Unjust state or social paradise? GDR history as an ongoing challenge in coming to terms with the past

Coming to terms with the history of the GDR is not a completed process, but an ongoing challenge. It has to take into account both the system of injustice and its effects, as well as the experiences of everyday life under dictatorship. The fall of the Berlin Wall as a result of the Peaceful Revolution triggered an unexpected euphoria and hope for the future. However, it soon became apparent that shaping unity was associated with huge challenges - especially for each individual. But what made life in the GDR so special? How do we look at the different experiences of that time with the knowledge of today? And what narratives shape the current debate?

Dr. Maria Nooke has been the Brandenburg State Commissioner for Dealing with the Consequences of the Communist Dictatorship since 2017. After studying Sociology, Psychology and Education Sciences, she worked for the Berlin Wall Memorial and Foundation. Until 1990, she was involved in a church peace and environmental group in the GDR.

Moderator: Harald Asel, editor and moderator, Berlin

The lecture will take place in the Spreekino Spremberg/Grodk from 5:30 - 7 pm. A 40 to max. 45-minute lecture is planned, followed by three quarters of an hour of discussion.

The event is free of charge.

All lectures will be recorded and published on the website. https://www.praesenzstelle-spremberg.de/wissenschaftsjahr

The lecture series will be accompanied by the Berlin Wall Foundation, Prof. Dr. Axel Klausmeier, Director and honorary professor at BTU. The project is part of the Science Year 2024 - Freedom and is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF).

Registration for the lecture