGermanacademicswhopushedintovacanciescreatedbydismissalsofpoliticallyandotherwisecompromisedEastGermanprofessors.StructuresoftheGDReconomyweresubstantiallytransformed,withthehugeformerall-publicsectorbrokenupintoindividualpiecesandsoldtoWesterncompanies.YetmanyEastGermaneliteeconomicprofessionalsmadetheirwayevenundernewconditionsanddespiteWestGermanleadershipatthetop;theirnetworksandexpertiseweremuchindemand.OtherformerGDRsectorsallbutdisappeared:CentralstructuresofthevastGDRstateapparatusweredismantled,thelargeSEDpartyapparatusdisappeared.The95,000forceoftheStateSecuritywasdissolvedwithoutreplacement,the165,000GDRmilitarydemobilizedandincorporatedintotheWestGermanarmy(Bundeswehr)withultimately11,000menretained.
Central structures of the vast GDR state apparatus were dismantled, the large SED party apparatus disappeared. The 95,000 force of the State Security was dissolved without replacement, the 165,000 GDR military demobilized
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ProcessesofelitechangeandtheroleofWesternimportstoEastGermanywereanythingbutuncontroversialduringmostofthefirstdecadeafterGermanunification.Yetaconstanttraining,education,andqualificationofEastGermanspecialistsduringthefollowingyearsnotonlyshranktheabove-mentioneddominanceofimportedWesternpersonnel.Italsofomentedanevergrowingandmeanwhilesubstantial“indigenization”ofallsectorswithinEastGermancivilservice;andledtomanyEastGermansnowoccupyingleadingpolitical,economic,educational,andadministrativeelitepositionsintheirownregions.
angela merkel , cur rent Chancel lor of germany, was
the deputy spokesperson of the last gDr government
under lothar de maiz ière
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Beginningwiththelasttwomonthsof1989,thenowreformistGDRmadeconsiderableeffortstoprosecute,weigh,andjudgealmosteveryaspectofcriminalactivityintheformerGDR.
4. cOmmuniStinjuStice beFOrethecOurtS
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During the following decadeofthe1990s,GermancourtsappliedGDRlawsineffectduringactualcommitmentofcrimesincommunisttimes,butalsocurrentjurisdictionofunitedGermanywhereapplicable,and,inthecaseofexecutedshoot-to-kill-ordersattheBerlinWallandtheintra-Germanborderbetween1961and1989,universalhumanrightslaw.IncontinuationoflegalprosecutorialeffortsinitiatedduringthelastyearoftheGDR,thejudiciaryinunitedGermanyactedfurtherupon“electoralfraud”,i.e.themanipulationofelectionresultsintimesofcommunistrule,aswellasuponissuesconcerning“abuseofprivileges”andcorruptionamongformerleadingGDRofficials.Afterunification,thecourtsofunitedGermanydefinedthecategorieslistedbelowasmanifestexpressionsof“communistinjustice”duringGDRtimes.Therewerethereforeconsideredassubjecttoprosecution,includingtheobligationtoinvestigateandactonpotential“severehumanrightsviolations”inanyofthefollowingcategories:
• Politicalinstructionsandmilitaryactionspertainingtoshoot-to-killordersagainstEastGermanrefugeesbetween1961and1989attheBerlinWall(sofar126confirmeddeadlyincidents)andtheintra-Germanborder(deathsarenumberingbetweenmanyhundredsupto1,000andarestillsubjecttoexactconfirmation);defendantswereformermembersofhighestGDRdecision-makingpoliticalbodies(SEDPolitburo,NationalDefenseCouncil),aswellasindividualborderguardswhoexecutedpoliticalguidelinesresultinginthedeathsofrefugees
• ArbitraryandpoliticizedapplicationofGDRlawsresultingindisproportionateprisonordeathsentences
• Denunciationsofindividualsresultingintheirpoliticallymotivatedarrestorinotherformsofretributionorpunishment
• IllegalactionsaccordingtoGDRlawbytheformerGDRMinistryforStateSecuritylikekidnappingsfromWestBerlinorWesternGermanytoEastGermany(morethan
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34t h e P o s t - C o m m u n i s t g e r m a n e x P e r i e n C e : s P e C i a l F e a t u r e s
C o m m u n i s t i n J u s t i C e B e F o r e t h e C o u r t s
400casesin40years),intendedoractualassassinationattempts,secreteavesdropping,interruptingpostalcommunication,clandestineapartmentsearches,andvariouskindsofblackmailing
• Mistreatment,deathandtortureinGDRprisons• OrganizedsecretdopingofGDRathletes,including
minors,causinglastingphysicalandpsychologicaldamageordisability
• GDR-organizedespionageagainsttheFederalRepublicofGermanyupto1989
• WestGermantechnologyexportsintotheGDRviolatingexistingWesternCOCOM(“CoordinatingCommitteeforEast-WestTradePolicy”)tradeembargos
Bytheendofthe1990s,Germanloweraswellashighercourtsestablishedalargelyconsistentsystempertainingtoapplicationsofpastandcontemporarylaw.Afterabout15yearsofprosecutorialefforts,trials,verdicts,andacquittals,themostrecentcourtdecisiononGDR-erainjusticewasissuedin2005.Giventhelowprobabilityofdiscoveringfurthercasesofcommunistinjusticeaftermorethanadecadeofintensivescrutiny,andGermanamnestylaws
allowingonlyforfuturepersecutionofcrimesofextremelyseverenature,Germanlegaleffortstoaddresscommunistinjusticehavebasicallycometoaconclusion.
Resultsoftheseeffortsallowforthefollowingassessments:
• InitialprosecutionduringthelastyearoftheGDRwasmostlyconcernedwithpartyleadercorruption,electoralfraud,andembezzlement.ItbeganinNovember1989andlasteduntilGermanunificationdayof3October1990.Chargeswerefiledin180casesandresultedintheinvestigationof124accusedindividuals.Atleast42ofthemwereheldundertemporaryarrest.Ultimately41caseswerebroughttotrial,andGDRcourtssentenced26individualsbeforeOctober1990.
• Incontinuingthisprocessforcasesstillunresolved,andthroughasubstantialexpansionofthescopeofinvestigationsasoutlinedabove,federalandstateauthoritiesinunitedGermanycentralizedtheprosecutioninBerlinwithaspeciallyassignedteamofprosecutorstoadjudicatestate-sponsoredcrimeduringGDRtimes.
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One-time compensation payments of about 430 U.S. dollars per month were granted to those who served in prison for political reasons
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36t h e P o s t - C o m m u n i s t g e r m a n e x P e r i e n C e : s P e C i a l F e a t u r e s
C o m m u n i s t i n J u s t i C e B e F o r e t h e C o u r t s
• WithexactnumbersdifficulttodeterminegiventheinvolvementofvariousregionalcourtssystemsalloverGermany,theapproximateoverallestimateforlegalinvestigationsconductedamountstoroughly75,000casesinvolvingabout100,000individualsunderinitialsuspicion.Intheend,however,only1,021casesagainstaltogether1,737defendantswereactuallyslatedfortrial.14percent(143)ofthosecaseswerewithdrawnbytheprosecutionordismissedbythecourtsandsubsequentlyleftuntried.Allinall,chargeswerefiledandtriedincourtonlyincasesconcerningabout1,400individuals(1.4percent)outofthose100,000originallyunderinvestigation.
• Onlyabout54percent(about756inabsolutenumbers)ofdefendantschargedwereultimatelysentenced,24percent(about336)wereacquitted.Theremaining22percent(about308)werereleasedwhenproceedingsgotterminatedwithoutanysentencesissued.Onlyinsevenpercentofcasesprisonsentencesoftwoormoreyearswereissued.53percentofsentencesamountedtoonetotwoyearsofprisontimewhile47percentofthosewereverdictsoverlessthanoneyear.In92percentofallthose
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casesprisonsentencesweresuspended.Defendantswereplacedonprobationandsubsequentlyreleased.
• Amajorcauseforthesenumberswasthehighaverageageofdefendants:Itamountedto58years,withonethirdoftheaccusedbeing64andolder.Manyofthoseweredeclaredunfittostandtrialorserveprisontimeforreasonsofhealth.
• About37percentofcasesbroughttotrialconcerned“perversionofjustice”inGDRtimesthrougharbitraryapplicationofexistinglaws,24percentconcernedtheuseofforceattheBerlinWallandtheintra-Germanborder,and14percentwerecrimescommittedbytheformerMinistryofStateSecurity.
