In the heart of Leipzig, author Tupoka Ogette recounts her encounters with racial hostility, even during the GDR era. The official narrative of the GDR, devoid of racism, was far from the truth, Ogette elucidated to the Sächsische Zeitung newspaper. Although physically threatening incidents were few, they left an indelible mark. "It wasn't just about physical attacks or derogatory remarks," Ogette emphasized. "Racism manifests itself in a myriad of ways, including a paternalistic attitude that permeated every corner of society."
Racism is a multi-faceted monster, Ogette warned. The aggression she experienced ranged from overtly harmful to subtly belittling. Officially, racism was a foreign concept in the GDR, but Ogette couldn't ignore the undercurrent of prejudice.
The GDR, despite its claim of racial equality, was far from immune to the poison of racism. Its past was a tangled web of complexities. Nazi propaganda was applied liberally to justify actions, with the destruction of Dresden being pinned on "Anglo-American fascism," even though Dresden lay on the Eastern front (1). Racial antisemitism thrived, visible in the portrayal of minority groups – often coded to avoid direct verbal antisemitic language. This phenomenon, coined "antisemitism without Jews," was driven by the low Jewish population (2). Culturally and socially, post-war East Germany grappled with its past, leading to a complex climate where open expressions of antisemitism were unheard of, but subtle prejudices still surfaced (2).
The official integration policies of the GDR often fell short of reality. Jews and other minority groups found themselves either excluded or on the periphery of society. This perpetuated a harmful sense of otherness (2).
Racism's chameleon nature made it difficult to combat in the GDR - its shape-shifting forms ranged from the overtly violent to the subtly paternalistic. Ogette's experiences were a stark reminder that racism is not relegated to history books; it persists, evolving to fit the times. "Racism is not something we've left behind," she warned, "It's a fight we must continue to live and breathe."
(1) dpa.com (2) Brown, M. (1992). East German Antisemitism: A State Sponsored Ideology.
