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Documents - Opposition in the GDR
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1.   Western Impressions of the GDR as an Earlier World (1964)
On a trip through East Germany after the building of the Wall, the West German editor of Die Zeit experienced the GDR as a kind of open-air museum for the German past. She failed to perceive....
2.   An East German Definition of Human Rights as Based on Social Equality (September 16, 1976)
An East Berlin newspaper article describes the SED’s understanding of human rights, emphasizing the importance of equality and security as opposed to political liberty. The article also underscores....
3.   Leading GDR Writers Protest the Expatriation of Wolf Biermann (November 17, 1976)
When the GDR government expatriated Wolf Biermann, a popular singer and critic of the regime, a dozen prominent writers dared to protest the arbitrary action.....
4.   A Communist Idealist Criticizes the "Real Existing Socialism" of the GDR (1977)
Because the GDR was ending neither the exploitation of workers nor the arms race, the ethical Marxist Rudolf Bahro criticized the post-Stalinist version of “real....
5.   Robert Havemann's "Ten Theses" on the Thirtieth Anniversary of the GDR (September 1, 1979)
In an article written on the occasion of the thirtieth anniversary of the GDR, natural scientist Robert Havemann, East Germany’s most prominent dissident, praises....
6.   Young Christians Propose a "Social Peace Service" as an Alternative to Compulsory Military Duty (December 7, 1982)
Taking the peace propaganda of the SED at it face value, young Christians proposed a “social peace service” as an alternative to compulsory military service. They wanted to express their opposition....
7.   An Expelled East German Dissident Explains the Peace Movement (July 21, 1983)
The expelled Jena dissident Roland Jahn explains to a leftist West Berlin newspaper the motives, activities, and hopes for the future of the East German peace movement, which sought to stop the nuclear....
8.   Peace and Human Rights (1986)
In November 1985, after a human rights seminar planned by various East Berlin peace groups was canceled at the last minute under pressure from the Ministry for State Security [the Stasi], preparation....
9.   A Western Observer on East German Passive Resistance (1982)
A Western observer describes the lack of work-ethic in the GDR, where all performance incentives were missing. While perilous for the East German economy, the citizens’ disinterest in work served....
10.   A Liberal Western Journalist Praises the Progress of the GDR (1986)
As a strong supporter of East-West détente, the liberal journalist Theo Sommer presents a rather positive picture of East Germany’s progress – one that emphasizes advances in material consumption....
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