• Thecomparativelyharshestsentences,inpartamountingtofiveyearsofprisontimeormore,wereissuedagainstformerWestGermancitizensconvictedofespionagefortheGDRaccordingtoWestGermanlaw,whichexplicitlysanctionsespionageagainsttheFederalRepublicofGermany.SentencesofformerGDRcitizenscommittingespionageagainsttheFRG,however,werecommutedsincetheydidnotfallunderthejurisdictionofpre-1990WestGermanlaw.
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38t h e P o s t - C o m m u n i s t g e r m a n e x P e r i e n C e : s P e C i a l F e a t u r e s
C o m m u n i s t i n J u s t i C e B e F o r e t h e C o u r t s
ThosepurefiguresseeminglyindicatedformanyobserversinGermanyanunderperformanceofthelegalsysteminprovidingjusticeafter40yearsofstate-sponsoredcriminalactsintheGDR.However,inmanycasesprosecutorialhandsweretiedbyrespectivestipulationsofthe1990UnificationTreatybetweenthetwoGermanstates.Accordingtothose,onlysuchcrimesweresupposedtobesubjecttolegalsanctionsthatwerecommittedbefore1990inviolationofthen-existingGDRlaws.
Still,suchdidnotapplytocasesofsevereviolationsofhumanrights,liketheuseofdeadlyforceagainstrefugeesattemptingtoleavetheGDRthroughtheBerlinWallortheheavilyfortifiedintra-Germanborder.AccordingtoGDRlawsandregulations,itwasillegaltoleavethecountrywithoutauthorization,andthereforelegaltohinderthosedefyingstateordersbyforce.Inthiscase,however,thecourtsofunitedGermanytookrecourseinsupersedinginternationalhumanrightslaw.Theycompletelyreversedthetermsof“legality”and“illegality”withregardtotheuseofforcealongtheintra-Germanborder.InupholdingprisonsentencesissuedagainstGDRofficialsfromtheSEDPolitburo,theNationalDefenseCouncil,andthehigherechelonsofmilitaryborderunitswho
repeatedlyadoptedandre-confirmedtheshoot-to-killorderintheirrespectivemeetings,theGermanFederalConstitutionalCourtemphasizedtherelevanceofuniversallyapplicableinternationallawanditssupersedingeffectsoveranynationallegalconstructionswhichseverelyviolatedhumanrights.
Notwithstandingtheseverityorlenienceofsentencesissued,thesymbolicandfactualimpactofbringingcasestocourt,andarrivingatimpartialverdictswithvariousoutcomes,madesubstantialcontributionstowardsexploringthehistoricaltruthaboutcommunistinjusticecommittedinthepast.ThelegalprocessinunitedGermanywascharacterizedby
comprehensivenessandthoroughprofessionalism.Itstoodincontinu-anceofaprocessoflegalreckoninginitiatedintheGDRsinceNovember1989;anditdemonstratedthroughoverallmeasuredresultsthatithardly
representedanyvindictivepost-unification“victors’justice”.Thepublicverdictontheseresultswasmixed,though,encap-sulatedinastatementbyBärbelBohley,amajorprotagonistoftheEastGermananti-communistdissidentmovement:“Wewantedjustice,andwegottheruleoflaw”.
“We wanted justice, and we got the rule of law”
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CommunistinjusticeintheGDRcouldbecomeverypersonal:Overall,hundredsofthousandsofpeoplewereeitherarrested,sentenced,expropriated,deported,ordiscriminatedagainstandwrongedforpoliticalreasons.
5. rehabilitatiOn, cOmpenSatiOn, reStitutiOn
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An unknown number of people werekilledordiedincampsorprisons.Accordingtoestimates,therewereabout250,000politicalprisonersintheGDRoverthecourseof40years,andsomewhatover105,000verifiablecaseswherepeoplesufferedprofessionaldiscriminationforpoliticalreasons.Sincethefirst1992IndemnificationLaw,andasof2005,about170,000individualswererehabilitated.Also,theGermanForeignMinistrynegotiatedwithauthoritiesinterritoriesoftheformerSovietUnioncancellationsofcourtdecisionsandrespectiverehabilitationsforsofarabout13,500Germanswhoweresentencedafter1945onSovietterritoryforpoliticalreasons.
One-timefinancialcompensationspaidtoindividualsforGDRprisontermsviolatingtheruleoflaw,aswellasforadenialofaccesstoeducationandprofessions,havesofarexceededtheoverallamountof1.0billionU.S.dollars.Compensationshadalreadysurpassedthatlevel,whenin2007anadditionallawofferedtheoptionofpermanentmonthlyfinancialcompensationtoacertainnumberofqualifyingformerprisoners.
AmajorareaofredressingpastinjusticeincommunistEastGermanyisrepresentedbycasesofindividualrehabilitationandcompensation.Thisfeatureinitiatedinearly1990alreadywhenfirstmeasureswereundertakenbytheGDR’slastnominalsocialist-ledgovernment.Backthenadecreewasissuedtorehabilitateconvictedorotherwisepenalizedformercommunistpartydissidentsandordinarymembers.Ideologicallychargedverdictsfromcommunisttimeswerenullifieddatingbacktotheaftermathofthe1956Hungarianuprising.ThisrathernarrowconcentrationonformercommunistswassupersededbymorecomprehensiveandinclusiveconceptsintroducedthroughaRehabilitationLawpassedon6September1990bythefreelyelectedGDRparliamentfourweeksbeforeGermanunification.Itremainedineffectuntil4November1992whenunitedGermany’sparliamentadoptedthefirstso-called“CommunistInjusticeIndemnificationLaw”.ItofficiallyrehabilitatedvictimssentencedonpoliticalprovisionsofGDRcriminallaw.AllEastGermancourtdecisionsbetween8May1945and2October1990that“violatedtheruleoflaw”werenullified.
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42t h e P o s t - C o m m u n i s t g e r m a n e x P e r i e n C e : s P e C i a l F e a t u r e s
r e h a B i l i t a t i o n , C o m P e n s a t i o n , r e s t i t u t i o n
On1July1994asecondparliamentary“CommunistInjusticeAmendingLaw”stipulatedtherehabilitation,andpossiblefinancialcompensation,ofvictimswhosufferedinGDRtimesfromadministrativeactsofpoliticalpersecutionbasedonideologicalorpoliticaldiscriminationoverthecourseoftheireducation(highschooland/oruniversityadmission)
orprofessionalcareers.Compen-sationwasofferedfrom1994toindemnifyallvalidatedclaimantsforcorrespondinglowerpaymentsafterretirement.One-timecompen-sationpaymentsofabout430U.S.dollarspermonthweregrantedto
thosewhoservedinprisonforpoliticalreasons.About100,000applicationsforthistypeofrehabilitationandcompensationwerefiled,androughlyhalfofthemgranted.Anothertypeofrehabilitationofferedbythe1994lawconcernedthenullifi-cationofGDRadministrativemeasuresleadingtohealthproblems,lossofassets,orpoliticaldiscriminationwithconsequencespersistingtothepresent.About25percentofroughly40,000motionsfiledinthisregardweregranted.Theburdenofproofforphysicalorpsychologicaldamagesandotherdetrimentssufferedwaslyingwiththevictimsofpersecution.
Followingpubliccontroversiesandamendmentsduringsubsequentyearsthatquestionedtheactualfinancialcommensurabilityofthe1994stipulations,theGermanparliamentpassedon23June2007athirdbilltoincreasecompensationsforvictimsofpoliticalpersecutionduringGDRtimes.Provisionsnowofferedapermanentmonthlypaymentof250Euro(about340U.S.dollars)tothoseformerpoliticalprisonerswhohadtoservejailtimesintheGDRofatleast6monthsandarecurrentlysufferingfromlowincome.
Anotherformofcompensationforpastinjusticeconsistedinmaterialrestitution.ItwasgrantedtoformerGDRcitizensincasesofforcedpropertylossorsale,anditwasappliedtoexpropriatedbusinessesaswellastoprivatehomeschangingownerships.ThespecialcaseofformerJewishpropertynationalizedduringGDRtimeswasexemptedfromstatuteoflimitationsin1991whentheparliamentofunitedGermangrantedtherighttofilerestitutionclaimsforthistypeofproperty.OnlymaterialrestitutionclaimsforSovietpropertyexpropriationexecutedduringtheperiodofmilitaryoccupationbetween1945and1949wereexemptedbyparliamentarylaw.Thismovebarelysurvivedvariouscourtchallenges,buton23March2005theEuropeanCourtfor
About 25 percent of roughly 40,000 motions filed in this regard were granted
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HumanRightsinStrasbourgupheldGermancourtdecisionsvalidatingthislawandthussettledthiscontroversialmatterforgood.
Theactualprocessofpropertyreturnwasinitiatedbyadecreeissuedbythelastnon-electedGDRgovernmentbeforeEastGermany’sfirstfreeelectionsof18March1990.Afewmonthslater,withafreelyelectedGDRgovernmentinplace,ajointWestGerman-EastGermansettlementon“openpropertyquestions”wassignedinJuly1990.Ultimately,alawcodifiedwithWestGermanlegalexpertiseon23September1990andrepresentingoneofthelastactsofGDRparliamentbeforeunification,setthestageformanyyearsofclaimsand
subsequentadministrativeandcourtbattlesoverpropertyreturns.Boththe1990settlementandlawstipulatedmaterialrestitutionbutdeniedfinancialcompensationforlossofproperty:“RestitutionoverrulesCompensation”savedstrainedgovernmentbudgetsalloverGermanyfromlarge-scalepayments,butitalsoopenedaplethoraoflegalclaimsfrompeoplewho,forciblyorvoluntarily,leftpropertybehindwhentheyemigratedorfledfromtheSovietOccupationZoneortheGDRbetween1945and1989.Asmostclaimswereabletoproveandvalidatetheexistenceofformerpropertyrights,alargenumberofcasesofmaterialrestitutionwereimplementedincomplexanddrawn-outprocessesstretchingovermanyyears.
Bernd neumann, min ister of state and representat ive of the Federa l government for Cul ture, winner of the student ’s compet i t ion »geschichts-codes« and rainer eppelmann
Director anna Kaminsky opens an exhib i t ion at the arD (german associat ion of publ ic broadcasters) headquar ters in Ber l in
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II. FEDERAlFOUnDATIOnFORThEREAPPRAISAlOF COmmUnISTDICTATORShIP(BUnDESSTIFTUnG zURAUFARBEITUnGDERSED-DIKTATUR)
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Between1992and1998twoEnquete(inquiry)CommissionsestablishedbyparliamentarymandateintwosubsequentsessionperiodsoftheGermanfederalparliament(Bundestag)investigatedthehistoryoftheSEDdictatorshipanditseffectsonGermanunity.Thecommissioninsessionbetween1992and1994wasassignedtodealwith“ComingtoTermswithHistoryandConsequencesoftheSEDDictatorshipinGermany”.
1. OriginS:parliamentaryinquiry cOmmiSSiOnSandinitiativeS
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46F e D e r a l F o u n D a t i o n F o r t h e r e a P P r a i s a l o F C o m m u n i s t D i C t a t o r s h i P
o r i g i n s : P a r l i a m e n t a r y i n q u i r y C o m m i s s i o n s a n D i n i t i a t i v e s
Its successor commissionrunningfrom1995to1998wastaskedwithaddressing“OvercomingtheConsequencesoftheSEDDictatorshipwithintheProcessofGermanUnity”.Altogether,bothcommissionspublished34volumeswithmorethan30,000pagescontainingcompletetranscriptsofpublichearingsandnumerouscommissionedexpertanalysesonawiderangeofhistoricalandcurrentsubjects.
Onrecommendationbythesecondcommissionofinquiry,theGermanfederalparliamentenactedon5June1998alawontheestablishmentofafederal“FederalFoundationfortheReappraisaloftheSED-Dictatorship”(Bundesstiftung zur Aufarbeitung der SED-Diktatur).Thefoundationstarteditsworkinfallof1998,andthusapublic-fundedinstitutionalclearinghousewascreatedtoraisepublicawarenessandcontinuediscussionsaboutthesecondGermandictatorship.
ByitsmandatereceivedfromawidemajorityofpartiesrepresentedinGermanparliament,thefoundationstandsforanactiveandpluralisticdiscussionoftheSEDdictatorshipanditslastingeffectsonreunitedGermany.Itfunctionsasbothamediatorandintermediarybetweenacademicandprivateresearch,politics,themedia,andthepublicpertainingtothereappraisaloftheSEDdictatorship.Thefoundation’slibrarywithits45,000itemsanduniquearchivewiththeircollectionsofmaterialonrepressedliteratureandoppositionalactivitiesintheGDRprovidesdocumentarymaterialtoaidresearchers.Since1998thefoundationhassupportedmorethan2,000research,documentationandexhibitionprojectsinGermanyandvariouscountriesofCentralandEasternEurope,spendingaltogethermorethan26millionU.S.dollarsfortheseprojects.
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The Federal Foundation for the Reappraisal of the SED Dictatorship contributed towards the realization of more than 2,200 exhibitions, publications, conferences, workshops and documentary fi lms
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TheBoardofTrustees(Stiftungsrat)comprisesof16memberselectedforafive-yearterm.Itservesasthecentraldecision-makingbodyoftheFoundation.
2. StructureOFthe FOundatiOn
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It consists of members of the German parliamentrepresentingallitsfactions,membersappointedbyministriesoftheGermanfederalandtheBerlincitygovernment,aswellasoffiveindividualsnominatedbyfederalparliamentaryfactionswhoareespeciallycommittedtodealwithchallengesandquestionsofcomingtotermswiththeSEDdictatorship.TheChairmanoftheBoardisMarkusMeckel,vice-chairmanthememberofGermanparliamentHartmutKoschyk.TheBoardofTrusteesdecidesonallfundamentalquestionsconcerningthefoundation’sgeneralobjectivesandactivities.
TheBoardofDirectors(Stiftungsvorstand),workingonahonorarybasis,guidesthemoreconcretetasksofthefoundation.Itconsistsoffivemembers:RainerEppelmann(chairman),BerndFaulenbach(vice-chairman),AnnemarieFranke,GerdPoppe,andGerryKley.Theboardissupportedandadvisedbythreeadvisorycommitteesonacademic,societalreappraisal,andarchivalissues.Thosecommitteesconsistofaltogether32individuals.
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50F e D e r a l F o u n D a t i o n F o r t h e r e a P P r a i s a l o F C o m m u n i s t D i C t a t o r s h i P
s t r u C t u r e o F t h e F o u n D a t i o n
TheOfficeoftheFoundationisdirectedbyDr.AnnaKaminskyandcurrentlyemploysastaffof22.Itisinchargeofallissuesandquestionsconcerningtheactivitiesofthefoundation,includingthefundingofprojects,allocationofscholarships,andtheorganizationofconferencesandotherevents.Thefoundation’sofficeservesasamediatorbetweenvariousorganizationsandinstitutionsinGermanycommittedtoresearch,documentandinvestigatethehistoryoftheSEDdictatorshipanditsconsequences;inthiscontexttheofficealsoprovidesinformationandadviceaboutprofessionaldevelopment.
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The foundation raises public awareness and continues discussions about the second German dictatorship
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TheFoundationcontributes,incooperationwithotherinstitutions,toacomprehensivereappraisaloforiginsandcauses,historyandimpactofthecommunistdictatorshipinEastGermanybetween1945and1989.
3. mandateand ScOpe:ServiceS andactivitieS
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It aims to provide testimonytoinjusticescommittedbytheSEDregimeandtorecognizevictims,tofurthertheanti-totalitarianconsensuswithinGermany,andtostrengthendemocracyandGermanunity.Thefoundationwasestablishedtoservethefollowingaims:
• topromoteandsupportprojectsdealingwithexploringGDRsociety,privatearchivesandvictim’sorganizations,academicresearch,andpoliticaleducation;
• tocontributetothemaintenance,collectionanddocumentationofmaterialswithregardtooppositiontotheSEDdictatorship;
• toprovidepsychologicalandlegalassistanceforvictimsofpoliticalpersecution;
• toadvanceinternationalcooperationonthereappraisalofdictatorshipsworldwide;
• tocontributetopublicdiscoursewithitsownpublicationsandevents;
• toawardprizesandscholarships.
Currentlythefoundationhasanannualbudgetofabout7.6millionU.S.dollarssuppliedbytheGermanFederalGovernmentonmandateoftheGermanparliament.Ithasanendowmentofabout120millionU.S.dollars,mostlyderivedfromassetsformerlyheldbytheEastGermanCommunistPartySEDandallocatedtothefoundationbydecisionoftheGermanparliament.
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54F e D e r a l F o u n D a t i o n F o r t h e r e a P P r a i s a l o F C o m m u n i s t D i C t a t o r s h i P
m a n D a t e a n D s C o P e : s e r v i C e s a n D a C t i v i t i e s
Sinceitsestablishmentin1998,thefoundation
• contributedtowardstherealizationofmorethan2,200exhibitions,publications,conferences,workshopsanddocumentaryfilms
• awardedmorethan31millionU.S.dollarsingrants• awardedmorethan75dissertationscholarships• builtitsownlibraryandarchiveswithmorethan45,000
books,40,000copiesofun-publishedundergroundliterature,40,000photographs,and3,700piecesofart
• undertakesandpublishescontinuouslydocumentationsfeaturingmemorialsandcommemorativesitesofmorethan800largerandsmallerGermanmemorialsitesto
commemoratethecommunistdictatorshipandkeepitsmemoryalive;alsofeaturedspecialdocumentationsconcerningrepressioninothernationsintheformercommunistbloclike,forexample,theGreatTerrorinRussia,HolodomorinUkraine,Belarus,thePragueSpring,ortheHungarianUprising1956.
• establishedpartnershipswithmorethan300institutionsworldwide
Contact:Bundesstiftung zur aufarbeitung der seD-DiktaturKronenstraße 5 | D-10117 BerlinPhone:+49(0)303198950Fax:+49(0)30319895210Mail:[email protected]
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Comprehensive exploration about structures of a dictatorial past, as well as the commemoration of acts of civic courage and resistance, were seen as necessary preconditions for living in a healthy democracy
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III. OThERGERmAnAnDInTERnATIOnAl InSTITUTIOnS:ABRIEFOVERVIEw
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Since1990alloverGermany,andparticularlysointhefivenewfederalstatesonformerEastGermancommunistterritory,awiderangeofpubliclyandprivatelyfundedinstitutionswereestablished.Regionalandlocalinitiativesemerged,andvictimsassociationsandNGOswereformed.Allofthemcontributeactivelytoacomingtotermswiththelegacyofthecommunistdictatorshipandthecrimesitcommitted.AsignificantnumberofmuseumsandmemorialswereopenedonhistoricsitesofrepressionandofGermandivision.Withoutclaimingtobeexhaustive,thefollowingoverviewwillintroducesomeimportantinstitutions.
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58o t h e r g e r m a n i n s t i t u t i o n s : a B r i e F o v e r v i e w
F e D e r a l i n s t i t u t i o n s
— FEDERAlCOmmISSIOnERFORSTASIRECORDSOFThEFORmERGDR(BSTU)
DerBundesbeauftragtefürdieUnterlagendesStaatssicherheitsdienstesderehemaligenDDR(BStU)
ShortdescriptionTheOfficeoftheFederalCommissionerforStasiRecords(Bundesbeauftragte für die Unterlagen des Staatssicher-heitsdienstes)preservestherecordsoftheMinistryforStateSecurity(MfS)oftheGDRinitsarchives.Itmakesthemavailableforvariouspurposestoprivateindividuals,institutions,andthepublicinaccordancewithaccessrulesstipulatedbyGermany’sStasiRecordsLaw(StUG).ItalsohelpstocreatepublicawarenessofthevastscopeofStasioperationsduringGDRtimesthroughexhibitions,events,publications,andpublicoutreach.
1. FederalinStitutiOnS postaladdressKarl-Liebknecht-Straße31–33|D-10178Berlin
contactinformationPhone:+49302324-0E-mail:[email protected]
Websitewww.bstu.de
englishversionwww.bstu.bund.de/nn_715182/EN/Home/homepage__node.html__nnn=true__nnn=true
— STATECOmmISSIOnERFORSTASIRECORDS DieLandesbeauftragtenfürdieUnterlagendes
StaatssicherheitsdienstesderehemaligenDDR
ShortdescriptionAllsixformereasternfederalStateshasappointedaStateCommissionerforStasirecords(LStU).TheLStUaresupposedtosupporttheFederalCommissionerforStasiRecords(BStU)initsmission,thoughtheLStUacts
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independentlyonthestatelevelanddoesnotreporttotheBStU.TheLStUadvisecitizensfromtheirstatetoapplyforaccesstotheirStasifiles.TheyofferpsychologicalhelpandconsultationsonlegaloptionsforrehabilitationandcompensationtothosewhosufferedinGDRtimes
fromimpactsofoperationsconductedbytheMinistryforStateSecurity.Also,theLStUhelptocreatepublicawarenessofStasioperationsduringGDRtimesthroughexhibitions,events,publications,andpublicoutreach.
the Federa l Commiss ioner for stas i records (Bstu) : Joachim gauck (1990–2000) , mar ianne Bi r th ler (2000–2011) with anna Kaminsky and roland Jahn (ass igned in 2011) ta lk ing to the journal ist ha- Jo lorenz
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60o t h e r g e r m a n i n s t i t u t i o n s : a B r i e F o v e r v i e w
F e D e r a l i n s t i t u t i o n s
• StateCommissionerforStasiRecordsBerlinDer Berliner Landesbeauftragte für die Unterlagen des Staatssicherheitsdienstes der ehemaligen DDRpostaladdress
Scharrenstraße17|D-10178Berlincontactinformation
Phone:+49302407920E-mail:[email protected]
Websitewww.berlin.de/lstu
• StateCommissionerinBrandenburgforComingtoTermswithConsequencesofCommunistDictatorshipDie Landesbeauftragte zur Aufarbeitung der Folgen der kommunistischen Diktatur des Landes Brandenburgpostaladdress
Hegelallee3|D-14467Potsdamcontactinformation
Phone:+493312372920E-mail:[email protected]
Websitewww.aufarbeitung.brandenburg.de/sixcms/detail.php?template=start_aufarbeitung
• StateCommissionerforStasiRecordsmecklenburg-VorpommernDie Landesbeauftragte für Mecklenburg-Vorpommernfür die Unterlagen des Staatssicherheitsdienstesder ehemaligen DDRpostaladdress
Jägerweg2|D-19053Schwerincontactinformation
Phone:+49385734006E-mail:[email protected]
Websitewww.landesbeauftragter.de
• StateCommissionerforStasiRecordsSaxonyDer sächsische Landesbeauftragte für die Unterlagen des Staatssicherheitsdienstes der ehemaligen DDRpostaladdress
UntererKreuzweg1|D-01097Dresdencontactinformation
Phone:+49351656810Fax:+4935165681-20E-mail:[email protected]
Websitewww.justiz.sachsen.de/lstu
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• StateCommissionerforStasiRecordsSaxony-Anhalt
Der Landesbeauftragte Sachsen-Anhalt für die Unterlagen des Staatssicherheitsdienstes der ehemaligen DDRpostaladdress
Klewitzstraße4|D-39112Magdeburgcontactinformation
Phone:+493915675051Fax:+493915675060E-mail:[email protected]
Websitewww.sachsen-anhalt.de/LPSA/index.php?id=5750
• StateCommissionerforStasiRecordsThuringia Die Landesbeauftragte des Freistaats Thüringen
für die Unterlagen des Staatssicherheitsdienstes der ehemaligen DDRpostaladdress
Jürgen-Fuchs-Straße1|D-99096Erfurt
contactinformationPhone:+493613771951Fax:+493613771952E-mail:[email protected]
Websitewww.thueringen.de/de/tlstu
— FEDERAlAGEnCyFORCIVICEDUCATIOnBundeszentralefürpolitischeBildung(bpb)
ShortdescriptionTheFederalAgencyforCivicEducation(Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung/bpb)isapublicinstitutionthatpromotesdemocraticawarenessandpoliticalparticipation.Itsvariousprintpublications,dossiers,andDVDscoverabroadrangeofcurrentandhistoricalissuesinthefieldofpolitics,economy,andsociety.Further,thebpboffersseminars,conferences,culturalevents,studytrips,exhibitionsandcompetitions,andprovidessupportfor
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62o t h e r g e r m a n i n s t i t u t i o n s : a B r i e F o v e r v i e w
F e D e r a l i n s t i t u t i o n s
partnerinstitutionsworkinginciviceducation.Theportfolioincludesspecialoffersforteachers,civiceducationpractitioners,journalists,andyoungpeople.Allthebpb’sactivitiesaimtomotivatepeopleandencouragethemtoreflectonpoliticalandsocialissues.postaladdress
Adenauerallee86|D-53113Bonncontactinformation
Phone:+4922899515200E-mail:[email protected]
Websitewww.bpb.de
informationinenglishwww.bpb.de/die_bpb/PE8IKY(aboutbpb),www.bpb.de/nece(thebpb’sEuropeanprogram)
— FEDERAlSTATEARChIVBERlIn–KOBlEnzBundesarchivKoblenzpostaladdress
PotsdamerStraße1|D-56075Koblenzcontactinformation
Phone:+492615050Fax:+49261505226E-mail:[email protected]
Federa l state archiv Koblenz
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• Bayrischeshauptstaatsarchivpostaladdress
Schönfeldstraße5–11|D-80539Münchencontactinformation
Phone:+4989286382596Fax:+4989286382954E-mail:[email protected]
Websitewww.gda.bayern.de/index.php
informationinenglishwww.gda.bayern.de/enp1.htm
• landesarchivBerlinpostaladdress
Eichborndamm115–121|D-13403Berlincontactinformation
Phone:+4930902640Fax:+493090264201E-mail:[email protected]
Websitewww.landesarchiv-berlin.de/lab-neu/start.html
Websitewww.bundesarchiv.de/index.html.de
informationinenglishwww.bundesarchiv.de/index.html.en
— STATEARChIVESLandesarchive
• landesarchivBaden-württembergpostaladdress
Eugenstraße7|D-70182Stuttgartcontactinformation
Phone:+497112124272Fax:+497112124283E-mail:[email protected]
Websitewww.landesarchiv-bw.de/web/
informationinenglishwww.landesarchiv-bw.de/web/49435
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64o t h e r g e r m a n i n s t i t u t i o n s : a B r i e F o v e r v i e w
F e D e r a l i n s t i t u t i o n s
• Brandenburgischeslandeshauptarchivpostaladdress
ZumWindmühlenberg|D-14469Potsdamcontactinformation
Phone:+4933156740Fax:+493315674212E-mail:[email protected]
Websitewww.landeshauptarchiv-brandenburg.de
informationinenglishwww.landeshauptarchiv-brandenburg.de/netCmsFrames.aspx?URL=english_0.aspx
• StaatsarchivBremenpostaladdress
AmStaatsarchiv1|D-28203Bremencontactinformation
Phone:+494213616221Fax:+4942136110247E-mail:[email protected]
Websitewww.staatsarchiv.bremen.de/sixcms/detail.php?gsid=bremen02.c.730.de
• Staatsarchivhamburgpostaladdress
Kattunbleiche19|D-22041Hamburgcontactinformation
Phone:+4940428313200Fax:+4940428313201E-mail:[email protected]
Websitewww.hamburg.de/staatsarchiv
• hessischeshauptstaatsarchivpostaladdress
MosbacherStraße55|D-65187Wiesbadencontactinformation
Phone:+496118810Fax:+49611881145E-mail:[email protected]
Websitewww.hauptstaatsarchiv.hessen.de
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• landeshauptarchivmecklenburg-Vorpommernpostaladdress
Graf-Schack-Allee2|D-19053Schwerincontactinformation
Phone:+4938558879410Fax:+4938558879412E-mail:[email protected]
Websitewww.kulturwerte-mv.de/cms2/LAKD_prod/LAKD/content/de/Landesarchiv/Landeshauptarchiv_Schwerin/index.jsp
informationinenglishwww.kulturwerte-mv.de/cms2/LAKD_prod/LAKD/content/de/Landesarchiv/The_archives_in_English/index.jsp
• niedersächsischeslandesarchivpostaladdress
AmArchiv1|D-30169Hannovercontactinformation
Phone:+495111206601Fax:+495111206639E-mail:[email protected]
Websitewww.staatsarchive.niedersachsen.de/live/live.php?navigation_id=24756&_psmand=187
• landesarchivnordrhein-westfalenpostaladdress
Graf-Adolf-Straße67|D-40210Düsseldorfcontactinformation
Phone:+492111592380Fax:+49211159238111E-mail:[email protected]
Websitewww.archive.nrw.de/LandesarchivNRW/
• landeshauptarchivRheinland-Pfalzpostaladdress
Karmeliterstraße1/3|D-56068Koblenzcontactinformation
Phone:+4926191290Fax:+492619129112E-mail:[email protected]
Websitewww.landeshauptarchiv.de
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66o t h e r g e r m a n i n s t i t u t i o n s : a B r i e F o v e r v i e w
F e D e r a l i n s t i t u t i o n s
• ArchivdesSaarlandespostaladdress
Dudweilerstraße1|D-66133Saarbrückencontactinformation
Phone:+4968150100Fax:+496815011933E-mail:[email protected]
Websitewww.saarland.de/SID-3E724395-7E2E639A/landesarchiv.htm
• SächsischesStaatsarchivpostaladdress
Wilhelm-Buck-Straße4|D-01097Dresdencontactinformation
Phone:+493515643740Fax:+493515643739E-mail:[email protected]
Websitewww.staatsarchiv.sachsen.de
• landeshauptarchivSachsen-Anhalt (Abt.magdeburg)
postaladdressHegelstraße25|D-39104Magdeburg
contactinformationPhone:+4939156643Fax:+493915664440E-mail:[email protected]
Websitewww.sachsen-anhalt.de/LPSA/index.php?id=32023
• landesarchivSchleswig-holsteinpostaladdress
Prinzenpalais|D-24837Schleswigcontactinformation
Phone:+494621861800Fax:+494621861801E-mail:[email protected]
Websitewww.schleswig-holstein.de/LA/DE/LA_node.html
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• Thüringischeshauptstaatsarchivpostaladdress
Marstallstraße2|D-99423Weimarcontactinformation
Phone:+4936438700Fax:+493643870100E-mail:[email protected]
Websitewww.thueringen.de/de/staatsarchive/weimar/content.html
— STATEAGEnCIESFORCIVICEDUCATIOn LandeszentralenfürpolitischeBildung
• landeszentralefürpolitischeBildung Baden-württemberg
postaladdressStafflenbergstraße38|D-70184Stuttgart
contactinformationPhone:+497111640990Fax:+4971116409977E-mail:[email protected]
Websitewww.lpb-bw.de/lpb_index.html
• landeszentralefürpolitischeBildungBayernpostaladdress
Praterinsel2|D-80538Münchencontactinformation
Phone:+498921862172Fax:+498921862180E-mail:[email protected]
Websitewww.km.bayern.de/blz
• landeszentralefürpolitischeBildungBerlinpostaladdress
AnderUrania4–10|D-10787Berlincontactinformation
Phone:+493090162552Fax:+493090162538E-mail:[email protected]
Websitewww.berlin.de/lzpb/index.html
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68o t h e r g e r m a n i n s t i t u t i o n s : a B r i e F o v e r v i e w
F e D e r a l i n s t i t u t i o n s
• landeszentralefürpolitischeBildungBrandenburgpostaladdress
Heinrich-Mann-Allee107|D-14473Potsdamcontactinformation
Phone:+493318663541Fax:+493318663544E-mail:[email protected]
Websitewww.politische-bildung-brandenburg.de/index.html
• landeszentralefürpolitischeBildungBremenpostaladdress
Osterdeich6|D-28203Bremencontactinformation
Phone:+494213612922Fax:+494213614453E-mail:[email protected]
Websitewww.lzpb-bremen.de/sixcms/detail.php?gsid=bremen02.c.730.de
• landeszentralefürpolitischeBildunghamburgpostaladdress
Dammtorstraße14|D-20354Hamburgcontactinformation
Phone:+4940428234826Fax:+4940428234813E-mail:[email protected]
Websitewww.hamburg.de/politische-bildung/
• landeszentralefürpolitischeBildunghessenpostaladdress
Taunusstraße4–6|D-65183Wiesbadencontactinformation
Phone:+49611324051Fax:+49611324077E-Mail:[email protected]
Websitewww.hlz.hessen.de
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• landeszentralefürpolitischeBildung mecklenburg-Vorpommern
postaladdressJägerweg2|D-19053Schwerin
contactinformationPhone:+493853020910Fax:+493853020922E-mail:[email protected]
Websitewww.lpb-mv.de/cms2/LfpB_prod/LfpB/de/start/index.jsp
• landeszentralefürpolitischeBildung nordrhein-westfalen
postaladdressHorionplatz1|D-40213Düsseldorf
contactinformationPhone:+4921186184615Fax:+4921186184675E-mail:[email protected]
Websitewww.politische-bildung.nrw.de
• landeszentralefürpolitischeBildung Rheinland-Pfalz
postaladdressAmKronbergerHof6|D-55116Mainz
contactinformationPhone:+496131162970Fax:+496131162980E-mail:[email protected]
Websitewww.politische-bildung-rlp.de
• landeszentralefürpolitischeBildungSaarlandpostaladdress
Beethovenstraße26/Pavillon|D-66125Saarbrückencontactinformation
Phone:+4968977908144Fax:+4968977908177E-mail:[email protected]
Websitewww.lpm.uni-sb.de/typo3/index.php?id=978
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70o t h e r g e r m a n i n s t i t u t i o n s : a B r i e F o v e r v i e w
F e D e r a l i n s t i t u t i o n s
• landeszentralefürpolitischeBildungSachsenpostaladdress
Schützenhofstraße36|D-01129Dresdencontactinformation
Phone:+49351853180Fax:+493518531855E-mail:[email protected]
Websitewww.slpb.de
• landeszentralefürpolitischeBildung Sachsen-Anhalt
postaladdressSchleinufer12|D-39104Magdeburg
contactinformationPhone:+493915676463Fax:+493915676464E-mail:[email protected]
Websitewww.sachsen-anhalt.de/LPSA/index.php?id=5752
• landeszentralefürpolitischeBildung Schleswig-holstein
postaladdressKehdenstraße27|D-24103Kiel
contactinformationPhone:+494319885937Fax:+494319885942E-mail:[email protected]
Websitewww.schleswig-holstein.de/LPB/DE/LPB_node.html
informationinenglishwww.schleswig-holstein.de/LPB/EN/LPB_node.html
• landeszentralefürpolitischeBildungThüringenpostaladdress
Regierungsstraße73|D-99084Erfurtcontactinformation
Phone:+493613792701Fax:+493613792702E-mail:[email protected]
Websitewww.thueringen.de/de/lzt/content.html
informationinenglishwww.thueringen.de/de/lzt/ec/
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— COnTEmPORARyhISTORyFORUmlEIPzIG ZeitgeschichtlichesForumLeipzig
ShortdescriptionTheContemporaryHistoryForum(Zeitgeschichtliches Forum)isthemostimportantmuseumcommemoratingthehistoryofGDRrepression,opposition,resistanceandpeacefulrevolutionbeforethebackgroundofGermandivision.SituatedinLeipzig’scitycenterwhereinfallof1989themassivepath-breakingdemonstrationsagainstthedictatorialregimetookplace,italsodocumentsevery-daylifeundercommunistdictatorshipandtheprocessofreunificationafter1990.TheForumistheLeipzigbranchoftheHistoryMuseumoftheFederalRepublicofGermanylocatedinWestGermany’sformerfederalcapitalinBonn.postaladdress
GrimmaischeStraße6|D-04109Leipzigcontactinformation
Phone:+493412220-0E-mail:[email protected]
Websitewww.hdg.de/leipzig
Contemporar y histor y Forum leipz ig
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72o t h e r g e r m a n i n s t i t u t i o n s : a B r i e F o v e r v i e w
C i v i C a r C h i v e s
2.civicarchiveS
BesidestheStateFederalArchiveandtheArchiveoftheFederalCommissionerofStasi-recordsseveralcivicarchivesresultingfromthecivicoppositionmovementareworking:
— ROBERT-hAVEmAnn-GESEllSChAFTE.V.postaladdress
Schliemannstraße23|D-10437Berlincontactinformation
Phone:+493044710813Fax:+493044710819E-mail:[email protected]
Websitewww.havemann-gesellschaft.de
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— ARChIVBüRGERBEwEGUnGlEIPzIGE.V.postaladdress
Katharinenstraße11(Fregehaus)|D-04109Leipzigcontactinformation
Phone:+493418611626Fax:+493418611626E-mail:[email protected]
Websitewww.archiv-buergerbewegung.de
— UmwElTBIBlIOThEKGROSShEnnERSDORFpostaladdress
AmSportplatz3|D-02747Großhennersdorfcontactinformation
Phone:+493587340503Fax:+493587330921E-mail:[email protected]
Websitewww.umweltbibliothek.org
— ThüRInGERARChIVFüRzEITGESChIChTEpostaladdress
CamsdorferUfer17|D-07749Jenacontactinformation
Phone:+493641228605Fax:+493641229743E-mail:[email protected]
Websitewww.thueraz.de
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74o t h e r g e r m a n i n s t i t u t i o n s : a B r i e F o v e r v i e w
o t h e r i n s t i t u t i o n s , m u s e u m s a n D m e m o r i a l s i t e s
3. OtherinStitutiOnS, muSeumSand memOrialSiteS
— STASImUSEUmBERlIn
ShortdescriptionTheStasiMuseumBerlin(Forschungs- und Gedenkstätte Normannenstraße/Haus I)isaprivateinitiativelocatedin“House1”oftheformerGDRMinistryforStateSecurity’sheadquarterscomplexintheEastBerlindistrictofLichtenberg.Atthatverylocationlong-timeGDRStasiMinisterErichMielke(1957–1989)hadhisoffices.Theyarepreservedinitsoriginalconditionandopentovisitors.FurtherpartsoftheexhibitdealwithStateSecuritytechnologyandvariousobjects,aswellaswithoppositionandresistanceintheGDR.
postaladdressRuschestraße103,Haus1|D-10365Berlin
contactinformationPhone:+49305536854Fax:+49305536853E-mail:[email protected]
Websitewww.stasimuseum.de
englishversionwww.stasimuseum.de/en/enindex.htm
— “ROUnDCORnER” STASImEmORIAlmUSEUmlEIPzIG Museuminder“RundenEcke”Leipzig
ShortdescriptionTheCitizensCommitteeofLeipzig(Bürgerkomitee Leipzig),originatingin1989,openedthissubsequentlydevelopedexhibitin1990alreadyintheauthenticsiteofformerStasidistrictheadquarters(referredtoas“round
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corner”duetobuilding’speculiarshape).TodaytheCitizensCommitteeeducatesabouthistory,structure,andmethodsoftheStasi.Itactivelyparticipatesinpublicdebatesaboutdictatorshipsandlessonsapplicabletodiscoursesoncivillibertiesandhumanrights.postaladdress
Dittrichring24|D-04109Leipzigcontactinformation
Phone:+493419612443Fax:+493419612499E-mail:[email protected]
Websitewww.runde-ecke-leipzig.de/cms
englishversionwww.runde-ecke-leipzig.de/cms/index.php?id=76&L=1
“round Corner” stas i memor ia l museum leipz ig
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76o t h e r g e r m a n i n s t i t u t i o n s : a B r i e F o v e r v i e w
o t h e r i n s t i t u t i o n s , m u s e u m s a n D m e m o r i a l s i t e s
— FORmERSOVIETSPECIAl InTERnmEnTCAmPS
AfterthedemiseofNaziGermanyandtheSecondWorldWar’sendinginEurope,SovietmilitaryauthoritiesusedinpartNaziconcentrationcampsitesinEasternGermanybetween1945and1950fortheirten“specialinternmentcamps”todetainsomereal,andmanyalleged,national-socialists.About43,000,i.e.35percentofindividualsinterned,perishedduringtheirconfinement.Thetencamps,listedinthesequenceofnumberingassignedbySovietauthorities,were:Mühlberg,Buchenwald,Berlin-Hohenschönhausen,Bautzen,Ketschendorf/Fürstenwalde,Frankfurt/OderandlaterJamlitz,WeesowandlaterSachsenhausen,Torgau/FortZinna,Fünfeichen,Torgau/SeydlitzBarracks.
Inthefollowinglocationspermanentexhibitions,gravesites,andmemorialscommemoratethesecampsandtheplightoftheirinmates:
• Buchenwaldmemorial Gedenkstätte Buchenwald
postaladdressD-99427Weimar-BuchenwaldcontactinformationPhone:+4936434300Fax:+493643430100E-mail:[email protected]
Websitewww.buchenwald.de
englishversionwww.buchenwald.de/english
• mittelbau-Doramemorial KZ-Gedenkstätte Mittelbau-Dora
postaladdressKohnsteinweg20|D-99734Nordhausen
contactinformationPhone:+49363149580Fax:+493631495813E-mail:[email protected]
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Websitewww.dora.de
englishversionwww.dora.de/index_cten.html
• InitiativgruppeInternierungslager Ketschendorfe.V.
postaladdressFrankfurterStraße4|D-15517Fürstenwalde
contactinformationPhone:+49-3361-307873E-mail:[email protected]
Websitewww.uokg.de/Text2/Mit-Ketsch01.htm
• InitiativgruppeInternierungslagerJamlitze.V.postaladdress
Bergmannsweg9|D-03159Groß-Kölzigcontactinformation
Phone:+49356006552E-mail:[email protected]
Websitewww.uokg.de/Text2/Mit-Jamlitz01.htm
memor ia l and museum sachsenhausen
• memorialandmuseumSachsenhausen Gedenkstätte und Museum Sachsenhausen
postaladdressStraßederNationen22|D-16515Oranienburg
contactinformationPhone:+493301810912Fax:+493301810928E-mail:info@gedenkstätte-sachsenhausen.de
Websitewww.stiftung-bg.de/gums/de/index.htm
englishversionwww.stiftung-bg.de/gums/en/index.htm
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78o t h e r g e r m a n i n s t i t u t i o n s : a B r i e F o v e r v i e w
o t h e r i n s t i t u t i o n s , m u s e u m s a n D m e m o r i a l s i t e s
• DocumentationandInformationCentre(DIz)Torgau Dokumentations- und Informationszentrum (DIZ) Torgau
postaladdressSchlossHartenfels,Schlossstraße27|D-04860Torgau
contactinformationPhone:+493421713468Fax:+493421714932E-mail:[email protected]
Websitewww.stsg.de/cms/torgau/startseite
englishversionen.stsg.de/cms/node/876/
• memorialneubrandenburg Gedenkstätte Neubrandenburg (Fünfeichen)
postaladdressRosenstraße13–15|D-17033Neubrandenburg
contactinformationPhone:+493955551800Fax:+493955551861E-mail:[email protected]
Websitewww.neubrandenburg.de/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=103
memor ia l neubrandenburg
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— mEmORIAlSITESInFORmERGDRPRISOnS
Thefollowingformerprisonsites,runduringcommunisttimesbytheformerGDRMinistryofInteriorandtheMinistryofStateSecurity,heldnumerouspoliticalprisoners.Todaytheyserveaspermanentpublicmemorials,featureguidedtoursandexhibitions,andholdeventstocommemoratevictimsofpoliticalpersecutionandrepression.
• Bautzenmemorial Gedenkstätte Bautzen
postaladdressWeigangstraße8A|D-02625Bautzen
contactinformationPhone:+49359140474Fax:+49359140475E-mail:[email protected]
Websitewww.stsg.de/cms/bautzen/startseite
englishversionen.stsg.de/cms/node/977/
Bautzen memor ia l
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80o t h e r g e r m a n i n s t i t u t i o n s : a B r i e F o v e r v i e w
o t h e r i n s t i t u t i o n s , m u s e u m s a n D m e m o r i a l s i t e s
contactinformationPhone:+493098608230Fax:+4930986082464E-mail:[email protected]
Websitewww.stiftung-hsh.de
englishversionen.stiftung-hsh.de/document.php?cat_id=CAT_231&special=0
• Andreasstrassememorial Gedenkstätte Andreasstraße Freiheit e. V. Förderverein Gedenkstätte Andreasstraße
postaladdressBechtheimerStraße2|D-99084Erfurt
contactinformationPhone:+491775972723E-mail:[email protected]
Websitewww.andreasstrasse-erfurt.de
Ber l in -hohenschönhausen memor ia l
• Berlin-hohenschönhausenmemorial Gedenkstätte Berlin-Hohenschönhausen
postaladdressGenslerstraße66|D-13055Berlin
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• memorial“RedOx”halle Gedenkstätte ‘Roter Ochse’ Halle
postaladdressAmKirchtor20B|D-06108Halle
contactinformationPhone:+493452201337Fax:+493452201339E-mail:[email protected]
Websitewww.sachsen-anhalt.de/LPSA/index.php?id=31471
• memorialmagdeburgmoritzplatz Gedenkstätte Moritzplatz Magdeburg
postaladdressUmfassungsstraße76|D-39124Magdeburg
contactinformationPhone:+493912445590Fax:+4939124455999E-mail:[email protected]
Websitewww.sachsen-anhalt.de/LPSA/index.php?id=31585
memor ia l l indenstrasse 54/55 Potsdam
• memoriallindenstrasse54/55Potsdam Gedenkstätte Lindenstraße 54/55
postaladdressBenkertstraße3|D-14467Potsdam
contactinformationPhone:+493312896803Fax:+493312896808E-mail:[email protected]
Websitewww.potsdam.de/cms/beitrag/10028894/34714/
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82o t h e r g e r m a n i n s t i t u t i o n s : a B r i e F o v e r v i e w
o t h e r i n s t i t u t i o n s , m u s e u m s a n D m e m o r i a l s i t e s
• DocumentationCentermecklenburg-Vorpommern forVictimsofDictatorshipinGermany
Dokumentationszentrum des Landes Mecklenburg-Vorpommern für die Opfer der Diktaturen in Deutschlandpostaladdress
Obotritenring106|D-19055Schwerincontactinformation
Phone:+4938574529911Fax:+493857778847E-mail:[email protected]
Websitewww.lpb-mv.de/cms2/LfpB_prod/LfpB/de/dz/index.jsp
—BORDERmEmORIAlSAnDmUSEUmS
MemorialsandmuseumslistedbelowwerebuiltorestablishedatcertainsitesorcrossingpointsneartheformerborderinstallationsinBerlinorbetweenEastandWestGermany.
• BerlinwallmemorialGedenkstätte Berliner Mauerpostaladdress
BernauerStraße111/119|D-13355Berlincontactinformation
Phone:+4930467986666Fax:+4930467986677E-mail:[email protected]
Websitewww.berliner-mauer-dokumentationszentrum.de/de/
englishversionwww.berliner-mauer-dokumentationszentrum.de/en/index.html
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84o t h e r g e r m a n i n s t i t u t i o n s : a B r i e F o v e r v i e w
o t h e r i n s t i t u t i o n s , m u s e u m s a n D m e m o r i a l s i t e s
• wallmuseum/houseatCheckpointCharlieMauermuseum/Museum Haus am Checkpoint Charliepostaladdress
Postfach610226|D-10923Berlincontactinformation
Phone:+49302537250Fax:+49302512075E-mail:[email protected]
Websitewww.mauermuseum.de
englishversionwww.mauermuseum.de/english/frame-index-mauer.html
• marienfeldeRefugeeCentrememorialErinnerungsstätte Notaufnahmelager Marienfeldepostaladdress
MarienfelderAllee66/80|D-12277Berlincontactinformation
Phone:+493075008400Fax:+493075446634E-mail:[email protected]
Websitewww.notaufnahmelager-berlin.de/de/
englishversionwww.notaufnahmelager-berlin.de/en/
• memorialofGermanDivisionatmarienbornGedenkstätte Marienbornpostaladdress
AnderBAB2|D-39365Marienborncontactinformation
Phone:+493940692090Fax:+493940692099E-mail:[email protected]
Websitewww.sachsen-anhalt.de/LPSA/index.php?id=31581
memor ia l of german Div is ion at mar ienborn
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Border land museum eichsfe ld
• BorderlandmuseumEichsfeldGrenzlandmuseum Eichsfeldpostaladdress
DuderstädterStraße5|D-37339Teistungencontactinformation
Phone:+493607197112Fax:+493607197998E-mail:[email protected]
Websitewww.grenzlandmuseum.de/museum/index.html
• German-Germanmuseummödlareuth (“littleBerlin”)
Deutsch-Deutsches Museum Mödlareuthpostaladdress
Mödlareuth13|D-95183Töpencontactinformation
Phone:+4992951334Fax::+4992951319E-mail:[email protected]
Websitewww.moedlareuth.de
• memorialPointAlphaGedenkstätte Point Alphapostaladdress
PlatzderdeutschenEinheit1|D-36419Geisacontactinformation
Phone:+496651919030Fax:+496651919031E-mail:[email protected]
Websitewww.pointalpha.com/gedenkstaette
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86o t h e r i n t e r n a t i o n a l i n s t i t u t i o n s : a B r i e F o v e r v i e w
v i C t i m s a s s o C i a t i o n s
4.victimSaSSOciatiOnS
Since1990numerousassociationsandinterestgroupsofformervictimsofpoliticalpersecutionintheGDRwereformed.TheyjoinedexistinginstitutionsinWestGermanyliketheUnionofVictimsAssociationsofCommunistDictatorship(Union der Opferverbände kommunistischer Gewaltherrschaft),whosemembersrepresentalmosttheentirescopeofmechanismsofcommunistrepressionbetween1945and1989.Respectiveassociationswereeitherestablishedbyformerinmatesheldincertaincampsorprisons(likeBautzen,Buchenwald,Cottbus,Sachsenhausen,etcetera),orbyvictimsofparticularformsofrepression,likeforcedevacuationsfromGDRborderareasin1952and1961,forcedadoptions,orStasirepressioningeneral.TheUnionofVictimsAssociationsofCommunistDictatorshipservesasanumbrellaorganizationforcurrently32individualassociationsandvictimsgroupsinWesternandEasternpartsofunitedGermany(websiteinGermanonly:www.uokg.de/cms).TheexecutiveofficeoftheInternationalAssociationofFormerPoliticalPrisonersandVictimsofCommunism(Internationale Assoziation ehemaliger politischer Gefangener und Opfer des Kommunismus)
currentlyresidesintheFederalRepublicofGermany;theassociationitselfhassofarorganized17internationalcongressesinvariousEuropeancitiesandcomprisesofmemberorganizationsfrom17differentcountries(Albania,Bosnia-Herzegovina,Bulgaria,Croatia,CzechRepublic,Estonia,Germany,Hungary,Latvia,Lithuania,Moldavia,Poland,Romania,Russia,Slovakia,Slovenia,andUkraine).
— UOKGpostaladdress
Ruschestraße103,Haus14|D-10365Berlincontactinformation
Phone:+493055779351Fax:+493055779340E-mail:[email protected]
Websitewww.uokg.de
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— VOS–VereinigungderOpferdesStalinismuspostaladdress
Hardenbergplatz2,Zoobogen|D-10623Berlincontactinformation
Phone:+493026552380Fax:+493026552382E-mail:[email protected]
Websitewww.vos-ev.de
— InternationalAssociation
• AlBAnIEnShoqataAntikomunisteeish-tePëmdjekurvePolitikeDemokratë
postaladdressBulevardi“Dëshmorët”KarshiKryeministrisëALTiranë|Albania
contactinformationPhone:+3554223287
• BUlGARIEnUnionoftheRepressedPeoplepostaladdress
BGSofiacontactinformation
Phone:+35929879473
• DEUTSChlAnDUnionderOpferverbändeKommunistischerGewaltherrschafte.V.postaladdress
Ruschestraße103,Raum419D-10365Berlin-Lichtenberg
contactinformationPhone:+4903055779354
• ESTlAnDBoardofSouthEstonianAssoziationofPoliticalPrisonerspostaladdress
Tahe74-6|EE2400Tartucontactinformation
Phone:+3727
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88o t h e r i n t e r n a t i o n a l i n s t i t u t i o n s : a B r i e F o v e r v i e w
v i C t i m s a s s o C i a t i o n s
• lETTlAnDlatvijasPolitiskiRepresetoApvienidapostaladdress
Skunuiela15|LV1050Rigacontactinformation
Phone:+3717222368Website
www.vip.latnet.lv/LPRA
• lITAUEnlithuanianPoliticalPrisonersandDeporteesAssociationpostaladdress
Laisvesal.39,Kaunas3000|Lithuaniacontactinformation
Phone:+3702(837)323214Website
www.lpkts.lt
• KROATIEnhrvatskoDrustvoPolitickih(hDPz)postaladdress
Masarykowa22/IV|HR10000Zagrebcontactinformation
Phone:+38514222879Website
www.hdpz.htnet.hr
internat ional associat ion
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• mOlDAwIEnAVRC-VRARRmAssoziationderehem.politischenhäftlingeausderRepublikmoldaupostaladdress
Str.N.Iorgia8|MD2009Chisinaucontactinformation
Phone:+3732240077
• POlEnzwiazekwiezniowPolityccznychOkresuStalinowskiegopostaladdress
ZarzadGlownyul.11-goListopada17/19PL00-987Warszawa4
• RUmänIEnAsociataFostilorDetinutiPoliticidinRomaniapostaladdress
MantuleasaNr.10Sect.3|Ro7070387Bucuresti
• RUSSlAnD“memorial”postaladdress
Vitebskijpr.41-3-25|SanktPetersburg,Russlandcontactinformation
Phone:+78122995579Website
www.memo.ru
• SlOwAKEIKonfederaciaPolitickychVaznovSlovenskapostaladdress
Leskova3|SK-81104Bratislavacontactinformation
Phone:+42731800700
• SlOwEnIEnzdruzenjezrtevKomunisticneganasiljapostaladdress
Izanska206a|Slo1000Ljubljanacontactinformation
Phone:+386611274059
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• TSChEChIEnKonfederacePolitickýchVeznuCRpostaladdress
Skretova6|CZ12000Prahacontactinformation
Phone:+42224230536Website
www.kpv.kozakov.cz
• UKRAInEnationaleVereinigungderpolitischenGefangeneninderUkrainepostaladdress
ul.Mejygirska,7/16|252071Kiew71,Ukraina
• UnGARnmagyarPolitikaiFoglyokSzövetsege(POFOSz)postaladdress
Nadoru.36.IV|H1051Budapestcontactinformation
Phone:+36613116746,+36613117550Website
www.1956.mti.hu/Pages/Gallery.aspx?GalleryID=1www.gulag.hu
o t h e r i n t e r n a t i o n a l i n s t i t u t i o n s : a B r i e F o v e r v i e w
v i C t i m s a s s o C i a t i o n s
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Credits/Imprint
editor:Dr.AnnaKaminsky,BundesstiftungzurAufarbeitungderSED-Diktaturauthor:Dr.BerndSchäferphotoeditor:DietrichWolfFennerdesign:ultramarinrot,BerlinSecondEdition2011
picturecredits:Cover:Bundesregierung/EngelbertReineke;Bundesregierung;Bild4–7BundesstiftungAufarbeitung;Bundesregierung/KlausLehnartzS.4:BundesstiftungAufarbeitung/BestandKlausMehner,Bild72_0325_POL_Mauer_05S.3;S.5;S.6;S.17;S.22;S.23/2;S.27;S.28;S.29/2;S.31;S.32;S.36;S.37;S.45;S.47;S.48;S.49;S.501/2;S.52;S.57;S.581–3;S.71;S.72;S.75;S.76;S.77;S.78;S.79;S.80;S.81:BundesstiftungAufarbeitungS.83Flix„Dawarmalwas…“,S.84;S.85;S.88:BundesstiftungAufarbeitungS.7:BundesstiftungAufarbeitung,BestandKlausMehner, 89_1110_ausreise01S.8:Bundesregierung/Perlia-ArchivS.9:ArchivBundesstiftungAufarbeitung/BestandKlausMehner, Bild77_1205_POL-Mauer_05
S.13:1,2Bundesregierung/KlausLehnartz;3Bundesregierung/HeikoSpechtS.11:ArchivBundesstiftungAufarbeitung/BestandKlausMehner,Bild21_89_1104_POL-Demo_67S.14:ArchivBundesstiftungAufarbeitung/BestandKlausMehnerS.15:Bundesregierung/ArneSchambeckS.20:Bundesregierung/ArneSchambeckS.23/1:Bundesregierung/KlausLehnartzS.24:Bundesregierung/SieghardLiebeS.29/1:Bundesarchiv,183-1990-0412-019,OberstS.35:BundesarchivBild175-15451S.39;S.54;S.55:BundesstiftungAufarbeitung/ThomasTrutschel/photothek.netS.40:Bundesregierung/JuliaFassbenderS.43;S.51;S.53:BundesstiftungAufarbeitung/BirgitMeixnerS.44:Bundesregierung/EngelbertReinekeS.56:Bundesregierung/EngelbertReinekeS.59/1:Bundesregierung/SteffenKuglerS.62:Bundesregierung/TorstenKrause
headOffice:BundesstiftungzurAufarbeitungderSED-DiktaturKronenstraße5|D-10117Berlin|Germany
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Bundesstiftung zur Aufarbeitungder SED-DiktaturKronenstraße 5D-10117 BerlinGermany
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